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 Tennessee from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Impact of Student Growth: Tennessee requires, for teachers of tested grades and subjects, that 50 percent of their evaluation rating is derived from student achievement data. Of this 50 percent, 35 percent must be based on student growth measures. For teachers with individual Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) scores, the student growth measures must be comprised of TVAAS scores. The remaining 15 percent comes from other measures of student achievement.
For all teachers of non-tested grades and subjects in Tennessee, 30 percent of the evaluation score is comprised of student achievement data, with half based on achievement measures and half based on schoolwide growth.
State's Role in Evaluation System: Tennessee provides a model, the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM), but districts may develop their own systems consistent with the state framework. Tennessee approves all district-developed evaluation systems.
Due to Tennessee's strong policies in this area, no recommendations are provided.
Tennessee clarified that it provides a model, the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM), but districts may develop their own systems for the qualitative portion (observation component) of the evaluation system, consistent with the state framework. The quantitative portion of the evaluation system is consistent across all models - state or district-developed. Tennessee approves all district-developed evaluation systems. The use of student data, growth, or achievement is consistent across all models - state model or district-developed model per TCA 49-1-302 (d)(2)(B).
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]