Reading the tea leaves: ESSA and the use of test scores in teacher evaluation (Kimberly Kappler Hewitt, Brookings)

Since the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was penned into law in December, 2015, there has been a surge in legislative activity related to the use of student test scores in teacher evaluations. ESSA devolves the authority to determine teacher evaluations to states. Further, it prohibits the federal government from mandating the use of student growth measures (SGMs) in educator evaluations through policy levers such as No Child Left Behind waivers and Race to the Top grants. Since ESSA’s passage, legislative activity reflects several trends: postpone SGMs, reduce the percent of a teacher’s evaluation based on SGMs, and eliminate use of SGMs. Determining whether this is the beginning of the end for SGMs or just a new phase will depend on how one views the tea leaves. Let me tell you what I see...

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2016/03/21-essa-student-test-scores-teacher-evaluation-hewitt