Teacher Evaluation

The Teacher/Principal Evaluation Pilot (TPEP) was born out of Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6696 during the 2010 legislative session. The evaluation provisions in the bill were part of a larger reform effort made during Washington’s Race to the Top application. The bill created our pilot project and moved the state from a two-tiered system of unsatisfactory to a four-tiered evaluation system. In addition to moving to a four-tiered system, the legislation created eight new criteria for teachers and principals to be evaluated upon, with common themes tying the criteria for teachers and principals together. E2SSB 6696 also created a TPEP Steering Committee made up of representatives from the following organizations:

• Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• Governor’s office
• Washington Education Association (WEA)
• Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
• Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA)
• Washington State Parent Teacher Association
• Washington State School Directors’ Association (added in May 2011, added later through ESSB 5895; WSSDA)

During the spring of 2010, more than 50 school districts applied to participate in the pilot process. Eight districts were selected and were awarded grants to begin their work. In addition to the pilot sites implementing the models they developed, OSPI expanded the reach of the TPEP program by offering Regional Implementation Grants (RIGs). The goal of the grants was to get one third of the state’s districts involved in the program in some capacity. The 70 RIG districts have spent a year learning from the work of the pilots and preparing to implement a new system based on the pilot work for the 2012-13 school year. For the 2012-13 school year, 138 more RIG districts were added, bringing the total number of RIG districts to 208.

While many states have undertaken efforts to revise their evaluation systems, Washington’s unique grassroots approach has helped develop a system of evaluation focused on professional growth and student learning. From the work of the pilot sites and the efforts of the TPEP Task Force to the TPEP Educator Forums, the input and feedback of teachers, principals, administrators, and the school community has driven the project.

Instructional Framework
Each district selected one of three instructional frameworks. Lake Stevens School District selected the Charlotte Danielson Framework. The Framework for Teaching, created by Charlotte Danielson, is a comprehensive and coherent framework that identifies those aspects of a teacher’s responsibilities that have been documented through empirical studies and theoretical research as promoting improved student learning. The Framework for Teaching is a validated” instrument; that is, studies have shown that teachers who receive higher ratings on their evaluation produce greater gains in student test scores. Learn more about the Danielson Framework.

For more information about TPEP, visit http://tpep-wa.org/