The awful effects of the Regents proposed APPR regulations: What every teacher and parent should know
On Monday, the New York State Board of Regents will meet to vote on the NYSED recommendations for changes to APPR.
If APPR was bad before (and it was) it is about to get considerably worse. Here is why:
Half of a teacher’s evaluation will be dependent on the performance of her students. For 3-8 teachers of Common Core English and/or mathematics, that rating (Ineffective, Developing, Effective of High Effective) will be either 100% dependent on Common Core tests, or 80% dependent on Common Core tests.
Some continue to claim that student performance is not half of the new evaluation. The latest attempt at such spin can be found in the newsletter of the New York State School Boards Association. The article’s assertion that student performance is not of equal weight to observation is misleading. The model has two components, which, if you interchange ratings on the matrix, produce exactly the same outcomes.
And yes, despite the article’s claim, the role of test scores has increased. In the previous model, a 3-8 teacher or principal could have an Ineffective growth score, but still be Effective overall. With the new plan, if a teacher or principal has an Ineffective growth score, she must be either Developing or Ineffective overall. Is there hope that the “other measures” can make a difference?
When you first read this statement, in slide 19, in the SED powerpoint, it sounds promising:
“If the optional student growth subcomponent does not involve additional traditional standardized tests (e.g., includes no additional testing or includes only Department-approved performance-based tasks), the required student growth subcomponent would be weighted at least 50% and the optional student growth subcomponent would be weighted no more than 50%, as determined locally.”
But then go back to slide 16 and see just what those optional measures you can locally choose would be:
- Computed by the State based on the percentage of students The awful effects of the Regents proposed APPR regulations: What every teacher and parent should know | Round the Inkwell: