The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced today that it has submitted its formal plan for a new teacher evaluation system to the U.S. Department of Education. Through Secretary Arne Duncan, the federal government has demanded that Texas adopt new teacher and principal evaluation instruments as a condition of a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver the state received earlier this school year. Duncan is using the waivers to compel states to adopt educator evaluation systems that consider student growth as a significant factor in the appraisals. TEA will pilot the new instrument in 72 school districts this fall. The agency hopes to roll out the new evaluation model statewide in the 2015-16 school year. Under the proposed new system, 20 percent of a teacher's evaluation will be based on student growth. For teachers of certain tested subjects and grades—primarily math and reading—the student growth portion will be assessed using a new value-added measurement developed by the state. The statistical calculation will determine if the teacher's students are meeting expected rates of growth from year to year on STAAR tests. The remainder of the teacher's evaluation will be based on an observation rubric that includes indicators related to planning, instruction and the learning environment. Professionalism is also an element of the evaluation, encompassing professional practices, ethics, goal-setting, self-assessment and professional development.

UPDATE: View TEA's May 2 submission to the U.S. Department of Education. It includes a draft of the new evaluation rubrics and standards for teachers and principals.

Read TEA's full press release with links to additional information here. Stay tuned to Teach the Vote for ongoing comprehensive coverage of the evaluation pilot and NCLB waiver, and don't miss our teacher evaluation feature in the next issue of ATPE News.