Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policy
The data and analysis on this page is from 2019. View and download the most recent policy data and analysis on Measures of Student Growth in Oregon from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Impact of Student Growth: Oregon requires all teacher evaluation systems to be "based on significant consideration of student learning." Each teacher must set two student learning and growth (SLG) goals. Use of statewide assessments as a measure of SLG goals is no longer required; it is optional. Regardless of grade and subject taught, all evidence is allowed from the following measures, which are designated as Category 2 measures: commercially developed assessments that include pre- and post-measures; locally developed assessments that include pre- and post-measures; results from proficiency-based assessment systems; and locally developed collections of evidence (i.e., portfolios of student work that include multiple types of performance).
Oregon does not require teachers to meet student growth goals or be rated at least effective for the student growth portion of their evaluation to earn an overall rating of effective.
State's Role in Evaluation System: Oregon requires its districts to formulate their own evaluation instruments based on performance standards and performance goals established by the districts.
Require instructional effectiveness to be a determinative criterion of any teacher evaluation.
Although Oregon requires that objective evidence of student growth be included in a teacher's evaluation rating, it does not play a profound role in a teacher's overall evaluation rating. Oregon should ensure that a teacher is not able to earn an overall rating of effective if he or she is rated less-than-effective at increasing student growth.
Oregon was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts that enhanced this analysis. The state added that teachers are now allowed to have one goal that is academically focused; the other can be academic or based on other student data. Also, Oregon reinforced that it no longer requires districts to use the matrix. "Districts may develop their own system for determining [an overall] rating for an educator's evaluation, but must consider multiple measures, including the collaboratively developed SLGs."
7A: Measures of Student Growth
Many factors should be considered in formally evaluating a teacher; however, nothing is more important than effectiveness in the classroom. Value-added models are an important tool for measuring student achievement and school effectiveness.[1] These models have the ability to measure individual students' learning gains, controlling for students' previous knowledge and background characteristics. While some research suggests value-added models are subject to bias and statistical limitations,[2] rich data and strong controls can eliminate error and bias.[3] In the area of teacher quality, examining student growth offers a fairer and potentially more meaningful way to evaluate a teacher's effectiveness than other methods schools use.
Unfortunately, districts have used many evaluation instruments, including some mandated by states, which are structured so that teachers can earn a satisfactory rating without any evidence that they are sufficiently advancing student learning in the classroom.[4] Teacher evaluation instruments should include factors that combine both human judgment and objective measures of student learning.[5]