New performance evaluations for Delaware teachers

The Delaware State Board of Education has approved reforms to teacher evaluations originally proposed by Governor Jack Markell.

The Delaware State Board of Education has approved reforms to teacher evaluations originally proposed by Governor Jack Markell.

Teachers will now be required to show that their students are making satisfactory growth in order to get an “effective” rating.  If teachers or administrators don’t get an effective rating, they’ll be given a mentor or coach  to help them to improve.  Teachers whose students demonstrate a significant improvement will be get a “highly effective” rating.

Markell says, “We all recognize the need for a better rating system to be fair to [teachers] and the children they work so hard to help each day.  We also recognize that it’s not enough to simply tell someone to improve- we must give teachers the support they need.”

The new rating system will take effect during the 2011-2012 school year.  Between now and then, education officials will develop measurements to determine what students have learned and whether they are making improvement.