Center Story

School of Education Faculty Members Trained on TAP Teacher Evaluation Rubric

October 20, 2011 - Faculty members of Union University’s School of Education recently completed four days of training on the TAP Teacher Evaluation Rubric. The TAP Rubric is the teacher evaluation measure selected by the Tennessee Department of Education as the qualitative evaluation tool for the new statewide Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM). The model is part of Tennessee’s First to the Top education initiative.

The statewide implementation of the TAP Rubric is based on Tennessee’s receipt of federal Race to the Top funds. The state was selected to receive such federal funds due to its proposal to modify the way in which teachers are evaluated across the state. Tennessee’s proposal will require teachers to be evaluated according to multiple measures. Specifically, 50% of the evaluation will be based on student data, of which 35% will include TVAAS data (for tested content areas). The other 50% will be based on teacher observation. The TAP rubric will serve as the evaluation instrument for the teacher observation aspect.

Union faculty members in attendance at the training watched numerous videos of teachers teaching K-12 students, as a means of learning how to effectively use the TAP Rubric. The qualitative evaluation process requires evaluators to look for, observe and record evidence of what teachers are doing in the classroom. Instruction was also provided on how to conduct pre and post evaluation meetings with teachers. After completing a mandatory test, trained faculty will be certified to use the TAP rubric. Likewise, they will have access to an online portal, which includes over 130 hours of videos and related documentation that can be used in teacher education courses.

Principals and teachers across the state have also recently been receiving such training. Union’s faculty see the training as imperative, as it will help them improve their work in preparing and enhancing the work of current and future teachers and administrators.

Dr. Dottie Myatt, Professor of Education and Assistant Dean for Teacher Education and Accreditation, attended the training. Related to the four-day learning opportunity, she said, “ In the numerous videos that we viewed and evaluated, not once did we hear reference to a state test or test-taking strategies. The focus was on student learning. The evaluation centers on standards and objectives, effective questioning and academic feedback, higher order thinking, effective grouping of students, lesson structure and pacing, thinking, and problem-solving—the same things that we have discussed that a teacher, scholar and practitioner should know and be able to do and that instructional leaders should embrace in effective teachers.”

As teachers are evaluated across the state, their level of effectiveness will be measured, recorded, and connected to their respective teacher preparation program. Such data will better inform teacher preparation programs on their level of effectiveness, while more directly informing teachers how to improve their instruction.