Principals seeking to build sustained change around standards can use teacher evaluation as an opportunity, said John Eller, assistant professor at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minn., and executive director of Minnesota ASCD.
- facilitation of learning
- observation/diagnostic skills
- ability to bundle standards (i.e., the ability to address multiple standards simultaneously when integrating them into daily instruction)
- long-range planning
- content knowledge
- specific short-range planning
The rubric describes three levels of proficiency for each behavior: introductory, developing, and professional. For example, to be at the "professional" level in terms of "long-range planning," a teacher must have "developed a clear vision for the school year" and be able to use her plan "to generate short-term instruction that ties together."
This rubric is not yet in use, Eller cautioned. The developers are currently meeting with their staff members and saying, "These appear to be the six major teaching processes that will help our kids be successful. What do you think?" Based on teachers' feedback, the rubric will be adapted, he said.
Principals plan to use the rubric in three ways, Eller noted: as a focus for staff discussion; as a tool during walk-around supervision and coaching; and as a guide for selecting staff development activities.
Principals should consider using alternative data sources such as journals to help teachers think differently about their practice, Eller suggested. "I've worked with teachers who've used written, video, and audiotape journals," he said. The teachers recorded how each day went—the high points and the low points.
"The principal doesn't have to read the journal," Eller pointed out. "You sit down and say, 'Jeremy, think about the journal you've written for the last week. What are some of the trends you're seeing?' You invite his thinking." This approach helps teachers construct meaning from their experience, he said. When asked what they want to do differently, teachers usually come up with good solutions themselves.
"When [teachers] first brought me their journals, they expected me to look at them and grade them," Eller recalled. "Instead, I asked, 'What did you learn? How did it work?' And I just sat back and listened."
Principals should ask their teachers, "What do you see as working and not working with standards?" Eller advised. This approach will help them think and solve problems. "If you're not telling, the [other] person doesn't become as resistant," he said. "When you give advice, sometimes you shut down the thinking."