Juggling Apples and Oranges in the New N.Y.C. Evaluation System

Teacher's ratings in N.Y.C. are based upon components calling for contradictory teaching practices.  Teachers must try to do justice to Danielson domains at the same time as they ensure students will be drilled towards higher test scores.  

Danielson puts a premium on student participation during classroom observations.  In the ideal situation, students are supposed to spontaneously erupt into discussions of critical issues related to subject matter.  The teacher is then supposed to take two steps back and act merely as a facilitator.  Students take power into their own hands and initiate higher-level inquiry. 

The Danielson-based observations count for 60% of a teacher's rating.  The other 40% may be based solely on student test scores.  Test scores affect not only the individual ratings of teachers; they also affect a school's rating and, perhaps, ultimately the fate of the school.  Teachers are required to spend a good part of the course prepping students for tests.  This significantly narrows a teacher's ability to teach a rich curriculum.  Test prep is a very far cry from Danielson's ideals.  Test prep still  depends in large part upon the rote memorization, largely the linking together of oversimplified concepts.  Everything becomes diluted:

1.  Civilization=river valleys.

2.  The Gupta=the number zero. 

3.  John Locke=natural rights.

One hopes students will be able to define the terms, understand their importance, draw contrasts and make connections with today, but as it stands now, the test does not demand a great deal in the way of critical thinking.  

Some students may demonstrate higher-level skills on the essay sections.  Yet, for the most part, students just need to memorize causes and effects.  It is less than likely that many student's will do a great deal of higher-order thinking or spontaneously erupt in joyful debates when prepping for a test.  Danielson, so to speak, is out the door.   

Test prep has become a shameless act of self-preservation.  In this strange world in which teachers are  accountable for student test scores, teachers must prep to save their own pants as well as those of their school.  Teachers must juggle apples and oranges and hope their students will not throw tomatoes!