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Teacher Evaluation at The Renaissance Charter SchoolTwo years ago, The Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, New York, overhauled its program of teacher evaluation and adopted strategies based on the Danielson Group’s Framework for Teaching, an approach that promotes differentiated teacher evaluation and encourages educators to reflect on the complex set of skills and competencies needed to teach successfully. For the educators at Renaissance, the Danielson Framework is one piece of a comprehensive system of evaluation that includes professional activities, goal-setting, peer-to-peer collaboration, and skill development. Educators at Renaissance explain that using the Danielson Framework in an academic environment that is committed to the development and growth of its teachers and students has proven to be very beneficial:Encourages teachers to become school leaders. By participating actively in the evaluation process, teachers help to shape the direction of the teaching and learning process within the school. As one school official noted, “The school resembles an employee-owned company, with teachers serving as part-owners of the company.” Using the data provided by the Danielson rubric, the teachers are able to demonstrate what works and what needs improvement in the school and in their classrooms. The teachers then have the opportunity to work together to make the necessary improvements. Provides a common language to describe good teaching. The Danielson rubric puts a set of clear expectations in place along with a common language. Although the high degree of detail within the rubric is generally seen as its strength, it is also a source of criticism. One educator indicated that sometimes the difference between the elements of the rubric is a subtle nuance. At Renaissance, they use this ambiguity as an opportunity to further discuss the skill in question amongst themselves, ultimately refining the definition of the element to reflect their school’s learning environment. Encourages a collaborative teaching environment. At Renaissance, the performance-based compensation system is “not a plan about numbers”; it is “designed to bring everyone up together.” Using the language and the data from the Danielson rubric allows teachers and administrators to work together on common goals, and share the success of achieving common outcomes. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) allow teachers to step out of the “teaching silo” of the classroom and engage in meaningful discussions about teaching with their peers. Promotes an objective system of teacher evaluation. The Danielson rubric makes the process of teacher evaluation objective, not subjective. “It goes beyond a checklist [of skills] and pushes for evidence,” said one teacher. Teachers and administrators refer to the data to identify a teacher’s strengths and areas for improvement, establish Independent Professional Growth Plans, and outline professional development needs and opportunities. At Renaissance, teachers create portfolios of their skills and achievements, professional development experiences, and participation in professional learning communities as part of their overall evaluation. |
What is the Danielson Framework?The Danielson Framework for Teaching is a research-based set of components of instruction, based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium standards, and grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching.” The Framework breaks the multifaceted art of teaching into four domains, which are divided into 22 components (or skills and competencies) which, in turn, are further subdivided into two to five elements. The four domains of professional practice are Planning and Preparation, The Classroom Environment, Professional Responsibilities, and Instruction. The rubric’s design and scope make it applicable to novice teachers who are experiencing the intricacies of teaching for the first time and veteran teachers who seek to improve specific skill sets. Learn more >> |
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