PGES: basics of a new approach to teacher growth and evaluation.

With a new school year beginning, many Kentucky schools will be participating in deeper field tests of a new Professional Growth and Evaluation System for teachers, often called PGES.

That system is being designed on a multi-year timetable that has already included:

• Sustained involvement from 54 districts providing ideas, feedback, and field-testing work.
• Guidance from the Teacher Effectiveness Steering Committee, with a parallel group steering work on principal effectiveness. (Cindy Heine and I represent the Prichard Committee at the teacher meetings.)
• Creation of "framework documents" identifying the overall description of the qualities to be sought and developed in all teachers and principals.
• 2011-12 field tests of some of the multiple measures that will be used to determine where individual educators stand and how they can further develop their skills.

The major next steps in the process will include:

• 2012-13 field-testing of all of the multiple measures.
• 2013-14 statewide piloting of the new system
• 2014-15 statewide implement of the new system.

Kentucky is doing this work for multiple reasons:

• Because it allows Kentucky to qualify for $17 million in Race to the Top funding.
• Because it allows Kentucky to qualify for flexibility under No Child Left Behind.
• Because the new Unbridled Learning accountability system is designed to include data on "Next-Generation Professionals"
• Most of all, because it's the right work to strengthen our students by strengthening the educators who guide their learning.