The Iowa Department of Education Teaching Standards and Teacher Evaluation Task Force was created to recommend ways to improve the Iowa teaching standards and evaluations of the state’s teachers.
Among the recommendations:
•Revise the current Iowa Teaching Standards to align pre-service with PK-12 teaching, to be based on best practice and nationally accepted standards, and to address knowledge, skill, performance, and dispositions.
•Develop an improved teacher evaluation system to replace the existing evaluation system for teachers. Include a researched-based rubric that differentiates each level of teaching performance and ensures a consistent implementation statewide. Make training and professional development an integral component of the system.
•The Iowa Legislature will require a work group to identify standards and create an improved teacher evaluation system to be implemented with fidelity statewide in an effort to create effective teachers as part of a system of development.
The Teaching Standards and Teacher Evaluation Task Force concluded that it is time to revise Iowa's teaching standards and, even more important, put an improved evaluation system in place that allows teachers to clearly understand their path for growth and development. Such a system must be implemented in a reliable manner by trained evaluators who are accountable for fair implementation. Finally, it is crucial that teacher development is supported by all facets and levels of the system, from the candidate in a teacher preparation program to each classroom teacher's performance. The entire task force report can be found on the Iowa Department of Education website.
