Unsatisfactory Evaluations: Connecticut

Exiting Ineffective Teachers Policy

Goal

The state should articulate consequences for teachers with unsatisfactory evaluations, including specifying that teachers with multiple unsatisfactory evaluations should be eligible for dismissal.

Meets goal in part
Suggested Citation:
National Council on Teacher Quality. (2011). Unsatisfactory Evaluations: Connecticut results. State Teacher Policy Database. [Data set].
Retrieved from: https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/state/CT-Unsatisfactory-Evaluations-10

Analysis of Connecticut's policies

Connecticut requires local districts to place all teachers on evaluation and professional development plans. Teachers in need of "intensive supervision" or who fail to meet the district's minimal standard for performance will be given opportunities for additional training or may be referred to an outside agency that specializes in providing assistance to improve teaching.

In addition, state guidelines recommend that all steps for developing and monitoring a teacher's progress on such plans be well documented to justify a teacher's continuance or dismissal. However, the state does not address whether a certain number of unsatisfactory evaluations would make a teacher automatically eligible for dismissal.

Citation

Recommendations for Connecticut

Make eligibility for dismissal a consequence of unsatisfactory evaluations.
Teachers who receive two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations or have two unsatisfactory evaluations within five years should be formally eligible for dismissal, regardless of whether they have tenure. Connecticut should adopt a policy that ensures that teachers who receive such unsatisfactory evaluations are eligible for dismissal. 

State response to our analysis

Connecticut recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.

Research rationale

To review the process and types of personnel evaluations observed in other job sectors, including the problems inherent to some evaluation systems see, for example, Gliddon, David (October 2004). Effective Performance Management Systems, Current Criticisms and New Ideas for Employee Evaluation in Performance Improvement 43(9), 27-36.