Making the Grade
Effective Teaching in Every Classroom
Making the Grade: Effective Teaching in Every Classroom is Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children's project designed to create awareness about the importance of an effective teacher in every classroom and advance the public policy agenda required to assure that every child benefits from effective teaching every school day.
What is effective teaching?
While there are many intangibles that contribute to great teaching, a working definition is: An effective teacher ensures that each child learns at least a year’s worth of knowledge for every year spent in the classroom.
How do we improve teacher effectiveness?
By advancing public policies and related practice that:
- Design a more effective evaluation system for teachers that includes student achievement coupled with observation.
- Use the new evaluation system to inform school district decisions such as teacher assignments, individualized professional development, compensation, tenure, retention and dismissal.
- Create and utilize incentives to ensure the most highly effective teachers serve the highest needs students.
- Expand efforts in teacher induction and mentoring programs.
- Develop career pathways for teachers.
To get started, read our inaugural report on this topic: PA Partnerships for Children Teacher Effectiveness & Student Achievement 8/11
Bi-weekly emails from Making the Grade
Resources
May 14, 2012, recorded webinar and webinar presentation by Carolyn Dumaresq, deputy secretary for PDE's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Questions and answers submitted by participants in the May 14 webinar.
Video of Nov. 1 virtual town hall
Additional questions and answers from Making the Grade town hall discussion
Agenda for Nov. 1 Making the Grade Virtual Town Hall
Partnerships newsletter Fall 2011, focusing on teacher effectiveness
Media Coverage
Educators say teacher evaluation reform needed
Schuylkill County residents learn about teacher evaluations
Local educators join statewide discussion about teacher evaluations
Evaluating teachers focus of town hall meeting
