Evaluation data shows virtually zero educators in Michigan are ineffective

Because of changes made last year by the Michigan legislature, school districts in the Wolverine State will negotiate over more terms with teachers unions in the coming year as contracts set under the previous rules expire.

One of those changes includes how teachers are evaluated, but the current evaluation system in Michigan may be riddled with inaccuracy. According to the state’s educator effectiveness data, virtually zero teachers were rated ineffective in the 2022-23 school year.

According to MI School Data, the state’s official source of education information compiled by the Center for Educational Performance and Information, 46,130 teachers were deemed highly effective (41%), and 63,398 received an effective rating (57%).

Only 1,547 teachers (1%) received a minimally effective grade, and 197 teachers (0%) were classified as ineffective.

The data show the trend has held constant for the last 10 years, with most educators receiving ratings of effective or more. The percentage of teachers receiving the designation increased slightly after the COVID-19 pandemic when teacher effectiveness significantly dropped.

- Advertisement -

At the same time, standardized test scores show that Michigan’s public school students performed worse despite rising educator effectiveness ratings. The National Assessment for Educational Progress found the average Michigan student’s test scores were lower than in 2019, and fewer students scored at a basic level or higher than three years earlier.

Teacher evaluations are currently tied to student academic achievement based on standardized test scores.

“Legislation requires that student growth and assessment data must account for 40% of the annual year-end educator evaluation,” the Michigan Department of Education website reads.

“For teachers of grades and content areas measured by state assessment with student growth data available for use, 50% of the student growth portion of evaluations (20% of the total evaluation) must be determined by state assessment student growth data,” the MDE website continues.

But as of next school year, the exact approach will look different for every district and assessments will hold less weight in determining teacher performance. The terms used to describe teachers will also change.

“Beginning July 1, 2024, the performance evaluation system must assign a rating to each teacher of effective, developing, or needing support based on the teacher’s year-end evaluation described in this subsection,” the law reads.

- Advertisement -

Michigan school districts will negotiate the specific student growth, test score data or learning objectives metrics used with teachers’ unions, but “20% of the year-end evaluation must be based on student growth and assessment data or student learning objectives metrics.”

In Detroit, more employees were investigated by the school district’s office of the inspector general than educators who received an ineffective rating.

In the 2023 fiscal year, the Detroit Public Schools Community District referred 186 employees for administrative discipline. The district’s inspector general does not track cases using type of employment.

According to MI School Data, 25 teachers in Detroit were ineffective, and 127 were minimally effective during the 2022-23 school year.

As Chalkboard reported recently, teachers’ union leaders and other experts have lauded the changes to the evaluation process, saying student testing does not performance is not an indicator of a teachers’ performance.

Critics of the changes argue that it will allow ineffective teachers to remain in schools longer.

Hot this week

African and Caribbean Nations Call for Reparations for Slave Trade, Propose Global Fund

Nations across Africa and the Caribbean, deeply impacted by...

Sports betting expert offers advice on paying taxes for gambling winnings

(The Center Square) – Tax season is underway, and...

Health care company agrees to pay $22.5 million to settle claims of over billing

A health care company agreed to pay nearly $22.5...

Entertainment district benefits don’t outweigh the cost, economists say

(The Center Square) — Weeks later, after more details...

Business association ‘disappointed’ by WA L&I’s proposed workers comp rate hike

(The Center Square) – The Association of Washington Business...

Fish passage project in Olympic Peninsula not impacted by federal funding freeze

(The Center Square) – So far, federal funding remains...

Poll: Consumer sentiment highest since 2019 Trump administration

(The Center Square) – Inflation, 2.9% in the final...

Illinois quick hits: Illinois joins lawsuit agsinst Trump’s spending cuts

Illinois is among 22 states suing the Trump administration...

Nuclear recycling aims to reduce waste, provide ‘generational jobs’

(The Center Square) − A growing number of energy...

Trump signs order forcing agencies to work with DOGE

Billionaire Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump in the...

WA senator insists controversial remarks on parents’ rights taken out of context

(The Center Square) – Washington State Senate Majority Leader...

Lee’s $59.5B budget inlcudes $3.9B in new spending

(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is...

More like this
Related

Fish passage project in Olympic Peninsula not impacted by federal funding freeze

(The Center Square) – So far, federal funding remains...

Poll: Consumer sentiment highest since 2019 Trump administration

(The Center Square) – Inflation, 2.9% in the final...

Illinois quick hits: Illinois joins lawsuit agsinst Trump’s spending cuts

Illinois is among 22 states suing the Trump administration...