Washington, D.C. -- Indiana's proposed House Bill 1002 walks away from nearly a decade of progress that the state's schools and districts have made to improve teacher quality. Indiana's current teacher evaluation system, which HB 1002 would upend, provides Indiana's teachers and educational leaders with unique information on whether teachers are successfully performing their primary job: contributing to student learning and growth.
To date, Indiana is among a majority of states (34) which formally recognize that teachers' contributions to student learning matter greatly and can differ substantially within and across schools and districts. Objective student learning measures increase the validity of formal teacher evaluations. Perhaps most importantly, these measures provide educational leaders and teachers, themselves, with critical information about how and where improvements in teacher practice are necessary to ensure that all students have equitable access to excellent teachers.
Removing the requirement to consider objective measures of student learning in teacher evaluations as proposed in HB 1002 would be a step backwards for Indiana's teachers and students.
To schedule an interview with NCTQ, please contact Nicole Gerber at (202) 393-0020 ext. 712.
About the National Council on Teacher Quality: The National Council on Teacher Quality is a nonpartisan research and policy group, committed to modernizing the teaching profession and based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers. We recognize that it is not teachers who bear responsibility for their profession's many challenges, but the institutions with the greatest authority and influence over teachers. More information about NCTQ can be found on our website, www.nctq.org.