Introduction

Getting from Here to There

Imagine two teachers-Mr. Smith and Ms. Lopez-who work in different districts, and who have very different views on classroom observation. Mr. Smith is skeptical of observations, and for good reason. From his conversations with colleagues about being observed by different evaluators, he suspects the ratings they get have more to do with who does the observing than with the quality of the teaching. Moreover, Mr. Smith has never left a post-observation conference with a clear understanding of the reasons for the ratings that he received. Nor does he have any clear ideas of how to improve his ratings. Not surprisingly, he sees little value in observations and has little faith in evaluation.

Ms. Lopez's experience is different. At first, she too was skeptical of classroom observations. She thought they were primarily a mechanism for accountability and was unsure of the criteria. After experiencing several observations by different evaluators, however, her views have changed. The feedback she received clearly explains how what happened in the lesson aligns with the performance levels that are spelled out in the district's observation instrument, which embodies the district's expectations for teaching. Most important, when she sits down for a post-observation conference, she now expects to leave with a concrete plan for improving her teaching practice.

Ensuring that observers can provide accurate and meaningful feedback, in rich conversations with teachers, is essential for improving teaching and learning.

Both scenarios are playing out across the country. In some schools and districts, teachers report getting meaningful feedback from observations. But not in others. Across some districts, observation results appear to be consistent and accurate. But across other districts, the results suggest that teaching is being judged based on different standards, or that evaluation remains a perfunctory exercise in which virtually all teaching is deemed proficient. On the whole, classroom observation today may be better than in the past, when it was based on simple checklists (e.g., "was the lesson objective posted?"), but the quality of implementation clearly remains uneven.

What will it take for all the Mr. Smiths to have the same experience as Ms. Lopez? A big part of the answer is ensuring that observers have the full set of knowledge and skills that quality observation requires. Observation is a highly challenging task. Observers must filter a dynamic and unpredictable scene in the classroom to find the most important indicators of performance, make an accurate record of them, and then apply a set of criteria as intended. Observation is complicated by the fact that, as educators, we've all formulated our own views of what effective teaching looks like, which can lead us to interpret and apply the same criteria differently. We're not used to seeing things through a common lens. Providing observers with instruments and procedures is not enough; they need the opportunity to learn how to use them effectively.

Figure I.1 To Improve Teaching and Learning, Professional Growth Matters Most

Ensuring that observers can provide accurate and meaningful feedback, in rich conversations with teachers, is essential for improving teaching and learning. Research indicates there aren't enough clearly low-performing teachers to think that focusing on them alone will result in meaningful gains in student achievement. The overall quality of teaching in the vast majority of classrooms-perhaps 90 percent-is near the middle in terms of performance (see Figure I.1). Significant progress in achievement will require that every teacher gets the individualized feedback and support he or she needs to change practice in ways that better promote student learning. Quality observation provides not only that, but also the data that state and district leaders need to evaluate and improve their systemwide supports for better teaching.

In our field, we've learned a great deal in recent years about what happens in quality observation. Researchers and innovative practitioners have broken down this challenging task into discrete steps, which generally follow the process in Figure I.2. The key ingredient is evidence. Observers collect evidence in the classroom, then use it to rate teaching performance, and refer to it when giving the teacher feedback. The key tool is the observation rubric. How an instrument defines each aspect of teaching and each performance level tells an observer what to look for and how to judge it. By applying clear criteria to objective evidence, different observers can reach the same conclusions about the same lessons.

Figure I.2 The Observation Process

Figure I.3 Observation Knowledge and Skills

But quality observation takes a special set of knowledge and skills (see Figure I.3). To collect evidence, you need to know what evidence is, and what kinds of evidence are relevant. To rate performance, you need to understand the conditions under which each rating is merited. To provide feedback effectively, you need to know how to coach. These competencies build on each other. If you fail to ensure that observers have each of these competencies, or if you try to develop a core skill before developing a prerequisite, you'll frustrate not only your observers but also your overall attempts to provide teachers with accurate and meaningful feedback.

You develop these competencies through repeated modeling and practice. To master a skill, you need to see how it's done effectively, then you need to try it yourself, and then you need feedback that tells you how you did. Much of this modeling and practice will include pre-scored video: videos of teaching that have been reviewed and rated by experts before the examples are used in observer training. Pre-scored video makes visible the thinking behind quality observation and lets trainees compare their own work to examples of good practice in using the observation process. But while pre-scored video is indispensable, an observer-in-training needs a certain amount of foundational knowledge before attempting what experts can do.

Using This Book

In this book we explain how to build, and over time improve, the elements of an observation system that equips all observers to identify and develop effective teaching. It's based on the collective knowledge of key partners in the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project-which carried out one of the largest-ever studies of classroom observations-and of a community of practitioners at the leading edge of implementing high-quality observations in the field. From this experience, we've unpacked how to build the necessary skills, how to build the capacity to provide quality training, and how to collect and use data to ensure that observations are trustworthy.

This book is for anyone whose work affects the quality of observation and feedback, including:

• State and local managers of teacher effectiveness programs
• Human capital and professional development directors
• Teacher unions and professional groups
• Technical assistance providers
• Principal managers and instructional support leaders
• Administrator preparation and training programs
• Teacher preparation and professional development programs
• School administrators and teacher leaders

The pages that follow speak most directly to those who develop, implement, and improve observation systems, as well as those who prepare, manage, and support individuals who observe and provide feedback to teachers. But observers themselves can deepen their understanding of quality observation and feedback by reviewing the sections in Part III, "Building the Knowledge and Skills for Observation."

The knowledge and skills we explain are too important to be limited to administrators and others involved in formal evaluation; peer observers, instructional coaches, and classroom teachers need to know and be able to do what quality observation requires.

Although we sometimes refer to "evaluators" as the objects of the practices we describe, we use the term broadly to mean anyone whose work entails analyzing and evaluating classroom practice. The knowledge and skills we explain are too important to be limited to administrators and others involved in formal evaluation; peer observers, instructional coaches, and classroom teachers need to know and be able to do what quality observation requires. In addition, while we refer to "states and districts" when describing what to do, and what to avoid, many other actors play a role in developing, managing, and improving an observation system. Our guidance is for anyone whose work affects the quality of observation and feedback.

This book is not meant to be used only once or in only one way. Nor must it be read in its entirety. We recognize that observation systems are in different stages of development and exist in widely different contexts. Hence we've organized the content into 19 stand-alone chapters that each address one issue. These may be reviewed in the order that best serves readers' current needs. Figure I.4 presents approaches tailored to different readers and objectives. Each of the 19 chapters includes ideas for getting started, and for improving on existing work. As needs change over time, readers can look back at the material for ways to...