Tennessee Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee

The Issue

Effective teachers and leaders are at the heart of boosting student achievement, and Tennessee is committed to developing an entirely new way of identifying them.  Under Tennessee's First to the Top Act, the cornerstone of the state's successful Race to the Top application, 50 percent of teacher evaluations must be based on student achievement measures - and personnel decisions must be based in part on these evaluations.  The new evaluation system differentiates effectiveness among teachers and principals, and helps educators identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.  

What We Did 

The Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee (TEAC) was created by the First to the Top Act to recommend guidelines and criteria for the new evaluation system.  Committee members included teachers, principals, legislators, business leaders and state education officials.  Education First helped the TEAC focus its work by outlining an approach that included the following elements:

  • categories of educators
  • components of the evaluation
  • guidelines around process for the evaluation
  • desired outcomes of the new evaluation
  • use of the new evaluation system as a factor in personnel decisions

Education First provided guidance and leadership to the committee's planning team, helped the state clarify the role and work of the TEAC, facilitated all meetings, coordinated research efforts, worked with the planning team and TEAC to develop the recommendations on the guidelines and criteria for the State Board of Education policy, and supported the development of a model evaluation plan. 

Recognizing that teachers in non-tested subjects and grades do not have individual scores from student growth data, Education First helped Tennessee create 12 working groups of teachers and experts from across the state to collaborate in a year-long process to design effective student growth measures.

The Outcome

 The Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee submitted a comprehensive teacher evaluation plan to the State Board of Education in April 2011 for implementation July 2011.  The 12 working groups submitted recommendations for measuring student growth in non-tested subjects to a technical advisory group in summer 2011.  Based on significant input from teachers, principals, government officials, business leaders and national experts, Tennessee's new evaluation system has enormous potential to be an effective tool in improving classroom instruction. 

Why It Matters

States across the country are developing new educator evaluation systems based on student achievement.  Tennessee's experience serves as an example of how to undergo a rigorous, collaborative process to build an effective evaluation tool.  Significant evidence indicates that among all school resources, teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement, and that teachers vary a great deal in their ability to improve student learning.  Tennessee's evaluation process allows districts and educators to determine where teachers are working effectively as well as where areas of need exist, and offers opportunities for real and meaningful support for professional growth.  Ultimately, this new system will help Tennessee better prepare students for college and careers in the 21st century.