Observation & Evaluation

Observations and evaluations fall under the general category of performance review, which is cited in Article 8J of the UFT contract. Performance reviews are intended to help teachers accomplish their educational goals with their students.

Currently, the UFT and the Department of Education have an agreed-upon plan for teacher evaluation that is incorporated in the contract and is spelled out in the document “Teaching for the 21st Century.”

Under that plan, tenured teachers, in consultation with their supervisors, may choose either the “performance option” or the traditional classroom observation as the basis for their performance review.

New and probationary teachers at all levels should expect to have formal, traditional classroom observations several times a year. If you think you are being excessively observed, keep a log of the visits and speak to your chapter leader.

A formal observation is one which includes pre- and post-observation conferences and written feedback and/or comments. A supervisor has the right to enter a teacher’s class unannounced. However, such informal visits generally are not written up. If your supervisor writes up such an informal observation and if it is negative in nature, you should ask in writing for a post-observation conference with the supervisor.

A pre-conference may be: 1. one-to-one conferences between the supervisor and teacher; 2. small group meetings; or 3. a written notification outlining a menu of possible instructional areas to be evaluated during the formal observation, with teacher input on the area(s) to be addressed.

One-to-one conferences are required for all formal observations of probationary teachers or U-rated teachers.

Tenured teachers who have been rated satisfactory are entitled to an individual pre-observation conference if they request it in writing. The UFT recommends that all teachers make such a request at the beginning of each school year. A written request for a one-to-one conference must be granted (see Chief Executive Memorandum # 80, 1997-98). If your written request is denied, you may grieve under Article 8J and Article 20 of the teachers’ contract.

Following the observation, you should write down your recollections of the lesson, which will be helpful to you in the post-observation conference with your supervisor.

You will receive a written report of the observation after the post-observation conference and will be asked to sign it to indicate that you have seen it, whether or not you agree with it. If you believe the observation was improper, you should speak to your chapter leader, who can help you formulate a written response and advise you of the other options open to you. Your response must be attached to the original report and placed with the original in your file.

The new evaluation and improvement plan for teachers

The new system did not go into effect in September 2011 because local negotiations have not concluded.

The New York State Regents in a May 16, 2011 vote endorsed the final regulations for a more objective teacher evaluation system that will incorporate multiple measures of judging teacher performance and aims to shift the focus to developing and supporting teachers.

Under the new system, teachers will receive end-of-year ratings that will place them in one of four categories: ineffective, developing, effective and highly effective. Teachers identified as developing or ineffective would receive a Teacher Improvement Plan aimed at supporting their professional growth. The DOE will be required to document that such a plan was implemented before any disciplinary action against a teacher can be taken.

This new evaluation system will include content knowledge, pedagogical practices, instructional delivery, classroom management, knowledge of student development, use of assessment techniques/data, effective collaborative relationships, and reflection of teaching practices (criteria that currently exist) as well as multiple measures of student learning such as test scores, classroom work, presentations and projects.

The Regents accepted last-minute changes requested by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that would allow a local school district to increase the weight given to student growth on state exams in the evaluations from 20 percent to 40 percent if the local teachers union agrees through a collective-bargaining process. The local school districts can still limit state standardized tests to 20 percent and use local measures of student achievement such as locally created tests, student work and portfolios for another 20 percent. A minimum of two-thirds of the remaining 60 percent of a teacher’s evaluation would be based on observations. The other third of the 60 percent would be decided through local negotiations. Teacher portfolios are one example of what could make up that third.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said he favored capping the weight of high-stakes standardized tests at 20 percent. He warned that making test-based accountability a larger factor in the evaluations would compel teachers to overemphasize test preparation to the detriment of student learning.

The Regents also revised the guidelines to say that teachers should be rated ineffective if they show no growth in student test scores and other forms of achievement for the entire year.

For the details, read this Q&A on the new plan.

The UFT and DOE must negotiate many of the details of the new system, including a fair appeal process, how to measure student growth for teachers in non-tested subjects, the appropriate scope of “locally selected assessments,” and a Teacher Improvement Plan for any teacher rated as ineffective or developing. The new evaluation system was scheduled to go into effect in New York City for 4th through 8th grade English language arts and math teachers in September 2011 and for all teachers the following school year if local negotiations had concluded. Because those negotiations continue, the present system will stay in effect for the 2011-2012 school year.

Read the Sept. 20, 2011 joint letter on teacher evaluations.

Useful Resources for Observations & Evaluations

Contract Article 8J

Know Your Rights: Observations and Evaluations

Teaching for the 21st Century

Chief Executive Memorandum #80

Rating Pedagogical Staff Members

Definitions of formal and informal observations

 New York Teacher news story on new evaluation and improvement plan for teachers

UFT President’s Perspective on the new evaluation and improvement plan

New York Teacher Q & A on New Teacher Evaluation Plan