Plan to evaluate teachers based on student performance

For the first time, all public-school teachers in New York State - in subjects ranging from art and physical education to physics and world history - would be evaluated partly on their students' performance under sweeping proposals unveiled Tuesday by state education officials and union representatives.

The breakthrough agreement on an issue formerly opposed by teachers unions settled a two-year battle and was aimed largely at making New York State more competitive in a high-stakes national race for up to $700 million in federal school-improvement grants. Formerly, unions had balked at the idea of judging teachers on the basis of student test scores and other performance criteria.

Under the new plan, music teachers, for example, could find themselves rated in part on the strength of a student choral production, while kindergarten teachers could be judged on their success in preparing students to read. The ambitious vision was outlined at an Albany news conference by leaders of the state Department of Education and a statewide teachers' union.

"We believe this new process is a major step in the right direction, and will be good for students and fair to teachers," said Richard Iannuzzi, a former Central Islip elementary teacher who now heads the politically influential New York State United Teachers union.

The agreement prompted some Albany insiders to speculate that the state may be close to resolving another bitter controversy: increasing the number of public charter schools allowed to operate statewide.

On Long Island alone, the proposed evaluation system would eventually extend to more than 44,000 teachers, including 13,000 in the "core" academic subjects of English, social studies, science and math.

The proposed teacher-evaluation system, which requires state lawmakers' approval, would be launched in the 2011-12 school year. Federal authorities earlier this year chided the state because it has a law barring use of student test scores in deciding teachers' qualifications for job tenure.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, whose agency has prodded New York State on both issues, Tuesday saluted the new agreement.

"We all know that teacher evaluation systems around the country aren't working," Duncan said. "We have to be willing to think differently. I commend them for having the courage to work on this."

The evaluation system would start with teachers in grades 4 to 8 and their school principals. Teachers' ratings would be based on students' achievement on state English and math tests as well as on classroom tests and supervisors' evaluations. In subsequent years, the system would extend to other teachers.

Union endorsement is expected to smooth passage through the State Legislature, where the plan won praise Tuesday from both sides of the aisle. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said he wanted to review the plan before endorsing it, but acknowledged the agreement "would be difficult to upset."

A spokesman for state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), the Senate minority leader, said Skelos believes in doing everything possible to win federal grant money, "including using student performance as a tool to evaluate teachers." The spokesman, Scott Reif, added that the Assembly should approve another measure, already passed by the Senate, to raise the number of charter schools statewide from 200 to 460 and require more accountability from them.