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Dismissal for Poor Performance: District of
Columbia

Exiting Ineffective Teachers Policy

Look at National Findings
Goal

The state should articulate that ineffective classroom performance is grounds for dismissal and ensure that the process for terminating ineffective teachers is expedient and fair to all parties.

Does not meet goal
Suggested Citation:
National Council on Teacher Quality. (2011). Dismissal for Poor Performance: District of Columbia results. State Teacher Policy Database. [Data set].
Retrieved from: https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/state/DC-Dismissal-for-Poor-Performance-10

Analysis of District of Columbia's policies

The District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) system's new IMPACT evaluation program ensures that teacher ineffectiveness is grounds for dismissal. The IMPACT guidebook specifies that individuals who receive "ineffective" ratings are "subject to separation from the school system."

In addition, teachers who are terminated have one opportunity to appeal. After receiving written notice of dismissal, the teacher may file an appeal to the Superintendent of Schools within 10 days. The time frame for the hearing, however, is not addressed.

Unfortunately, this strong policy exists only at the district level. The District of Columbia has no state-level policy governing teacher dismissal.

Citation

Recommendations for District of Columbia

Codify policies to ensure that ineffectiveness is grounds for dismissal.
While the IMPACT system implemented by DCPS and the contract between DCPS and the Washington Teachers Union represent significant policy advancements in the areas of teacher evaluation, tenure, placement and dismissal, these are in fact district-level, and not state-level, policies. The District is encouraged to codify its teacher dismissal requirements in state statute and/or regulation.

State response to our analysis

The District of Columbia recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.

    • Best practice
    • Meets goal
    • Nearly Meets goal
    • Meets goal in part
    • Meets a small part of goal
    • Does not meet goal

  • District of Columbia

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Reductions in Force
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Delivering Well Prepared Teachers
Expanding the Pool of Teachers
Identifying Effective Teachers
Retaining Effective Teachers
Exiting Ineffective Teachers
Research rationale

One of the greatest shortcomings of teacher performance appraisals has been school systems' unwillingness and inability to differentiate instructional competency. The New Teacher Project, 2009, "The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness" at http://widgeteffect.org/. 

See NCTQ, State of the States: Trends and Early Lessons on Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness Policies (2011) as well as studies by The New Teacher Project of human resource and dismissal policies in various districts at: http://www.tntp.org/.

For information on the high cost of teacher dismissals, see Steve Brill, "The Rubber Room," New Yorker, August 31, 2009 at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/31/090831fa_fact_brill.
 
Also, see Scott Reeder, "The Hidden Costs of Tenure: Why are Failing Teachers Getting a Passing Grade?" Small Newspaper Group, 2005 at:http://www.nctq.org/nctq/research/1135269736359.pdf.

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