At last night's meeting, the Rhode Island Board of Regents approved the first-ever state standards for educator evaluation systems, according to a statement from the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). The new standard requires that evaluations provide feedback on performance, create incentives for highly effective educators, and improve the performance of or remove ineffective educators, RIDE said.

RIDE said they plan to develop evaluation system templates, which districts may adopt or modify, subject to the Commissioner’s approval. A code of professional conduct for educators was also approved at the meeting.

“By approving these new standards for evaluation systems and the Code of Professional Responsibility, the Regents have acted in the best interest of our students,” RIDE Commissioner Deborah Gist said in a statement. “I have said many times that the single most important factor in the education of our students is the effectiveness of their teachers. These new standards, which emphasize student achievement and professional growth for all educators, are a big step in our work to transform Rhode Island education.”

The Board of Regents's action seems especially timely for Portsmouth, since revamping the performance appraisal system is one of the key items in the recently approved school strategic plan.

"It's great timing for us," said Portsmouth Superintendent Susan Lusi. "The standards will be very helpful for us as we move forward with the Teacher Excellence Task Force outlined in the Strategic Plan. They give us important guidance as we work to design our new system."

As anyone who goes through evaluations in the private sector knows, the kind of 360-degree input the RIDE standards favor can be time-intensive, a point that Lusi acknowledged. "High quality systems require resources to implement well," said Lusi, but noted that for knowledge professions, "they are seen as a vital expenditure."

RIDE said they will post the standards and the code on their Web site.

Resources
Draft versions of RIDE regulations
Portsmouth school strategic plan