Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee:
Listening and Gathering Feedback on Tennessee’s Teacher Evaluations
Educators are receiving more regular and specific feedback on their performance.
Teachers responding to SCORE’s online questionnaire cited the insight they gain on their classroom performance as the
greatest benefit of the new evaluation system. When asked to name three positive aspects of the evaluation system, 33
percent of teacher respondents indicated that “it gives me a much clearer idea of my individual strengths and areas for
growth.” Teachers consistently said that they appreciated the timeliness of the feedback they received from evaluators after
being observed. One teacher shared, “It is beneficial for me to pinpoint the areas I need to improve in. In the old system it
was generic, but this is very specific about what I need to work on and recommendations around how to do that.”16
Teachers, principals, district leaders, and other educators consistently agreed that one of the most powerful results of the
evaluation system has been the feedback conversations between teachers and evaluators. In a survey conducted by Project
COACH in Hamilton County, 95 percent of administrators and 73 percent of teachers felt an increased level of trust and
collaboration with their teachers / building administrators as a result of the mini-observations that occurred this school
year.17 Teachers across the state frequently said that their school
administrators have taken a greater interest in their work, and 25 percent of teachers who responded to SCORE’s online questionnaire
“The single biggest positive has
cited this aspect as one of the features they liked best about the new
been the conversations I’ve had
system. During one roundtable, an administrator said, “This is openwith my faculty. I wouldn’t trade
ing the dialogue versus in the past where we were in for a minute,
those one-on-one conversations
signed a form, and were out.”18 Another roundtable participant said:
for anything.”
“The most valuable piece is the conversation before and after – the
– Roundtable principal participant
conversations are phenomenal. They are rich; they are powerful.
Teachers say, ‘How can I make this better? What did you see? How
can I improve?’”19 A principal said, “The single biggest positive has
been the conversations I’ve had with my faculty. I wouldn’t trade those one-on-one conversations for anything.”20
The Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM) implemented in Memphis City Schools incorporates student feedback on
teacher performance as an additional qualitative input, weighted at 5 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. Memphis is part of
the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) research project, which found the Tripod student survey results (developed by
Ronald F. Ferguson and provided by Cambridge Education) to be “highly reliable…and also stable for a given teacher
during the school year.”21 A teacher from the Memphis and Shelby County roundtable shared her appreciation for the
inclusion of student feedback in her evaluation by stating, “I love the idea of getting my students’ feedback. Nobody is with
me more than those students. They’re with me 180 days and, in all reality, they know better than anyone what I’m doing
in the classroom.”22
Clear expectations and regular feedback are leading to more self-reflection and collaboration among
teachers.
Equipped with clear performance expectations and regular opportunities for feedback, teachers consistently spoke about
being more intentional about their practice this year. Several shared that they are reflecting on their instruction and the
state content standards more in order to pinpoint what they need to do to help their students achieve at higher levels. One
teacher said, “I am a lot more conscious about my teaching and my everyday instruction. It has caused me to be more
aware of my students’ participation in the learning process. I’m more astute about their responses to my instruction.”23 One
district leader said, “Neither teachers nor principals have ever been more intentional and purposeful about what they’re
doing.”24 Educators consistently said the evaluation system is enabling more self-reflection and purpose around instruction
for many educators across the state.
Educators said the TIGER (Teacher Instructional Growth for Effectiveness and Results) model has additional design
features that encourage further self-reflection among teachers. Teachers using the TIGER model engage in detailed
self-reflection at the beginning of the year, assessing themselves on the entire rubric. That self-assessment then forms the
basis of their professional growth plans and ongoing coaching throughout the year.
Key Themes from Feedback Collected Across the State
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