Botched Student, Teacher and School Evaluation Systems

February 2016

Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell nailed it in his analysis of the botched Florida and Orlando evaluation systems - those systems that grade teachers, students and schools. The tests for all are unreliable and inconsistent.

Florida finally released its district and school grades this week. Orange County Public Schools received a 'B', with 58% of OCPS schools earning an 'A' or 'B' rating. Statewide, 56% of the schools were rated as 'A' or 'B' schools.

It was reported that after the state released the district and school grades, Superintendent Barbara Jenkins, instructed principals not to put their school grade on their school's marquee sign, but to write instead, "Teachers lead students to success."

It is amazing that Orange County Public Schools can recognize the accomplishments of teachers with a message on a marquee, but when it came to evaluating classroom teachers last year the District's message to them was to "expect lower evaluation scores."

Indeed, only 2.4% of all Orange County teachers received a highly effective score, placing them among the bottom three districts in the Florida. Statewide 37.5% of all teachers were rated highly effective. In Seminole County, 68.2%, in Osceola, 45.7% in Brevard, 55% of their classroom teachers rated as highly effective.

Since teachers' pay is tied to performance, it appears obvious that the District made the calculated decision to lower teachers' observation scores to save money. Next year when salaries are renegotiated  will it be the teachers' low scores that determine the teachers' raises?  A phrase that recognizes that teachers play a vital role in students' success serves as an inadequate substitute for a legitimate evaluation score and decent paycheck that are reflective of teachers' dedication and hard work.

The evaluation scores of Orange County's teachers suggest that the District does not value, respect or appreciate its teachers. The scores were so out of step with other districts that OCPS teachers have been held up for ridicule and humiliation. As a result of the low scores, 97.6% of OCPS teachers are also disqualified from any state bonus plan, such as the Best and Brightest Scholarship Program.

Not surprisingly, the state school grades do not align with teacher evaluation scores that were released last week.

Twenty-six of the OCPS schools that were rated as 'A' schools did not have even one teacher earning a highly effective rating. How does a school earn an 'A' rating when it has no teachers – not one  – that were given an 'A' rating? It makes absolutely no sense. Neither does the fact that a total of eighty-eight OCPS schools out of 234 schools did not have even one highly effective teacher. Not even the Teacher of the Year at any one of these 88 schools was rated as highly effective!

Maxwell got it right:

"Last year the county rated 80 percent of its teachers “highly effective.” This year, it’s 2 percent. The Hidenburg experienced a less-violent drop.

The district offers a lot of jargon-ladled explanations and notes that the teachers union was involved in the grading system. But if Superintendent Barbara Jenkins And School Board Chairman Bill Sublette really believe that only 2 percent of their teachers are top-notch, they should be ashamed of their workforce. The statewide average is 37 percent.

The truth is: I don’t really think they do believe that. And neither does anyone else."