North Carolina Educator Effectiveness System

Introduction

Teacher evaluations are intended to be meaningful tools to help teachers improve instructional practices and become better educators for their students. In North Carolina, schools are required by law to supervise and formally evaluate teachers using the North Carolina Educator Effectiveness System (NCEES). Although the law is clear about the base requirements, the finer details of supervision is reserved for the administrator, or supervisor. Providing teachers the guidance to improve their instruction to attain higher student achievement remains one of the greatest tasks for a school administrator. This summary analysis will explore the general procedures for supervising teachers, the degree the principles of adult learning are

As the newest school in its district, the high school is home to 1,327 students grades 9-12. It currently employs 84 certified staff members including teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and support staff. As with many rural counties in North Carolina, it has very little diversity in both its teacher and student populations.

Opened in 2006, the school holds the unique distinction of being the first high school built in the county in over fifty years. Since that time, its enrollment has grown from 936 to 1,327 students, of which 648 are male and 679 are female. The school currently reports 75% of students as economically challenged.

General Procedure for Supervising

However, there are general procedures that are followed regardless of each teacher’s individual needs. The first of these procedures involves expectations regarding the curriculum and its alignment with state standards. The evaluation process, both formal and informal, are valuable tools for administrators to use to ensure teachers are aligning their lessons with the state standards. The principal’s procedure for supervising this expectation for his staff is accomplished primarily through the staff’s profession learning communities (PLC). Although teachers are given the freedom of how they teach the material to fit their teaching style and students, they are still expected to follow the curriculum maps and give common assessments that are created in their PLCs. At his school, administrators are present for PLCs and act as facilitators throughout the meetings. Although formal observations are mandated by the state, he does not feel that formal observations are what makes him a good instructional supervisor. He believes that through informal observations, such as PLCs and regular classroom walkthroughs, he is better equipped to provide guidance to teachers to ensure that they are reflecting upon their classroom practices and making the necessary adjustments to allow all students to succeed. He believes an effective