Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness (MCEE) Recommends The Thoughtful Classroom™ Teacher Evaluation Model for Use in Schools Across the State USA - English USA - English

Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ (PRWEB) October 02, 2013 -- After more than eighteen months of work that featured a rigorous pilot program involving districts across the state of Michigan, the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness (MCEE) released its final recommendations for developing a “fair, transparent, and feasible evaluation system for teachers and school administrators." The Council recommended Silver Strong & Associates’ Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework as a tool Michigan schools may use to observe classroom practice.

The Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework (TCTEF) is designed to help educators observe, evaluate, and refine classroom practice. The Framework synthesizes a wide body of research on instructional design and teacher effectiveness, as well as insight from hundreds of teachers and administrators from around the country.

Central to the development of the TCTEF was Durand Area Schools in Durand, MI, where the lead developer of the TCTEF, Dr. Harvey Silver, worked closely with the district’s teachers, administrators, and union representatives to develop and refine observation and evaluation protocols that help busy school leaders implement the Framework. According to Cindy Weber, Superintendent of Durand Area Schools, this focus on manageability and practicality is what led her district to the TCTEF. Weber explains, “Many of the teacher effectiveness frameworks that we researched seemed overwhelmingly complex. What drew us to the TCTEF was the way it seemed to cut through the complexity and present a clear and comprehensive picture of good instruction.”
In Durand Area Schools, where the TCTEF has been implemented district-wide since 2011, Fall 2012 MEAP results showed gains in the following areas: 3rd-grade math and reading; 4th-grade reading; 5th-grade math, reading, and science; 6th-grade reading and social studies; 7th-grade writing; 8th-grade math and reading; and 9th-grade social studies.
“A key feature of the TCTEF is the way it allows schools to target professional development to each teacher’s particular needs and goals,” says Silver. He also explains that two of Silver Strong & Associates’ best-selling professional development resources, "The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core" and "Tools for Thoughtful Assessment: Classroom-Ready Techniques for Improving Teaching and Learning" were written with the TCTEF in mind. Silver adds, “Teachers and administrators can review classroom observation data, identify dimensions of classroom instruction where growth is needed, and then select tools and strategies from 'The Core Six' and 'Tools for Thoughtful Assessment' that correspond to each teacher’s specific needs.”
According to Laurie Schorno, President of the Education Association in Morris Plains, NJ where the TCTEF is being used, the TCTEF resonates with educators because of the way it focuses on good instruction and provides strategies that help teachers improve their craft. Schorno explains, “This model is one that builds upon strengths rather than finding fault. The TCTEF has the ability to make each and every one of us great teachers and the ultimate result will be increased student learning.”

About Silver Strong & Associates:
For nearly forty years, Silver Strong & Associates has partnered with hundreds of schools, districts, and education organizations throughout the United States and Canada to provide high-quality professional development for teachers, administrators, and school leaders. Recently, Silver Strong & Associates has applied its comprehensive and collaborative brand of Thoughtful Classroom professional development to educator evaluation. Learn more: http://www.ThoughtfulClassroom.com

About the Framework:
The Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework has been approved for state-wide use in New York, New Jersey, and Michigan, and was selected as a Top 100 Product for 2012 by "District Administration" magazine.

Bethann Carbone, ExpressIt Media LLC, http://www.expressitmedia.com, +1 (302) 644-7329, [email protected]