Evaluating ALL Teachers of English Learners and Students With Disabilities
Supporting Great Teaching
- Diane Staehr Fenner - SupportEd
- Peter Kozik
- Ayanna Cooper
Foreword by Melanie Hobbs and Giselle Lundy-Ponce
Teacher evaluation can be a valuable tool for evaluators and teachers alike. But it should never be used in a “one-size-fits-all” manner, especially when evaluating all teachers who work with the nation’s growing numbers of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities.
Just as these diverse students’ needs require nuanced teaching methods, the evaluations of all teachers who work with these students require unique considerations. Such considerations are precisely what you’ll learn in this comprehensive, action-oriented book. Drawing on a focused array of authoritative research on supporting the success of ELs and students with disabilities, case studies, and action plans, the authors detail
- Four principles for inclusive teacher evaluation of diverse learners that are compatible with the Danielson and Marzano frameworks
- Sample specialized “look-fors” that evaluators can use and adapt to recognize effective teaching of ELs and students with disabilities
- Strategies for coaching teachers of ELs and students with disabilities who need more support reaching these learners
Teaching ELs and students with disabilities can be one of the most challenging experiences in an educator’s career, and also one of the most rewarding if educators have the tools they need. With this book, the first of its kind, your school can become a leader in the field by taking part in conversations that center on equitable teaching of diverse learners as well as valid evaluation of those who serve them in classrooms.
“Staehr Fenner, Kozik, and Cooper provide a framework for rich instructional conversations that moves teacher evaluation from the blame game to a collaborative and informative process that empowers teaching effectiveness and student learning.”
—Spencer Salend, Emeritus Professor of Educational Studies
State University of New York at New Paltz
“In this book, the authors successfully outline an objective assessment framework that builds educators’ individual and collective capacity to improve their practice, not only with ELs but with all their students. A must-read for teachers and evaluators alike.”
—Rosa Aronson, Executive Director
TESOL International Association
"The four principles for inclusive teacher evaluation discussed in this book complement the systems used by many states and extend that work to support inclusive systems for students and teachers. As we know in working with historically marginalized students, such as those who are ELL and have extensive learning needs, separate is not equal. By illustrating how teacher evaluation systems may be more inclusive, this book begins an important conversation about creating, supporting, and sustaining inclusive programs where all students are successful. The look fors and practical questions for evaluating the four principals are a great step forward in inclusive systems."
"This book is an invaluable resource that addresses a critical, national issue facing teacher evaluation systems as teachers and their evaluators grapple with determining how the standards of teaching practice - what teachers should know and be able to do- apply to general education classrooms with English Language learners and students with disabilities. The authors' four fundamental principles undergird a thoughtful, informative process supported by research, practitioners' voices, and common sense strategies to assess and enhance teacher effectiveness. This book provides a real service to teachers and evaluators by making the complexities of teacher evaluation a meaningful experience with profound benefit, not only for educators, but all students and the schools in which they are enrolled."
"With Evaluating ALL Teachers of English Learners and Students with Disabilities, Diane Staehr Fenner, Peter Kozik, and Ayanna Cooper not only offer a critical contribution to the professional literature, but much needed practical guidelines for educators in the field as well. Kudos to this team for addressing equity in teacher evaluation in such a powerful way!"
"This is an excellent resource for educators and evaluators who want to ensure that teacher evaluation systems more fully incorporate best practices for educating English language learners and students with disabilities."
"At a time when there is still so much confusion about what ‘evaluation’ means for teachers of English learners and students with disabilities, Staehr Fenner, Kozik and Cooper provide a practical and useful look at resources not only to evaluate teachers but to guide and develop their instruction. Staehr Fenner, Kozik and Cooper offer a meaningful framework for organizing and implementing teacher evaluation systems as well."
