North Carolina to Let Students Rate Teachers

A Race to the Top funded pilot program for students to evaluate their teachers will go live this Spring in North Carolina.

North Carolina is spending $600,000 in federal grant money to give students a voice in rating their teachers. The money comes from the Race to the Top program and is being spent on consultants to prepare an effective survey based on Harvard University’s research of effective teaching. The international consulting company Cambridge Education is being hired to make sure the tests don’t feature any kind of popularity contest and instead focus on what their teachers actually do.

The upcoming pilot program will go live in 29 school districts this Spring and include a sampling of 150,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade with tests designed specifically for the age groups that will be completing them.

There will be 30-question and 90-question surveys, paper and online versions. The youngest students will be asked to circle pictures or yes/no answers, while older ones will use agree/disagree scales.

There is no decision as yet on how to incorporate the student survey results into teacher evaluations however a condition of the grant requires the state to use student performance data to craft a new standard. It is unclear at this stage whether this metric will be based solely on test scores or whether student views will also be included.

Teachers who participate will be able to view their collated results and there is hope that the new surveys will provide guidance as to the areas teachers and school should focus on to improve.

“We think it will be good feedback from someone other than their principal,” said N.C. Department of Public Instruction Chief Academic Officer Rebecca Garland.

Comments

Mike

March 13, 2012 at 11:09 am

Well I guess grades will go up in NC. I have an idea, lets let students, parents, the guy with all the junk cars in his yard, and the crazy cat lady rate teachers and then fire them if the students don’t pass standardized tests and the crazy cat lady doesn’t get a job.

Reply
- Linda Brees
  
  March 13, 2012 at 12:47 pm
  
  College students have been able to do this for years and the results actually play a part in tenure decisions. I leave it to you to make a connection, if there is one there, between that practice and grade inflation.
  
  Reply
  - Mike
    
    March 14, 2012 at 6:34 am
    
    College student, 5 year old. hmmm?
    
    Reply
tired teacher

March 13, 2012 at 2:54 pm

i have mixed feelings on this, obviously the grade inflation is an issue, obviously students with an axe to grind is an issue.

but having student feedback be a small part of a more comprehensive evaluation could be okay, it just has to be a small part.

i’m not there to please them, i’m there to teach them, but i am interested in how they feel about it.

Reply
- Mike
  
  March 14, 2012 at 6:35 am
  
  Informative only. It shouldn’t play any role in overal evaluation, but it can be useful for personal information. I do one on my own and it is useful (sometimes). And no, not just when positive, but when constructive and fair.
  
  Reply
Guy

March 14, 2012 at 7:16 am

Hey I’m now a high school math teacher. In college I gave the best ratings to those teachers who required the least amount of work. At this point in my life I’m a firm believer in effort, rigor, responsibility on the part of the student, engagement from bell to bell, and providing a learning enviroment for my students. Furthermore, I absolutely do not tolerate class disruption.
Needless to say some students think I’m a great teacher.
Many others, however, say I suck. If these evaluations become the sole content of my measure of performance I
might as well resign now.

Reply
- Kevin
  
  March 14, 2012 at 8:12 am
  
  I doubt they would become the sole content of measure, because that is ridiculous. That will serve absolutely no one. However, having them be a small part, of even just for information purposes, is a good idea I think.
  
  Reply
Semeeah

March 14, 2012 at 9:18 am

I think this is a good idea because if you don’t like that teacher then you can circle no or if you like that teacher then you can circle yes.I wish that it goes all over the states besides just North Carolina.I know that if your going to elementary school and you said you like that teacher and you probably will get that teacher again only if you say yes but otherwise no.I love knowing that if I’m a teacher I would want to know what the students rate me yes or no.

Reply
Shameful and Degrading Evaluations of Teachers by Politicians

March 19, 2012 at 10:44 am

[...] Carolina. In a Race to the Top pilot program, $600,000 is being spent to enable students to rate teachers. Based on work at Harvard, 30-question and 90-question survey will be used for [...]

Reply