NJ Educator Effectiveness Task Force

On September 28^th, 2010 Governor Chris Christie revealed his plan to improve the conditions of education in the state of New Jersey. Christie’s Executive Order No. 42 effectively put into action a Task Force whose purpose was to determine the most effective method of evaluating educators and administrators statewide. The major reason for the development of this Task Force was that Gov. Christie wanted an identifiable way to measure the aptitude of teachers and principals, and be able to hold them accountable for the performance of their schools and students. Christie viewed the achievement levels of the students as the chief factor in the overall effectiveness of an educator, so this Task Force was created to determine the best method of implementing a statewide evaluation of teachers and principals to improve the quality of the education being provided in New Jersey.

The Task Force consisted of nine individuals from New Jersey that ranged from retired teacher to the Dean of Education at Drew University. Brian Zychowski, the Superintendent of Schools in North Brunswick Township, serves as the chair. The Task Force was to research effective methods improving schools and possible implementations of assessment techniques to measure the quality of the educators and administrators across New Jersey. They reported back to Governor Christie in March, 2011 with their report.

The Task Force determined that measuring the performance and aptitude of teachers and administrators would be the most effective method toward improving education. An improved method of measuring these educator’s abilities would hold them accountable for their level of performance in their schools. The Task Force’s report was made up of four sections:

1. Recommendations for a New Teacher Evaluation System

2. Recommendations for a New Principal Evaluation System

3. Other recommendations for the State to Set Positive for Successful Implementation Through Related Policies and Activities

4. Next Steps to Begin the Process of Achieving Reform

The New Teacher Evaluation System was composed of two parts. 50% of the assessment focused exclusively on the level of their students’ learning. This half of the evaluation was broken down into two or three parts. The largest portion, around 70-90%, was based on their students’ achievement and level of growth on a statewide assessment. The next portion measured student school-wide growth. The third portion of the assessment is another statewide assessment measure of performance, but is optional. The other 50% of the teachers’ assessment measured their practice through observation of the national core standards. Teachers are to be graded as Highly Effective, Effective, Partially Effective, or Ineffective.

The New Principal Evaluation System is made up of three parts. 50% of the assessment also measures the level of student achievement and growth on statewide assessments (around 35%) and one school specific goal (15%). Principals were also graded on their Measures of Leadership Practice and Retention of Effective Teachers. Principals were also graded as Highly Effective, Effective, Partially Effective, or Ineffective. The remainder of the report detailed the proper school conditions for the preparation for these new evaluation techniques and the first possible steps that can be taking toward implementation.

The main purpose of this Task Force is to improve the education of the students in New Jersey. This Task Force discovered that the most effective way to improving education is to maintain the highest level of instruction through monitoring the educators. The pressure to perform at your highest level as a teacher can only help to improve the quality of the instruction that you are offering. The accountability that Chris Christie is seeking will keep the educators responsible for the performance of their students. It will also provide the State with the proper measurement tools that allow for identifiable places in need of improvement.

There are also many flaws of this initiative. The Task Force is made up mainly of administrators. This causes a noticeable schism between the New Jersey Education Association and the Task Force’s initiative. The disconnect between the Task Force and the State Governing Body and the teacher’s that are being evaluated could disrupt the ability of properly implementing this system. Educators have long resisted student achievement to evaluate teacher performance. It forces teaches to “teach to the test” and rather than instruct in the most effective way they might see necessary. Teaches might feel it necessary for survival to only have their students focus on standardized testing. This inhibits the intellectual growth of students, and removes some of the freedoms that teachers do have.

This Task Force was created to improve the education provided by the State. Many people see the accountability it creates as a positive step toward improving education, and many see it as a direct attack on the educators themselves. Achievement score based measurements will always place heavy strain on those educators who work with lower ability students. This Task Force has begun the implementation of their evaluation system in this 2011-2012 school year, and hopefully it only leads to better performance of not only New Jersey students, but of the teachers and administrators as well.