Teaching Practice Accountability

During the Global Observation (for Baltimore and DC), Comprehensive Observation (for Dallas), and Independent Observations, coaches will enter ratings into Whetstone, the online coaching platform, on the discrete set of indicators that comprise the Accountable Teaching Practices (ATPs). Participants can access their coach ratings on their teaching practice through the online coaching platform within a few hours of when an observation has been rated and shared. At the end of the fall semester, Urban Teachers provides a performance report to participants with the ATP ratings and overall observation score for the Mid-Year Global/Comprehensive report. Participants’ mid-year performance reports are also sent to principals to inform them about participants’ progress during the semester. Urban Teachers expects all participants to take responsibility for monitoring their own progress throughout the year by accessing their ratings on the Teacher Practice Rubric (TPR) posted within Whetstone.

At the end of the spring semester, as per the coaching treatment, Urban Teachers averages the ratings from the final Global Observation or Comprehensive Observation with the ratings from an Independent Observation to generate an overall score and shares this information in a performance report. The overall score is compared to the end-of-year expectation for that program year. Participants who do not meet this end-of-year program expectation will be eligible for dismissal, pending a panel review.

In Dallas, per TEA requirements, Urban Teachers provides principals with a copy of each participant’s Comprehensive Observation data. Principals must provide recommendations to Urban Teachers regarding each participant’s eligibility to continue in the Urban Teachers program.