Professional Development: Ohio

Analysis of Ohio's policies

Ohio requires that teachers receive written reports of their evaluation results; however, the state does not specify that professional development activities must be aligned with findings from teacher evaluations. 

SB 5, which included policy that related to this goal, was repealed by referendum in November 2011.

Citation

Ohio Revised Code 3319.111

Recommendations for Ohio

Require that evaluation systems provide teachers with feedback about their performance.
Ohio requires that teachers receive written reports of their evaluation rresults; it would follow that this report would include feedback on identified strengths and areas that need improvement. The state should consider strengthening its language so as to clearly establish that the report includes more than just the teacher's ratings.

Ensure that professional development is aligned with findings from teachers' evaluations.
Professional development that is not informed by evaluation results may be of little value to teachers' professional growth and aim of increasing their effectiveness in the classroom. Ohio should ensure that districts utilize teacher evaluation results in determining professional development needs and activities.

State response to our analysis

Ohio asserted that schools and districts participating in Race to the Top (RttT) are required to annually submit professional development plans that align with school and district RttT goals. The state noted that as part of this plan, schools and districts must also provide evidence of the impact of professional learning on both participant and student outcomes. A process for submission, review and credentialing of professional development plans has been established and will be used when professional development plans are submitted to the state by October 28, 2011.

The state added that the model includes two components that address professional development and improvement of performance: growth plan and improvement plan. The growth plan is completed collaboratively between teacher and evaluator. It includes identification of areas of strength and areas for growth and specific resources and outcomes for professional development. The improvement plan identifies specific areas in the summative evaluation that are ineffective and creates a written plan to support the teacher: desired level of performance, resources, evidence of progress, timeline and professional development. 

Last word

While putting such requirements in the state's Race to the Top plan is a step in the right direction, NCTQ encourages Ohio to codify these requirements to ensure that districts provide teachers with feedback on their performance and that professional development activities aligned with the evaluation results are more than just suggestions. Further, codification of these requirements will ensure that they extend beyond the life of Ohio's Race to the Top grant.