Most New York Teachers Rated 'Effective' Despite Poor Student Test Scores
BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Nine out of 10 New York City school teachers were rated effective or highly effective in the first year of state-mandated evaluations.
Results released by the state Education Department Tuesday show upstate teachers earning similar reviews after being evaluated for a second year.
Education leaders say it may be the evaluation system itself that needs improvement.
Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch points to the contrast between poor student performance on standardized tests and how their teachers and principals fared in evaluations.
Evaluations are based on student performance on state tests, locally approved measures and classroom observation.
Executive director of StudentsFirstNY, Jenny Sedlis, spoke with 1010 WINS and said when all teachers get good evaluations but the students are learning just at grade level, there is an issue.
"In New York State, roughly a third of our kids are reading and doing math on grade level, but every teacher is considered good or better on the evaluation system and that just doesn't compute," she said.
"Parents deserve a teacher evaluation system that's honest and that sets the bar high," Sedlis said.
The New York State United Teachers union says the system leans too heavily on Common Core-based test scores, which are unreliable because of the flawed rollout of the challenging Common Core learning standards.
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