inexperienced and inexpert to expe-
rienced and expert. With respect to
be qualitatively, not quantitatively, dif-
ferent. For instance, in the example
to make high-stakes personnel decisions
without demonstrating the skill to do so
the standards of practice, it’s not that
teachers either do them or don’t do
them—it’s that they do them well
or poorly. The levels of performance
describe that continuum.
Because the levels of performance
cited, learning tasks at the proficient
level are “designed to challenge student
thinking” whereas those at the basic
level “require only minimal thinking
by students.” These are qualitative
differences.
accurately?
So what are those necessary skills?
Collecting Evidence
When observing in a classroom, evalu-
ators must note what they see and hear
describe a teacher’s skill in the various
Finally, the rubrics must be robust
there. It’s important that what they
aspects of teaching, it’s essential that
enough to withstand the demands
observers be able to distinguish one
placed on the system as a whole; in
level from the next. This, in turn, makes particular, it must be possible to train
it more likely that any two trained
observers will agree with each other.
This is first a matter of clarity of lan-
observers to make accurate judg-
ments regarding what they see and
hear. For example, as a consequence
write down actually is evidence—and
not opinion, interpretation, or bias. This
is not a simple matter; it’s challenging to
record “just the facts, ma’am.”
There are three types of evidence:
words spoken by the teacher or stu-
guage; the language used in the different of participating in the MET study, we
dents, such as, “Can anyone think of
levels should permit focused training for found we had to tighten the language
another idea?”; actions, such as, “The
observers so their levels of agreement
and accuracy are high.
in the rubrics of the Framework for
Teaching to attain high enough rates of
students took 45 seconds to line up
by the door”; and the appearance of
the classroom, such as, “Backpacks are
Because the quintessential skill of teaching is
teaching, and it can be observed, we should do
those observations with integrity and skill.
strewn in the middle of the floor.”
But it’s difficult to record only evi-
dence. Virtually all educators find
they include some interpretation or
opinion in their notes. For example, an
observer might note that “the students
are engaged” during the science lesson
Thus, in the Danielson Framework
for Teaching, a statement at the profi-
cient level in Component 3c (engaging
inter-rater agreement and accuracy. It
was not sufficient to say that a teacher
demonstrated a “deep” understanding
on buoyancy and density, but that’s
not, strictly speaking, evidence. It’s not
what the students or teacher said or did.
students in learning) states that “the
of the content; rather, revised language
Instead, it’s an interpretation of what the
learning tasks and activities are designed specifies that a teacher must be able to
observer heard and saw.
to challenge student thinking, inviting
articulate connections between the topic
What the observer actually saw was
students to make their thinking visible.” being taught and other topics within
students fashioning their clay into
This is more advanced than what the
and outside the discipline. Further,
different shapes, leaning forward in
language describes at the basic level:
we discovered that providing teacher
their discussions with one another,
“The learning tasks and activities require examples of the levels of performance
and drawing sketches of their designs
only minimal thinking by students and
facilitated observer training.
on the board. Those items would
little opportunity for them to explain
be the evidence, which the observer
their thinking.” These differences are
The Skills Observers Need
(probably correctly) has interpreted as
clear and may be illustrated by specific
Observers need to acquire a number of
student engagement. This distinction
examples during observer training.
skills to conduct fair and reliable obser-
is important because when observers
There are other challenges concerning vations of teaching. They need training, disagree about a teacher’s level of per-
clarity of language. Some rubrics use
and possibly an assessment of their
formance, it’s essential to know whether
the language of frequency; teachers do
skills, to ensure they can conduct these the differences stem from a difference
a certain thing “never,” “occasionally,”
observations with fidelity. Several states in the evidence collected or in how the
“frequently,” or “always.” This language now require that evaluators be certified observer has interpreted that evidence.
suggests that an evaluator can observe
as observers before being permitted
the same teacher multiple times; it’s
to evaluate teachers for high-stakes
Interpreting Evidence
not suitable for a single observation
personnel decisions. This requirement
Against Levels of Performance
of teaching. For rubrics to apply to
makes good sense. After all, you can’t
The evidence an observer collects in the
individual lessons, the language in the
obtain a driver’s license without passing classroom is not in itself good or bad.
different levels of performance must
a test. Why should a supervisor be able What leads to a judgment about the
