Los Angeles teachers test a pilot evaluation program

Jason Song:

This is what one of Los Angeles Unified's most ambitious reform efforts looks like: about 30 people gathered in a Gardena school auditorium, watching a video of a teacher trying to get her young students to understand a John Updike poem.

The viewers furiously type their observations into laptop computers and discuss their impressions of the lesson the next day. They ask open-ended questions -- "What are some possible explanations for the lack of understanding of the vocabulary?" -- all aimed at helping the teacher improve.

These training sessions are the school district's first concrete steps toward replacing its age-old teacher evaluation system, which is widely regarded as a failure. The new version is based on more detailed observations, student and parent feedback, and students' standardized test scores.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at August 17, 2011 1:19 AM
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