Reply 1: JW
I started my online field trip by visiting the Illinois Education Association (IEA) website. The organization was formed in 1853 and is afflicted with NEA (National Education Association). IEA comprises of educators and teachers seeking to serve the public educational interests in the state of Illinois. The organization aims at affecting equity and excellence in public education and be an advocacy group for all employees in public education. The website allows educators and teachers alike to be updated with educational legislation in Illinois and also provides other useful information. A link on the website links you to the Danielson Group which provides a framework for standardizing teaching. The framework examines teachers according to four domains: teacher’s planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibility. IES endorses the framework and encourages its utilization in mentorship, professional development, training and coaching among other aspects. The website also links you to Illinois Teacher evaluation and Development (ITED) guidebook and Performance Evaluation reform Act (PERA) all of which are used in the assessment of teachers, evaluating performance and creation of the most effective teaching environment. The website is very informative and offers valuable information aimed at improving teaching and learning.
A quick tour to the website of the United States Department of Education (USDE) leads you to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) page on accountability. NLCB is act aimed at ensuring a change in culture among schools in America by ensuring a close in the achievement gap, flexible educational programs, teaching with effective strategies and parent involvement (Department of Education, 2016). The accountability clause positions that states describe their intentions on closing the achievement gap and ensure all students achieve proficiency in their academics. On the other hand, schools must embark on measures that would ensure improved performance such as assistance after school hours. Additionally, the schools must take drastic actions to ensure student achievement and improved performance of the school (Department of Education, 2016). The site was highly resourceful as it offers some of the ways of solving the problems Washington High School is facing.
Reply 2: KC
A tour of the Aspen Institute’s website leads one to individual seminars on teacher accountability, evaluation and support. The organization’s goal is to foster leadership based on lasting values and provide a non-partisan venue to deal with serious issues. One of the seminars takes note of the fact that numerous reforms in country are shaping the evaluation of teachers and these evaluations play a big role in student performance (Aspen Institute, 2016). The program acknowledges that even though new evaluative measures are being established; they should assimilate the currently used evaluative measures. The site is not purely on educational matters and hence making it hard to find useful resources but offered valuable information on teacher evaluation. The site also includes the Atlanta Report on NCLB effectiveness. The report was highly valuable as it addressed FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) by teachers. The Centennial Place Elementary specifically caught my eye as they had shifted to individual student needs as opposed to the excellence of all students. The report was highly valuable.
Reply 3: KC
The issues facing Washington High School are a drop in their achievement and the unpreparedness of students to join the workforce. My analysis revealed that achievement in the school dropped mainly due to frustration and complacency of the teachers (Razik, 2010, pg. 26). To address these concerns a curriculum evaluation and an evaluation on the professional development needs are needed. In conducting a curriculum evaluation, staff and partners in the community will form review committees to discuss the shortcomings of the students as they enter the job market. Suggestions will be incorporated into the course, as electives first. A meeting will be convened between parent/students to address the prospect of introducing the new courses. Courses will commence once approval is achieved by all parties and teachers hired or assigned to teach the courses. In the administration’s role, the assistant principals will be involved in the professional development of the teachers as their guides and leaders. They should work with the community partners on issues such as team building, overall leadership and content trends. The assistant principals will also be asked to establish clear and measurable goals with teachers concerning the desired student growth. The process will be aligned with Knezevich’s model that includes four phases namely; purpose and effectiveness determination, monitoring procedure development and decision making (Razik, 2010, p. 197). Issues that could arise during implementation include timing and funds.
Reply 4: JW
Washington High School Evaluation Model
The first component involves Classroom Evaluation. This will start by evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning materials. If they are effective an efficient, evaluation will focus on the objectives. The next step will be to evaluate the learning environment to see its effectiveness for learning. Component 2 will assess Preparedness. This involves evaluating teacher preparedness to see whether the meet student needs. This component will assess teacher preparedness for special students, ESL students and accommodation. A major component is to evaluate whether a teacher is employing the multimethod approach (Razik & Swanson, 2012). The component covers questions such as has technology been implemented? Have the content standards been covered? Component 3 is Educator Evaluation. This component evaluates relationship of the educator with the environment, relationship with others, collaborative efforts, adherence to education regulations and professional development. Component 5 is on Feedback and Implementation. Feedback is vital to the evaluation of the school. Feedback should be consistent, have a continuous interaction and should be followed up on a constant basis. Feedback offers valuable information that could be used to improve the evaluating plan and the high school itself.
References
Razik, T. A., Swanson, A. D., & Razik, T. A. (2001). Fundamental concepts of educational leadership. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
The Aspen Institute (2016). Teacher evaluation, accountability, and support: Lessons from leading efforts. Retrieved from http://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/2011/03/22/teacher-evaluation-accountability-support-lessons-leading-efforts
U.S Department of Education (2016). No child left behind: Accountability. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/index.html
