Supervision for Learning: A Performance-Based Approach to Teacher Development and School Improvement

257 Pages·2006·9.11 MB·English

by  James M. Aseltine

Education
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Traditional methods of supervision and evaluation focus L
on teachers’ inputs: their lesson plans, instruction, and e
classroom management practices. But what matters most A
is the outcome they achieve: learning. This book introduces r
Performance-Based Supervision and Evaluation (PBSE), n
a data-driven and teacher-directed approach proven to i
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build educators’ analytical and instructional capacity to
address the learning needs of their students. It’s a move g
away from disconnected annual goals and outside-in
improvement initiatives, and toward the full integration
of teacher evaluation, strategic professional development,
and school improvement planning.
BROWSE EXCERPTS Supervision for Learning is an important resource for
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FROM ASCD BOOKS: school leaders looking to s
http://www.ascd.org/books • Honor the judgment of teachers while targeting el
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student performance in areas of essential knowledge n
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and skills articulated in standards;
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Association for Supervision and
• Empower all teachers to use performance data as F
Curriculum Development a
the basis for instructional decisions and monitor r
Alexandria, Virginia USA y
the effectiveness of these decisions through n
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action research; a
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• Develop meaningful collaborative relationships
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with and among teachers; and
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$27.95 U.S. • Acquire authentic evidence of teacher and ig
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student growth. z
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Authors James M. Aseltine, Judith O. Faryniarz, and -
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Anthony J. Rigazio-DiGilio explain the best-practice i
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foundations of their approach and provide guidelines i
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for its implementation. Sample artifacts and illustrative io
vignettes bring the PBSE process to life, clarifying the
supervisor’s role, the teachers’ responsibilities, and
the students’ gains. You’ll also find a planning and
monitoring tool that maps milestones within the
development and evaluation cycle, along with strategies
for reconciling this approach with district reporting
requirements and budget realities.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Alexandria, Virginia USA
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
1703 N. Beauregard St. • Alexandria, VA 22311-1714 USA
Phone: [phone] or 703-578-9600 • Fax: [phone]
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Copyright © 2006 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Aseltine, James M.
Supervision for learning : a performance-based approach to teacher development
and school improvement / James M. Aseltine, Judith O. Faryniarz, and Anthony J.
Rigazio-DiGilio.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4166-0327-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-4166-0327-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Teachers—Rating of—United States.
2. Teachers—In-service training—United States. I. Faryniarz, Judith O., 1951–
II. Rigazio-DiGilio, Anthony J., 1952– III. Title.
LB2838.A765 2006
371.203--dc22
2006003153
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Jim dedicates this book to his loving wife, Barbara,
and his daughters, Linda, Sue, and Pam. Their unending
encouragement has sustained him through his
many years of professional endeavor.
Judith dedicates this book to her husband, Joe; to their children,
Jennifer, Patrick, Cathy Jean, Chris, Cari, and Cori; to extended
family; and to friends and colleagues who have inspired her
work and recommitted it to the education of everyone’s children.
Tony dedicates this book to Sandra, Elizabeth, and Nicholas,
who remind him every day of what is important.

Supervision
for
LEARNING
Foreword by Jay McTighe ......................................................................... vii
Acknowledgments ...................................................................................... x
Introduction ................................................................................................. 1
1 Reconceptualizing Supervision and Evaluation .............................. 9
2 Getting Ready to Target Improvement ............................................ 21
3 Working Together to Initiate Teacher Development .................... 36
4 Creating Individual Professional Development Plans ................... 54
5 Differentiating Performance-Based Supervision
and Evaluation ................................................................................... 64
6 Managing Performance-Based Supervision and Evaluation ......... 87
7 Pursuing Teacher Learning to Inform Instructional
Interventions .................................................................................... 104
8 Evaluating Teacher Growth and Development ............................ 131
9 Developing Culture and Capacity in the Learning
Community ....................................................................................... 156
10 Applying the Model to Administrators ......................................... 171
Epilogue .................................................................................................. 183
Appendix A: The Criteria of Excellence .............................................. 187
Appendix B: Sample Artifacts ............................................................... 197
References and Resources .................................................................... 232
Index ........................................................................................................ 236
About the Authors ................................................................................. 241

Foreword
I clearly recall the ritual from my early experiences as a teacher.
Twice a year, my principal would visit my classroom, sit in the
back, and observe me at work for 20-odd minutes. While trying to
appear “natural” and concentrate on my lesson, I could not help
but notice him scrutinizing the room and making notations on his
clipboard. A day or two later, I would receive a filled-in copy of the
district’s Teacher Observation Form with some perfunctory com-
ments (“Has good rapport with students”) and a SATISFACTORY rating
stamped at the bottom of the page in purple ink.
Don’t get me wrong: I liked my principal and he liked me. I never
felt that the observation and evaluation process was adversarial; I
just did not perceive these biannual “snapshots” to be a particu-
larly worthwhile experience for either of us. The unspoken truth
was that virtually all teachers in my school were certified as SATIS-
FACTORY, provided that they weren’t the target of too many parental
complaints and that they could be counted on to address the major-
ity of behavior problems in the classroom instead of bumping them
to the front office.
For me, the most influential professional growth experiences
occurred informally, as I picked the brain of an effective veteran
teacher or when I had the opportunity to work with a colleague to
co-plan an activity or a performance. In stark contrast, my “offi-
cial” professional development experiences consisted primarily of
large-scale events. My fellow staff members and I were herded into
vii
viii SUPERVISION FOR LEARNING
the high school auditorium, where we spent the morning listening
to a motivating speaker before breaking into afternoon workshops,
the content of which was primarily determined by what volunteer
leaders wished to offer. I fondly recall one very popular offering: a
“Color Me Beautiful” seminar sponsored by an enterprising teacher
who moonlighted as a wardrobe consultant!
Fast forward 30-some years. Educators today are immersed in
a decidedly different world. The emergence of content and perfor-
mance standards, coupled with high-stakes accountability sys-
tems, has shifted the professional focus from “inputs” and “pro-
cess” to “results.” These not-so-subtle shifts affect nearly all facets
of our work, including professional development, teacher evalua-
tion, and approaches to improve school effectiveness.
It is the current state of educational affairs that makes Super-
vision for Learning such a timely and significant work. The authors
marry the analytic insight of scholars with the practical wisdom
of veteran educators as they first make the case for shifting to a
“performance-based” model of supervision and evaluation and
then show how it’s done. Supervision for Learning offers a refresh-
ing alternative to the ritualistic and marginally effective evaluation
practices that teachers and administrators have endured for years.
And significantly, the book proposes a pathway toward true profes-
sional development: one that honors the professionalism of teach-
ers while concurrently targeting the achievement needs of learn-
ers. Its focus on student achievement looks beyond the narrow
tunnel of standardized test scores and toward a broader view of
“data” inclusive of authentic student work and genuine accom-
plishments on the part of teacher and student.
Although their tone is optimistic, the authors do not shy away
from the less than rosy realities faced by leaders in most schools.
They tackle such challenges as resistant staff members and defi-
cient teachers and offer concrete guidance, tools, and practical
strategies to help everyone reap the benefits of this approach.
Foreword ix
This book deserves “must read” attention from school leaders
at all levels who value the continuous learning of their staff and
pursue continuous learning themselves. Follow the precepts and
practices contained within these pages, and you will realize a more
effective use of your supervisory energies while guiding true pro-
fessional development in the service of student learning.
Jay McTighe