Court rules on teacher job rating criteria
In this file photo, fifth grader Courtney Castleberry, 10, reads to the class with assistance from teacher Steven Ferretti at the Nassau Boces School in Bellmore. August 8, 2011 Credit: Steve Pfost
A state court ruled Wednesday that controversial new job ratings for teachers cannot rely too heavily on student scores from a single set of state tests -- a decision applauded by a state teachers union.
However, the decision by Supreme Court Justice Michael Lynch of Albany also upheld new state rules speeding up the process for removing ineffective teachers from classrooms. State education officials had maintained this was essential for school reform.
Both sides contended the judge's ruling largely favored their positions on the new evaluation system, which is expected to affect about 250,000 teachers statewide and 35,000 on Long Island. The State Education Department announced late Wednesday that it planned an appeal.
"Today's ruling is good for students and for teachers," said Richard Iannuzzi, president of the New York State United Teachers union and a former union leader in Central Islip.
Iannuzzi cited another part of the judge's decision, indicating that even newly hired teachers could not be fired arbitrarily as long as they receive good job ratings under the new state system. Until recently, school districts have been allowed to fire new, nontenured teachers pretty much at will.
The decision revolves around a deal cut last year allowing teachers' job ratings to be based, in part, on student test achievement. Under that agreement, 20 percent of ratings were to be based on state test results, another 20 percent on tests locally selected, and 60 percent on classroom observations and other criteria. Teachers deemed ineffective for two years running were to face dismissal.
However, the state teachers union went to court to challenge the new system in June, after the state Board of Regents adopted regulations allowing up to 40 percent of ratings to be based on state test scores.
Wednesday's court decision makes clear that the same set of test scores cannot be used in forming both the 20 percent of evaluations based on state data and the 20 percent based on tests selected locally. However, the ruling would allow use of other state assessment data in making local judgments.
State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. voiced disappointment with a portion of the decision, which may allow teachers whose students showed no improvement on state tests to avoid ineffective ratings.
" . . . We can't have an evaluation system that permits a teacher who scores a zero on student achievement to receive a positive rating," he said.
