The PDAS System is how teachers are “judged.” At the link below is the Scoring Criteria Guide by which principals are taught to assess the proficiency level of teachers in each of the eight PDAS domains. Peruse this guide:
What is the most notable thing you see in the Guide?
What is the scariest thing you see in the Guide?
What is the most comforting thing you see in the Guide?
The most noticeable is that there are four levels of evaluating criteria
ReplyDeleteThe scariest thing is how much is needed to fit in the proficient level of evaluation
The most comforting thing is that it is only broken up into 8 Domains, I’m surprised there are not dozens.
Most noticable-Exceeds expectations.
ReplyDeleteScariest-Unsatisfactory
Most comforting-Proficient
Notable: Learner-Centered Instruction
ReplyDeleteScary: Compliance with policies, operating procedures, and requirements.
Comforting: Active, successful student participation in the learning process
What is the most notable thing you see in the Guide?
ReplyDeleteEvaluation criteria are in some ways directly observable and in others the teacher is at the mercy of whomever is evaluating them. Exceeds Expectations and Below Expectations could be a matter of perception.
What is the scariest thing you see in the Guide?
The scariest thing to me is the number of guidelines. Again, I return to the idea of many rules in the classroom or a few rules that are applicable in many situations. It’s scary to think of the many teachers who are held accountable to these guidelines who may not have ever read any portion of them.
What is the most comforting thing you see in the Guide?
To me, it’s comforting to know how I am being evaluated. While I prefer to work under less formal guidelines than the PDAS, I would be comforted to know that I could check my own progress according to the outline at any time.
Notable - Some of the scoring criteria might not apply to the lesson the teacher is teaching when evaluated.
ReplyDeleteScariest - To exceed expectations in all domains even on a great day would be a feat for any teacher.
Comforting - Knowing that my principal by random walk-throughs has some knowledge of the level of teacher I am before the observation in which he uses his scoring criteria.
Notable:
ReplyDeleteThere are 8 domains that are scaled from 1-4, unsatisfactory, below expectations, proficient, and exceeds expectations.
Scary:
The guidelines for each scale is a little vague, or open to interpretation of whoever is assessing the teacher. They are not in as much depth I would think they should be.
Comfortable:
HAHA; for myself, the scary part is the most comfortable for me. However; some teachers could slip by with the vagueness, and some could be scrutinized because of the vagueness?
Most notable-There will be a difference of the observation especially if the person being observed knows they are being evaluated.
ReplyDeleteScariest-The closeness of the objectives in the profient and below expectation issues in some of the catagories.
Comforting-Knolwing that the evaluation is only the opinion of the person doing the observing.
Most notable--The breakdown of each domain and each subdomain
ReplyDeleteScariest--That so many of the ratings and sub-domains depend on the students responses or behavior at the time the principle is observing...so unpredictable
Comforting--I would say just the fact that we have access to at least an older version if not the actual version of a rubric like this to know what we will be "judged" on
Notable - Level of student engagement. There is always cheking to make sure your students are involved in learning.
ReplyDeleteScariest - Diversity in instruction. In a short assessment how do you instruct and assess in enough different ways.
Comforting - Teacher knowledge of subject material. I really do feel that the one benefit of my extended college career is that I have a broad understanding of the subject material.
Maybe the most notable also could be the most scary. The review I could see has 2 pass and 2 fail characteristics for teachers in several catagories. In addition, 80% of the class has to be considered "proficient". In addition, the evaluation is a singular subjective thing. One person evaluates the teacher.
ReplyDeleteThe most comforting thing is that we can see the ruberic that a principal would judge the teacher.