After almost two years working on teacher evaluation Delaware is asking for (and word is getting from the Department of Education) an extra year to wait on implementing its teacher evaluation system under Race to the Top. Illustrative on two levels:
First, despite all the rhetoric about test scores and teachers, test scores only compromise 20 percent of the Delaware evaluation system, the remainder is observational. But don’t let that stop anyone from making wild claims about how all teachers are being evaluated just based on test scores. Second, this shows just how tough Race to the Top implementation is going – even in the very best states like DE. That has big implications for the outcome of the RTT initiative, and more immediately is it going to open the gates for a flood of requests?
Update: A lot of concern about the precedent here but also concern from key DE groups about the impact there.
Gosh, I wish I would have had that information erlaeir!