State Board of Education to review teacher evaluation process

Independent researchers have found that 99 percent of Idaho teacher evaluations were completed incorrectly and sometimes illegally. According to Idaho Education News, State School Superintendent Sherri Ybarra asked McRel International to screen a random sample of evaluations for accuracy and to make sure they adhered to Idaho’s evaluation system.

They concluded that administrators ignored laws and rules for evaluations or did not understand the evaluations system.

State Board of Education President Emma Atchley said her board would address those concerns. She said the board would meet December 15 to identify steps to be taken at both the state and district level to make sure evaluations are completed and reported accurately.

She outlined three questions the board would tackle.

1) Do school district administrators have adequate training to conduct teacher evaluations and report their findings?

2) Is there clear direction regarding when to conduct and report teacher evaluations?

3) Do administrators receive feedback regarding whether their evaluations and subsequent reporting meet the requirements of state law and administrative rule?

Ybarra’s office responded to the controversy Thursday. Ybarra said the audit was never intended to be an ‘I gotcha’ of Idaho educators. “I directed districts to stand tall, stand proud, and stand together to the interpretation of the McREL report on teacher evaluations,” said Ybarra.

The superintendent said she believed administrators were working hard to follow the law.

As for the audit, she said, “It was intended to provide clarity during the roll out of the Career Ladder and to move more in the direction of statewide support and collaboration. Our hard working educators are tirelessly going above and beyond the call of duty to support schools and students to achieve.”