Thursday, April 16, 2015

Teachers, unions weren't always hostile to test-based accountability


"Many teachers and their unions have taken strong public positions against any use of student test scores in teacher evaluations," Peter Cunningham writes ("Unions Used to Embrace Grading Teachers with Tests, Until They Didn't"). "Until recently, however, many were open to the idea, which raises some critical questions:
  • Can teacher quality be effectively evaluated without some objective measure of student success?
  • If teachers aren’t accountable for boosting student learning as measured by valid assessments, what are they accountable for?
  • If test scores and student growth are ruled out of teacher evaluations, what factors should be considered to get the most effective teachers in front of the kids who need them most?
  • Finally, will resistance to test-based accountability undermine their case for more resources and their desire for more autonomy and respect?

No comments: