Pilot program evaluates teachers in Youngstown district

By Denise Dick | October 28, 2011 at 12:08a.m.

Youngstown

A teacher-evaluation system operating as a pilot in the city schools this year reflects the standards outlined by the Ohio Department of Education.

The pilot was negotiated as part of the most recent contract between the school board and the Youngstown Education Association, which represents district teachers.

Fifty teachers each from the elementary-, middle- and high-school levels were selected randomly for the evaluation, said Karen Green, assistant superintendent of human resources.

The current evaluation tool just rates educators as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. “It wasn’t based on standards,” Green said.

The pilot evaluation is — and includes a pre-observation, observation and post-observation and rates a teacher as basic, proficient or accomplished based on their performance.

“To become accomplished takes a lot,” Green said. “They’re the best of the best.”

The new tool also looks at strategies, goals and building rapport with students, with parents and the community, she said.

“It’s the whole education process,” Green said.

In evaluating teachers, principals must see evidence of meeting the standards.

Four representatives from the board and four from the union designed the evaluation pilot.

Will Bagnola, president of the YEA, said teachers are going through training regarding the new evaluation pilot. He said that the union wanted it to be in place in September, but that didn’t happen.

Because it’s a pilot, the evaluations performed of teachers this year won’t be part of their personnel file. Once the process is completed and teachers, principals and others provide input on what worked and what needs improvement, the system is expected to be implemented for the 2012-13 school year.

Green said the first evaluation this year is expected to be done by January with another evaluation conducted before the end of the school year. After the first evaluation, the teacher and principal will meet to review the evaluation so the principal may explain areas for improvement and the teacher may ask questions.

School board members last month expressed concerns about whether the school district has time for a pilot program in light of the state superintendent’s statements that Youngstown has to make progress faster.

“There is an urgency, but even with the urgency, we need to produce a quality product,” Green said. “That’s what we’re going to do.”