Ridgewood Teacher Evaluations Change Little with New Model, Report Says

Like all districts in New Jersey, Ridgewood is in a pilot year for evaluating its classroom educators. But you won't find much in the way of substantive changes, according to a report in The Ridgewood News. Not yet, anyway.

Superintendent Dan Fishbein tells the weekly paper the rigor and effectiveness of teacher evaluations hasn't changed significantly this year despite the "pilot" status.

Ridgewood dove headfirst in utilizing the "Stronge" evaluation model for the 2012-2013 school year after state law forced districts to choose from a range of models, the report stated.

Written by College of William & Mary Professor James Stronge, the model evaluates teachers on professional knowledge, instructional planning, instructional delivery, learning environment fostered, student progress based on a point rating.

"I think we did a very good job in the past with our observation, with our diligence to the process, with evaluator training to be true to the process," Fishbein told the paper. "This is structured just as our other one was. ... It's really the form that has changed."

State law will force big changes in 2013-2014, however, when student growth is heavily factored.

The TEACH-NJ Tenure Act, signed into law in August, stipulates that 50 percent of the evaluation is based on teacher practice; the remaining half will weigh student achievement measures based on a myriad of factors, some of which can be decided by the district.

Future years of teacher evaluations include how students of teachers compare to that of students in similar schools.

Principals are also now subject to evaluation in the reform act.