Growth and Evaluation

“Research consistently shows that teaching is the single most important school-based factor in a student’s academic growth” (Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University). Improving the effectiveness of Kentucky’s classroom teachers is a primary goal of personnel growth and evaluation systems. District certified evaluation plans should reflect and support Kentucky's commitment to every student being taught by an effective teacher by promoting the vision of continuous professional growth and development of skills needed to be a highly effective educator. Local plans should be designed to catalyze professional growth and create a fair and equitable system to promote and measure teacher effectiveness.

• The Kentucky Framework for Teaching (Danielson 2011) provides educators a clear understanding of what it means to be effective.

• The Kentucky Framework for Teaching: Specialist Frameworks (Danielson 2011) provide other professionals with their own specialized framework, outlining what it means to be an effective media specialist, counselor, speech pathologist, or school psychologist.

• The Principal Performance Standards Reference outlines what it means to be an effective principal.

In response to revisions made to KRS 156.557 (2017), KDE is collaborating with the Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Steering Committees to develop a “State Framework” for personnel evaluation. The draft timeline seeks the Kentucky Board of Education’s approval of the related administrative regulation by fall, 2017, and immediate submission to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (LRC) for legislative approval by spring, 2018.