Teacher Preparation. In October 2014, the Tennessee
Commission, is currently in the process of redesigning
State Board of Education passed a new Educator
the Report Card to further improve its usefulness and
Preparation Policy. This policy revised the process
relevance to stakeholders.15
by which educator preparation programs receive
approval from the State Board of Education to train
Teacher Evaluation. In April 2015, the Tennessee
teachers and recommend graduates for Tennessee
Department of Education released Teacher and
teacher licenses. Compared to the previous
Administrator Evaluation in Tennessee: A Report on
policy, the new policy places greater emphasis
Year 3 Implementation. Data and feedback from the
on admission requirements, clinical experiences,
2013-14 school year informed this report. Compared
and the effectiveness of a program’s graduates
to previous years, there was a closer correlation
once they enter the classroom.13 In 2015, the
between teachers’ scores on observations and
Tennessee Department of Education convened an
student growth measures. Schools showing a high
Implementation Working Group to provide advice on
degree of misalignment between observation scores
protocols, tools, and benchmarks for the approval of
and growth measures worked with state coaches
educator preparation programs. The Implementation
over the past year to improve the fidelity of classroom
Working Group will meet regularly until June 2016. The
observation scores.
Tennessee Department of Education then will make
recommendations to the State Board of Education
The Tennessee Department of Education continued
regarding implementation of the Tennessee Educator
to expand evaluation options for non-tested grades
Preparation Policy.
and subjects by developing portfolio models for
14
middle and high school physical education, lifetime
Since 2010, the Tennessee Higher Education
wellness, pre-K and kindergarten, and alternative
Commission (THEC) has published an annual Report
educators.16 The State Board of Education approved
Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training
the Pre-K/Kindergarten Portfolio Model in July 2015.17
Programs. The Report Card includes information
Districts may begin using this optional model in
on degrees earned by preparation program
the 2015-16 school year. Because of increased use
completers; Praxis exam and Tennessee Value-Added
of portfolio models, approximately 48 percent of
Assessment System (TVAAS) scores of completers;
teachers received a growth score based on student
and Core Academic Skills for Educators reading,
data from their individual classroom, rather than
writing, and math assessment scores. Future reports
school-level growth data. If districts used all available
will also include data collected on program completers
growth options, nearly 80 percent of teachers would
through TEAM and alternative teacher assessment
receive individual growth scores. It is important
models. These and other data are useful to a variety
to encourage and provide support to local school
of stakeholders:
districts to increase their use of new growth options
• Prospective teachers can use these data to
select a preparation program to attend.
• Schools and districts can make more
informed hiring decisions.
• Preparation programs can examine their
areas of strength and weakness so that they
know where to focus improvement efforts.
• State policymakers can use these data to
inform future teacher preparation policies.
in teacher evaluations.
Finally, more districts chose to implement a stateapproved alternative to the TEAM evaluation model.
These alternative models contain the same basic
components as the TEAM model, but may use a
different observation rubric and a different number or
length of classroom observations.18
The Tennessee Department of Education’s 2015
Tennessee Educator Survey, which is shared with all
teachers in the state, revealed that more teachers
13
The State Board of Education, in collaboration with
than ever before have a favorable opinion of
the TDOE and the Tennessee Higher Education
Tennessee’s teacher evaluation system. Sixty-eight