Identifying Effective Teachers Policy
Commendably, Michigan has discontinued its policy of automatic tenure. The state now bases the leap in professional standing from probationary to nonprobationary status on evidence of classroom effectiveness.
Michigan's recently passed tenure legislation has increased the probationary period for new teachers to five years. The state also now articulates that a teacher has not successfully completed this probationary period unless he or she has been rated as effective or highly effective on the three most recent annual performance evaluations.
Further, teachers who are rated ineffective on three consecutive annual evaluations are dismissed.
Because Michigan's teacher evaluation ratings will be centered primarily on evidence of student learning as of the 2015-2016 school year (see Goal 3-B), basing tenure decisions on these evaluation ratings ensures that classroom effectiveness will be appropriately considered.
Michigan recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.