The current 30-year-old teacher and principal evaluation system is antiquated and must be rebuilt. Our educators need a modern-day roadmap that defines expected high standards and provides professional development opportunities to get there. An improved evaluation system will ensure every child has a high-quality teacher in their classroom.

Last year the Legislature passed a comprehensive reform plan to ensure a quality teacher in every classroom that has only just begun.

Collaborative reform has been put in motion with teachers, administrators and school boards developing new performance criteria and an evaluation system that is more tightly focused on student growth and achievement. The teacher evaluation plan must include:

• centering instruction on high expectations for student achievement;

• demonstrating effective teaching practices;

• recognizing individual student needs and developing strategies to address those needs;

• providing clear and intentional focus on subject matter content and curriculum;

• fostering and managing a safe, positive learning environment;

• using multiple student data elements to modify instruction and improve student learning;

• communicating and collaborating with parents and community; and

• exhibiting collaborative and collegial practices focused on improving instructional practice and student learning.

While the principal evaluation plan must include among other things:

• creating a school culture that promotes ongoing improvement of teaching for students and staff;

• commitment to closing the achievement gap;

• a data-driven plan for increasing student achievement;

• monitoring, assisting and evaluating effective instruction and assessment; and

• partnering with school and community to promote student learning.

There are eight separate districts and one consortium consisting of eight districts participating in a pilot project which will create a fair, non-biased evaluation system. These pilots will produce a report to the Legislature by July 1, and every district must have at least a four-tier system starting in 2013.

Some districts have already transitioned to a multi-tier evaluation system developed locally, but most are still limited to the binary “satisfactory/not satisfactory” rating.

The Anacortes School District is leading the way in pilot project development with the ultimate goal of creating comprehensive, systems-linked evaluation models for both principals and teachers. This will include a four-tiered rating system, meet the eight new criteria, use student assessment and multiple measures where applicable, and will improve instruction and student learning.

Anacortes has been collaborating with district staff, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, Washington Education Association and the Association Washington School Principals to design a roadmap.

When implemented statewide, a new system will move beyond this pass/fail approach to include more detailed, data-based evaluation, supporting the most effective teachers, identify those that need support and those that should be subject to termination.

Overall teacher effectiveness should be a determining factor regarding layoff, but only after we develop an updated statewide evaluation system. Working together on the efforts under way will ensure every child has a high-quality teacher in the classroom.

Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, is chair of the Senate Early Learning & K–12 Education Committee.