We have had in-services and observations under Teach 4 Success. I think the bottom line is the district is using it to blame teachers instead of the system for low student achievement. These pretended observations are drive by in nature. They claim they can "observe" student engagement and call it data by popping in a class for 10 to 15 minutes. Sleepy students who closed the late shift at Taco Bell drive down your "engagement" score. I think it’s a crock hidden behind their hard numbers, "data."
Here's what one Nevada school district reported in its District Improvement Plan:
T4S data indicate a decline between 2004-05 and 2005-06 in the percentage of classrooms where the application of effective
Instructional Strategies were observed.
• T4S observation data indicate formative assessments were not utilized in a majority (78%) of classrooms. Teachers did not maximize instructional time in 71% of the classrooms.
• T4S observation data showed all students were not actively engaged in learning. Data showed that only 46% of the students were at the required 85 percent engagement level.
