CEA was instrumental in ushering in new state teacher evaluation guidelines that focus on growth rather than compliance. In the two years since the new guidelines have gone into effect, most aspects of teacher evaluation are running smoothly, but in some districts, the tiered support structure and its implementation have caused confusion.
“Getting rid of ratings was great for teachers, many of whom felt insulted by being rated,” says CEA Teacher Development Specialist Dr. Kate Field. “Once ratings are gone, however, how do you identify who is in need of support or needs to be placed on an improvement plan?”
Details matter
The new state teacher evaluation guidelines answered that question by creating a tiered support structure. Modeled after Scientific Research-Based Interventions (SRBI), the guidelines require three tiers of support before educators are moved to a corrective action plan. Districts must follow the state guidelines but have the flexibility to create a plan that works best for them.
Confusion exists because instead of defining specifically what each tier should look like in practice in their district, many district Professional Development and Evaluation Committees (PDECs) took language directly from the state model evaluation plan, says Field.
“Because that language is vague and lacks details, it leaves a lot of confusion about when someone should be placed on tiered support as well as what the tiered plans should look like at each level,” she explains.
Districts’ TEVAL plans should include examples of tier 1, 2, and 3 supports as agreed upon by their PDEC, and state law requires that PDECs review their teacher evaluation plans each year—which provides a great opportunity to revise, improve, and add clarity to things like the tiered support process.
“When TEVAL was being reshaped, CEA created a model evaluation plan for PDECs to consult for ideas on how to put clearer tiered supports into practice,” says CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey, who, along with Field, represents CEA on Connecticut’s Educator Evaluation and Support (EES) Council. “Following that plan can be extremely helpful.”
Check out CEA’s model evaluation plan.
What if you’re placed on tiered support?
Field, who worked as a teacher and administrator before joining CEA’s staff, says, “Teaching is hard, and everyone has areas where they need to improve. There’s no shame if you are placed on tiered support. It’s important to seek help from your union, not just to be protected but also to get support from your colleagues. It’s normal to need to support from time to time.”
“Your students benefit if you can grow as a professional,” says Bethel Education Association Vice President Irene Drake. Drake works one-on-one with teachers in her local association who are placed on tiered support to make sure their plan is realistic, to offer advice, and to check in. Bethel’s 1:1 approach to helping teachers on tiered support could serve as a useful model for other districts.
“Teachers can be fearful when placed on a tiered plan,” says Drake. “They feel like they’re done, but that’s not the case at all. My role is to help them be successful. When teachers are willing to work with their union advocate and district administration and respond to the issues that have been raised, they’re almost always successful in moving off their plan.”
“Be your own best advocate,” says DeLancey. “Ask for the training, assistance, and resources that are truly going to help you improve.”
In addition to professional development for members on topics including classroom management, differentiated instruction, and higher-order questioning strategies, CEA is also launching a series of on-demand learning modules on topics that could be helpful to teachers placed on tiered support. Reach out to [email protected] to learn more.
Drake says teachers often feel awkward about having been put on a plan, which is why she recommends that they go to a different school in the district to observe a colleague teach.
“Other teachers won’t know you’ve been put on a plan unless you tell them,” she says. “This should be private between you, your administration, and your association. Also, asking a trusted colleague, mentor, or coach to observe a lesson can feel less threatening than an observation by administrators.”
Get union support
Field suggests reaching out to a union rep as soon as your evaluator mentions tier 2 support. Administrators are under no obligation to tell teachers they need union representation until tier 3 or corrective action is considered, but getting the union involved early is critical.
“Your union representative can help determine whether there was a pattern of persistent concerns documented in the feedback,” says Field. “Being put on a plan should not come out of the blue. There should be written feedback that documents both concerns and attempts to provide specific support aligned to those concerns. Local leaders can help teachers identified for tiered support by reviewing that feedback to ensure placement on a plan is an appropriate step and not premature.”
Field says she has seen tier 2 plans that offer only a two-week period for improvement.
“That’s ridiculous and insulting. Learning takes time, practice, and ample support. At a minimum, teachers need 35 days to learn new approaches and apply those changes.”
When they first identify an area of concern, evaluators should talk to teachers, ask about what the’ve already tried, and offer specific strategies for improvement, says Field. If a documented problem persists over time, that’s when it may be appropriate for a teacher to be placed on tier 2.
Local union leaders should ensure a tiered support plan is narrow in scope and not overly stressful for the teacher. Drake says she always carefully reviews the support plans her administration has drafted to make sure they are reasonable and the supports are appropriate. Bethel’s support plans are 45 days long.
“Over the course of the plan,” says Drake, “I check in with the member to determine what they need. Sometimes I’m written into the plan as one of the supports. Once I took a course with a member so that we could discuss it. Sometimes I’ll help with resources available through CEA. We do everything we can to support our members and connect them with anyone who can help them succeed.”
“Good support is tailored to a specific problem,” says Field. “It’s difficult to improve if a strategy isn’t right for a particular person or situation, or if it causes significant additional stress. Rather than requiring weekly submission of lesson plans, for example, advocate that a plan require only one lesson plan prior to an observation.”
Lack of training and calibration, and what PDECs can do
When administrators aren’t on the same page about the tiered support process, it’s frequently due to a lack of training. The state requires ongoing training on the tiered support process, so it’s important to find out if this training is happening. The State Evaluation Guidelines also require calibration of administrators, which Field says is very important but rarely happens. Calibration is intended to ensure all evaluators follow the same process and have similar expectations.
“If evaluators have inconsistent practices and expectations, it erodes trust,” says Field. “The PDEC has the power to define things like calibration and determine what professional development should be required. If teachers don’t participate in defining these terms and requirements of their plan, the district will leave it vague, because that works in their favor.”
To assist local union leaders and PDECs, CEA offers everything from quick PDEC tune-ups to in-depth workshops and consulting. CEA staff are also available to help PDECs refine their teacher evaluation plans and attend meetings with administration, especially when a teacher has been placed on tier 3 or a corrective action plan.
“Philosophically, our state teacher evaluation guidelines are supposed to be about growth, and tiered support should be about meaningful support,” Field says. “This shouldn’t be seen as punitive. If you pile things onto someone who is struggling, they’re going to drown. We need to give educators the support they need so that they can float.”
Find the State Teacher Evaluation Guidelines, CEA’s model evaluation plan, and more.
