Does that work matter? How do you know?

Many years ago Massachusetts instituted a teacher evaluation system that requires educators to set student learning and professional learning goals. The system also requires that educators reflect on their progress and provide evidence to prove that they've done the job they set out to do.

I like the intent of this system, but realize that there are limitations related to politics, time, and understanding.

Yet, as I think of the positives of the system, I am wondering how we can really use the system to better affect positive change and effort in schools.

First, the goal setting process is positive. If educators use good analysis including formal and informal data to set a goal for betterment, this is good.

Next, discussing the goal with system leadership and making sure that the goal fits the overall system goals is good too. It's important to have that time to talk out the goal and make it match systemwide efforts. It's similarly important, though, that system leadership take these goals seriously by providing support, checking in on the goal, and keeping the goal up front with regard to collegial discussions, scheduling, staffing, and planning.

And then, when it comes to proving the effectiveness of your efforts related to the goal, we need to use analysis based on worthy informal and formal data. How did we truly meet the goal? What roadblocks did we face? Did we have the support we needed? Did our work make a substantial difference and positive change/development?

When the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation system is used well, it can substantially improve school culture, teaching, and learning, however, I believe that too often it is misunderstood and under- or over-utilized without good thought.

Some ways that educators may use this system better include the following:

• A spring report about how the system is doing with a focus on system-wide vision/mission/goals and on what's working well and where the holes are.
• An invitation to educators to think about the system report over the summer with regard to their own work, and a request for teachers to see how they can analyze their own work and make goals that will improve what they do in line with system-wide goals. For example if the systemwide goal was to make math more engaging for students, then a teacher might survey his/her students to figure out where greater engagement could occur, then make a goal to make that happen.
• Reviewing teacher goals early in the fall with a serious attitude. Helping teachers to make the goals reasonable and measurable. When a goal is reasonable and measurable, it's more likely that you'll achieve that goal and be able to reflect well on the goal work.
• Keeping teachers' and system-wide goals present in staff work, conversation, coaching, and support. 
• Reflecting on goals mid-year with questions such as where are you, how do you know that, what greater support do you need, does your goal need some revision?
• End-of-year meetings that take the goal work seriously. Rating goal work on effective effort more than ultimate result. Did you put the time in with regard to reaching your goal? What did you learn? What supports were helpful? What more supports could there be to reach the goal with greater success?

While all aspects of the Massachusetts Teacher Evaluation System are valuable, I do believe that the system is too cumbersome for effective work. I believe that the attributes of good teaching and learning are wonderful and should inform the goal work. I believe the goal work is the most substantial part of the system, and is the part of the evaluation system that has the most value for moving teaching and learning ahead in every school and system.