Unsatisfactory Evaluations: Washington

Exiting Ineffective Teachers Policy

Goal

The state should articulate consequences for teachers with unsatisfactory evaluations, including specifying that teachers with multiple unsatisfactory evaluations should be eligible for dismissal.

Meets goal

Suggested Citation:
National Council on Teacher Quality. (2011). Unsatisfactory Evaluations: Washington results. State Teacher Policy Database. [Data set].
Retrieved from: https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/state/WA-Unsatisfactory-Evaluations-10

Analysis of Washington's policies

Washington requires that teachers who receive an unsatisfactory evaluation be placed on probation and assigned an improvement plan. If a teacher does not improve during the period of probation, he or she can be either dismissed under "the probable cause clause" or given an "alternative assignment."

Unfortunately, Washington's effort to make unsatisfactory evaluations grounds for termination does not carry over to the state's dismissal policy (see Goal 5-C).

Citation

Recommendations for Washington

State response to our analysis

Washington recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state added that "further study regarding teacher dismissal will be ongoing through the implementation of the pilot in 2011-12 and in state-wide implementation in 2013-14."

Dismissal for Poor Performance

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Delivering Well Prepared Teachers

Expanding the Pool of Teachers

Identifying Effective Teachers

Retaining Effective Teachers

Exiting Ineffective Teachers

Research rationale

To review the process and types of personnel evaluations observed in other job sectors, including the problems inherent to some evaluation systems see, for example, Gliddon, David (October 2004). Effective Performance Management Systems, Current Criticisms and New Ideas for Employee Evaluation in Performance Improvement 43(9), 27-36.

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