Educators believe in high standards and meaningful evaluation
Meaningful teacher evaluation involves an accurate appraisal of the effectiveness of teaching, its strengths and areas for development, followed by feedback and conversations, coaching, support and opportunities for professional learning. The WEA continues to work to ensure the state-wide teacher and principal evaluation system reflects this perspective.
Our TPEP mission statement The over-arching objective of teacher evaluation is to ensure that an authentic process contributes to the improvement and enhancement of teacher practice resulting in improved student learning. Good evaluation provides both formative and summative feedback and the feedback is used primarily for growth. It makes sense that improving the efficiency and quality of schooling depends, in large measure, on ensuring that teachers are highly skilled, well resourced, well supported.
TPEP should reflect educator values and practice
WEA members believe our evaluation system should:
How WEA is involved with TPEPWEA has been involved in TPEP from the very beginning and remains involved in the development, refinement and implementation of TPEP as demonstrated by the following:
Professional Learning – WEA TPEP courses available
TPEP history and changes to the evaluation systemThe Washington State Legislature passed ESSB 5895 in 2012, moving us away from the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system to a four-tiered system. It includes eight new criteria, the choice of three instructional frameworks and a provision for student growth.
Previous Evaluation System
New TPEP Evaluation System
Two level rating system
Four level rating system
Seven criteria
Eight new criteria
No state instructional frameworks
Three approved instructional frameworks
No student growth
Student growth
Continuing contract after two years
Continuing contract after three years
Long form of evaluation
Comprehensive evaluation
Professional growth option (locally decided)
Focused evaluation (attached to one of the eight criteria)
No reporting to the state (OSPI)
Report to state number of staff at each rating scale
New TPEP certification renewal requirementThe legislature has added a new regulation to the continuing and professional certification requirements that includes continuing education or training on the new teacher and principal evaluation system. Learn more about how you can meet this requirement.
For more informationPlease email Scott Poirier if you have questions, need more information or would like additional clarification about the TPEP system.
Our TPEP mission statement The over-arching objective of teacher evaluation is to ensure that an authentic process contributes to the improvement and enhancement of teacher practice resulting in improved student learning. Good evaluation provides both formative and summative feedback and the feedback is used primarily for growth. It makes sense that improving the efficiency and quality of schooling depends, in large measure, on ensuring that teachers are highly skilled, well resourced, well supported.
TPEP should reflect educator values and practice
WEA members believe our evaluation system should:
- Hold teachers and principals accountable to high standards
- Have the faith, confidence and support of the teachers who are being evaluated
- Measure student growth over time by using multiple measures determined locally
- Use reliable, valid assessments to measure student growth in ways that help both teachers and students
- Provide school districts flexibility to meet student and teacher needs
- Provide the support, feedback and resources teachers need to strengthen their teaching
- Encourage and value collaboration among teachers, administrators and their local communities
- Emphasize the success of students and teachers rather than focusing on failure
- Exist within a K-12 school system that is fully funded by the state as required by the state Constitution and the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision
How WEA is involved with TPEPWEA has been involved in TPEP from the very beginning and remains involved in the development, refinement and implementation of TPEP as demonstrated by the following:
- Legislation: The WEA was influential with the crafting of new legislation (ESSB 6696 & ESSB 5895) that included changes to teacher and principal evaluation. Elements related to new evaluation criteria, new differentiated four tier rating scales and the architecture around a comprehensive teacher and principal evaluation pilot were some of the enhancements. In addition, the WEA was instrumental in keeping out mandated use of state-wide assessment data and using 50% of the state test scores to determine the quality of a teacher.
- Evaluation pilot: The WEA helped in designing a state-wide pilot that brought local association leaders together with district level administrators to focus on good evaluation techniques and practice. The WEA receives calls for support every week to help with the local evaluation process.
- Professional Learning: The WEA helps locals across the state to construct effective evaluation systems for districts and provides professional learning opportunities for our members. TPEP 101, writing student growth goals, evidence and artifacts, formative assessment strategies, are some of our member designed trainings. The WEA has engaged with more than 13,000 members in trainings over the past three years.
- Evaluation Toolkit: The WEA created a teacher evaluation toolkit and provides it free to any local in the state that wants a copy. The toolkit contains over 200 resources including videos, research, instructional frameworks, rubrics, crosswalks, PowerPoint presentations, and process templates.
- State Steering Committee: The WEA participated collaboratively with AWSP, WASA, WSSDA, PTSA, and OSPI on the state steering committee and continues to positively refine the evaluation system.
- State Student Growth Task Force: The WEA participated on the state student growth task force to help design how student growth data can be used in a teacher and principal evaluation system. The WEA secured national speakers like Linda Darling-Hammond to help inform the task force on critical issues related to measures and evidence in evaluation systems.
- State Perception Survey Task Force: The WEA participated on the state perception survey task force to help design how perception survey data can be used in a teacher and principal evaluation system and not as a qualitative data point.
- State Professional Development Task Force: The WEA participated on the state professional development task force to help design professional development and support around a comprehensive teacher and principal evaluation system.
- Online Teacher and Principal Evaluation System: The WEA has been involved in designing, developing, and implementing an online teacher and principal evaluation system. The system, called eVAL, provides opportunities for goal setting, conferencing, observations, threaded discussions, self-assessments, artifacts, reflective practice, rubric scoring, formative and summative reports, and even a module that initiates inter-rater reliability and scoring calibration. The system is voluntary, free, and secure.
Professional Learning – WEA TPEP courses available
- TPEP 101 – This 3-hour course is an introduction to the TPEP system, scoring process, instructional frameworks, and timelines related evaluation.
- How to Collect and Present Evidence and Artifacts – This 3-hour course is aimed at helping you understand the evidence and artifacts needed to support and maintain proficiency through the evaluation process.
- Writing Student Growth Goals – This 3-hour course covers the 4-tiered evaluation process, focusing on writing and implementing effective Student Growth Goals.
- Formative Assessment – This 3-hour course will help you understand formative assessment practices and how they are related and enhance the TPEP evaluation system.
TPEP history and changes to the evaluation systemThe Washington State Legislature passed ESSB 5895 in 2012, moving us away from the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system to a four-tiered system. It includes eight new criteria, the choice of three instructional frameworks and a provision for student growth.
Previous Evaluation System
New TPEP Evaluation System
Two level rating system
Four level rating system
Seven criteria
Eight new criteria
No state instructional frameworks
Three approved instructional frameworks
No student growth
Student growth
Continuing contract after two years
Continuing contract after three years
Long form of evaluation
Comprehensive evaluation
Professional growth option (locally decided)
Focused evaluation (attached to one of the eight criteria)
No reporting to the state (OSPI)
Report to state number of staff at each rating scale
New TPEP certification renewal requirementThe legislature has added a new regulation to the continuing and professional certification requirements that includes continuing education or training on the new teacher and principal evaluation system. Learn more about how you can meet this requirement.
For more informationPlease email Scott Poirier if you have questions, need more information or would like additional clarification about the TPEP system.
