The use and misuse of teacher appraisal - Education International

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EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL at the secondary level, the ratio is 400 teachers to one inspector. As such, secondary education teachers may have their “job performance” is assessed once every seven (or even ten) years by an inspector. As far as the administrative grade is concerned, it is reported that there are a relatively small number of conflicts with school leaderships, although, in the past five years, both unions report that more and more school heads have put pressure on teachers to increase their administrative activities, including participation in meetings within the school, for instance. A school director in France is not entitled to make any judgment on a teacher’s performance in terms of pedagogical skills and on the taught curricula. He/she can only provide an assessment against the three following criteria: radiance (rayonnement); punctuality (ponctualité); assiduity (assiduité). In other words, appraisal requires the teacher to teach all of his/her classes, be on time, and attend compulsory meetings at school (teamwork, general assessment of pupils three times a year in December, March, and May/June). Under President Sarkozy’s government, the teacher unions report that the Minister of Education attempted to change the teacher assessment plan by proposing that teachers’ evaluations should be carried out solely by school leaders. On 15 December 2011, SNES- FSU called a strike to protest against such a plan which they believed, if implemented, would lead to a discretionary system. The strike led to the plan being withdrawn – a decision confirmed by François Hollande when he became President. GERMANY Teachers are appraised before changes in their civil servant status at regular intervals. Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in the Länder set out appraisal guidelines for assessing teachers. Teacher appraisals must involve assessment and assessment criteria. 18 GEW reported that all permanent teachers, teachers on fixed-term contracts, and those on probation undergo appraisal based on completion of probation and peer review. There is both mandatory (periodical) and non-mandatory appraisal. Broadly, appraisal is carried out before decisions are taken on employment status and after a complaint. The appraisal arrangements are devised by the state authority and carried out by trained school inspectors and leaders. Evaluation is carried out against teachers’ job descriptions, the school’s development plan, and the school’s internal regulations. The following aspects are evaluated: instruction, planning and preparation, classroom environment, completion of professional development, contribution to school development, and links to the community. The instruments for appraisal are: classroom observation, personal interview and objective setting, teacher self-appraisal, and portfolio. Appraisal informs teachers’ professional development activities, and may involve sabbatical periods and changes in responsibilities. It does not affect teachers’ pay.
T H E U S E A N D M I S U S E O F T E A C H E R A P P R A I S A L GREECE The evaluation of the education system is linked mainly to the evaluation of teachers and students. Data collection focuses on input, processes – including pedagogical practices – and results. HUNGARY Until recently, according to the OECD (2010b), there was no central regulation governing teacher appraisal. In the past few years, though, two major changes took place. An amendment to the Public Education Act stipulates that institutions’ quality management programmes should include criteria related to teacher appraisal and defines the rules of the appraisal procedures. Secondly, the majority of teachers in schools run by the state or a local government now qualify as public employees. Teachers’ work is governed by the Act on Public Education and other legislation on education including, for example, a decree regulating the operation of educational institutions. Certain aspects of teachers’ employment are governed by legislation although, in general, it addresses the legal status of public employees. The classification of teachers as public employees led to changes in the system of teacher appraisal, although schools’ freedom in teachers’ appraisal still remained considerably significant. According to KPT and FDSZ, all teachers in Hungary currently undergo appraisal, either yearly, or once every four or five years. This covers performance management, rewarding excellence, completion of probation, and teacher registration or certification. Teachers also undergo evaluation if there is a complaint and when a decision about their employment status is to be taken. Formal appraisal, devised by school leaders, teachers, local authorities, and parents, usually refers to the personal development plan of the teacher, his/her responsibilities, and refers to locally set standards and the school’s internal regulations. The instruments used are classroom observation, teacher self-appraisal, students’ results, and surveys. These evaluate instruction, planning and preparation, classroom environment, completion of professional development, contribution to school development, and links to the community. Appraisal informs teachers’ professional development activities, but it does not impact on their career advancement or salary. It involves further opportunities for development and, in cases of outstanding performance, public recognition or awards. ICELAND According to Kí (ITU), in Iceland, teacher appraisal is mandatory (prescribed by law since 1996). All teachers receive two types of evaluation: self-evaluation and evaluation by an external body (the latter being the responsibility of the Ministry of Education 19
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