DMEA Statement on the Use of Student Growth Data for Teacher Evaluation
The DMEA believes that the appropriate place for use of student growth data is in the formative evaluation stage. During the formative stage, teachers can utilize student growth data that they find most relevant to their curriculum to give them feedback on what might be working and areas in need of improvement. This places the focus on using student growth data to strengthen a teacher’s practice rather than using the date for punitive sanctions against the teacher. Any evaluation system we would be willing to accept must, at the least, place the use of student growth data in its appropriate place, which is the formative evaluation.
The DMEA will not support the use of student growth data to rate a teacher’s effectiveness during