Thursday Churn: Prof. Shepard’s dual role
What’s churning:
Colorado education leader Lorrie Shepard is among 10 authors of a new report that raises concerns about “heavy reliance” on standardized test scores to evaluate teachers. Shepard is dean of the School of Education at the University of Colorado-Boulder and, more interesting in the context of the report, a member of theState Council for Educator Effectiveness.
That’s the appointed group assigned to develop the details for implementing Senate Bill 10-191, the new state law that requires that 50 percent of educator evaluation be based on students’ academic growth, which is measured by test scores. In council meetings to date, Shepard has been a cautionary voice about testing and its use in evaluation. (As it happens, the council’s next meeting is Friday, and on the agenda is a discussion of the degree to which the state can dictate teacher evaluation methods to school districts.)
A statement signed by Shepard (and such big names as Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond and