LWVSC Study: Evaluating and Retaining Effective Teachers in Our Public Schools

New Documents

• Study Report
• Executive Summary
• Bibliography
• Study Proposal
• Guidance to Leaders
• Powerpoint presentation (zip file)
• Script for Powerpoint
• Consensus questions
• Leaders Guide to Contents
• Committee Member Reports
• Alternative Perspective

This two-year study was adopted by delegates at the 2011 state League Convention. Its focus is on the growing movement toward "results based" 
evaluation of teachers, nationally and in South Carolina. We will: explore what makes a teacher effective; examine "best practices" in teacher evaluation and compare them with current practices employed by school
districts in South Carolina; identify models of school districts in which rigorous methods of evaluation and ongoing teacher support are
components of a systematic approach to putting an effective teacher in every classroom. For information, contact Study Co-Chairs Jon Butzon, LWVSC K-12 Education Director (jbutzon@sc.rr.com), and Peggy Huchet, LWV/Charleston Area (mhuchet@comcast.net).

The study's purpose is to examine the movement to evaluate and compensate teachers based on what the students in their classroom have learned. Across the nation, school districts and states are instituting new evaluation systems that hold teachers accountable for the academic growth of their students. Not surprisingly, the change is quite controversial. Yet we know that SC is poised to follow.

The study has three goals:

1. Propose one or more positions for consensus and action.
2. Raise public interest and knowledge about the issues surrounding teacher effectiveness and evaluation.
3. Stimulate a dialog across the state among the public and members of the education community, i.e., teachers, school administrators, school board, SC Department of Education.

The committee will focus on Goal #1 this year and to take up Goals #2 and #3 in the study's second year. Committee members will spend the next several months researching three broad questions and informing League members about their findings:

• Who should be evaluated? How often? Evaluation purpose? By whom? Training of evaluators?
• What factors should the evaluation process be based on? What measures should be used? What are the elements of a fair evaluation system?
• What are the desired outcomes of an effective evaluation process? What is the role of the evaluation process in training and retaining effective teachers?

Here is what the committee hopes to accomplish this year:

• Committee members will create written reports on their findings. We will organize the research findings and make them available to League members on the LWVSC website.
• Based on the research findings, we will develop consensus questions and submit them to the LWVSC board.
• Local Leagues will hold consensus meetings. The committee will prepare a presentation for those meetings.
• [Consensus is a process in which members participate in a group discussion on an issue. As defined by the League, consensus is substantial member agreement. Consensus is the sense of the group rather than a majority opinion. A League position or action program is the result of the League's consensus on its study topic, reached after thorough study and group discussion.]
• The study committee will compile and analyze member responses at the consensus meetings and identify areas of agreement. We will then draft a proposed position statement and write a report.
• The position statement will be submitted to the LWVSC members for possible adoption.

In the coming months, we expect that the South Carolina Superintendent of Education will propose revisions to the state's teacher evaluation process incorporating performance-based standards. Proposed legislation will not be far behind. We think it is important for the LWVSC to have a position on these matters and to participate in the debate + so important that we anticipate asking local Leagues to hold consensus meetings early in 2012 and want to bring a position statement to the members at the League Council meeting in April.

The Study Committee members who are taking on this very ambitious schedule are: Jon Butzon, Paula Egelson and Peggy Huchet, LWV Charleston Area; Paula Appling, LWV Clemson Area; Sally Huguley and Janelle Rivers, LWV Columbia Area; Pat Borenstein and Jan Welch, LWV Greenville County; Pamela Hollinger, LWV Hilton Head-Bluffton Area.

Watch for reports of the committee's progress at http://www.lwvsc.org/ and plan to participate in a consensus meeting coming soon to a location near you. Got questions or comments? Contact Jon or Peggy.

Documents Relevant to the Study This is a link to a repository of documents relevant to the study.