In 2012, Pennsylvania adopted a new educator effectiveness system for teacher evaluation. When fully implemented in 2015-16 school year, the new system would rate teachers on a 0-3 scale for each of the following measures: Classroom Observation, Student Learning Objectives, Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS) score (for teachers of state-assessed eligible content), and a building-level score as measured by the School Performance Profile (SPP). Using the multiple measures listed above, all teachers would receive a composite evaluation score that falls into one of four rating categories: Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, or Distinguished.

The new system was implemented gradually, beginning in the 2013-14. Composing 15% of a teacher’s final rating, a SPP score has the potential to increase or reduce a teacher’s overall effectiveness rating. This has raised concerns about the incentive, or lack thereof, for high-quality teachers to teach at high-need, low-performing schools. This policy brief addresses these concerns within the context of the School District of Philadelphia.

Use the button to download the 2-page brief.