Evaluators in the Bradley County School System completed a non-scientific survey about the new teacher evaluation model. Of the 9 evaluators who participated, most had completed lesson plan evaluations and classroom observations. Evaluators felt the process was too time consuming and inconsistent between schools. They noted a lack of consistency in how evaluations were conducted and scored. Evaluators were generally confident in their ability to evaluate teachers but felt the process needed streamlining to reduce the time burden, such as by decreasing required observations. Both evaluators and teachers agreed the process had been too time consuming and inconsistent in its application.

1. The Results of an Evaluator Survey Concerning the New Evaluation Model The Results of a non-scientific survey sent to Teachers and Evaluators within the Bradley County School System*

2. By The Numbers 9 evaluatorscompleted the survey 8 evaluators had already completed the Lesson Plan Evaluation process 6 evaluators indicated that they had completed the Formal Classroom Observation

3. Important Notes: This survey is not a scientific random sample. Only 9 evaluators chose to participate, so we cannot use these results to say definitively that this is the way evaluators feel across the county. However, it is a fairly good representation of the anecdotal data shared “around the water cooler.” It is also important to remember that not all evaluators are administrators, so the comments made may not be representative of how principals feel across the system.

4. The first set of questions we asked pertained to the formal Lesson Plan Evaluation

5. 11% 34% 11% 44%

6. Time consumption. We have other things to do. Time restraints! The process needs to be more streamlined by doing away with the 15 [minute] planning observation and having the lesson plan that is graded be the same one you observe for full length.

7. 22% 78%

8. I provide this for low scores only. No where does it say in the state guidelines you are allowed to let teachers have a re-do. But you hear that some administrators in the local system [are] allowing this. I give suggestions/recommendations during the preconference, but I do not score the lesson plan at that time. Unfortunately, there is not time to score a rough draft of the lesson plan and then the official lesson plan. Improvements and clarifications were allowed to be made as a result of pre-conference discussions. No changes were permitted once the observation or post conference had occurred.

9. 33% 67%

10. Other schools are not doing evaluations the same way, and it has caused grumbling among teachers within the district but from different schools. …there is not consistency from school to school in the way the evaluations occur as well as the way in which they are scored.

11. 89% are Confident to Extremely Confident

12. ½ of Evaluators Spent 2 Hours Scoring Observations

13. I would like to see the observation requirement decreased. Perhaps 2 observations a year. With (number omitted) teachers on my staff, this is placing a considerable amount of additional time onto my already full routine. Right now we don't have time to run a school and at the end of the day that's what really matters.

14. Final Thoughts

15. Evaluators and Teachers Agree The process has been too time consuming for both teachers and evaluators There has been a lack of consistency between evaluators as it pertains to the process. (NOTE: This lack of consistency is also evident in the way the state trained evaluators. Depending on which session one attended, we are told some came back with totally differing views on how this plan should be accomplished.)

16. Overall, evaluators feel that the process should be streamlined. Both in the creation process (teachers) and in the scoring process (evaluators). We believe that working closely with administrators, evaluators, and teachers across the system, Bradley County can lead the way in improving this process both for our friends and co-workers, and in the state as a whole. Together, we can achieve Excellence by Design.