Frequency of Evaluations : Illinois

Analysis of Illinois's policies

Regrettably, Illinois does not ensure that all teachers are evaluated annually.

Nonprobationary teachers are evaluated once every two years. Those rated as either "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory" must be evaluated at least once during the following school year. New teachers in Illinois must be evaluated annually. However, the state does not articulate when the evaluation must occur. 

Citation

Performance Evaluation Reform Act http://www.isbe.state.il.us/PEAC/pdf/PA096-0861_SB315.pdf

Recommendations for Illinois

Require annual formal evaluations for all teachers.
All teachers in Illinois should be evaluated annually. Rather than treated as mere formalities, these teacher evaluations should serve as important tools for rewarding good teachers, helping average teachers improve and holding weak teachers accountable for poor performance.  

Base evaluations on multiple observations.
To guarantee that annual evaluations are based on an adequate collection of information, Illinois should require multiple observations for all teachers, even those who have nonprobationary status. 

Ensure that new teachers are observed and receive feedback early in the school year.
It is critical that schools and districts closely monitor the performance of new teachers. Illinois should ensure that its new teachers get the support they need and that supervisors know early on which new teachers may be struggling or at risk for unacceptable levels of performance.

State response to our analysis

Illinois recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.