Case Studies: Overview | Columbus | Toledo
In peer assistance and review (PAR) programs, teachers assume responsibility for the observation of their colleagues through a district-wide peer review process. PAR provides a formula for teacher professional development and an evaluation system that identifies, remediates, and, if necessary, dismisses those who show little aptitude for the classroom. Most PAR programs have two components:
- Intern. This program is usually mandatory for all newly hired teachers in the district, even if they have had experience in other school systems. After the first year, the consulting teacher recommends whether the intern should be offered a teaching contract.
- Intervention. Experienced teachers who are struggling with classroom instruction are also provided additional assistance. At the close of the remediation process, the consulting teachers will recommend whether the intervention teacher should remain in the classroom or be dismissed.
Individual case study pages offer examples of how these components have been implemented.
School systems rarely provide sufficient support for ongoing teacher development, and the support they do offer tends to come in the form of one-time professional development sessions that do not usually take into account specific school contexts or individual teacher needs. Further, evaluation processes seldom provide the kind of feedback teachers need to grow professionally or the accountability necessary to ensure that ineffective teachers who fail to make acceptable progress are removed from the classroom.
A peer assistance and review program can overcome these shortcomings of the current system and provide the following benefits:
- Professional development and support. PAR helps teachers build the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the classroom. The primary purpose of these systems is to improve instructional practice.
- Teacher retention. Research has shown that teachers are more likely to stay in the classroom when they receive strong supports.
- Accurate evaluation. Because teachers are the ones conducting evaluations in PAR programs, it is more likely that the observer will be knowledgeable about the content area and be able to provide constructive assistance. Additionally, PAR includes multiple observations, which ensures that teachers have sufficient time and support to improve practice.
- Fair and timely dismissal of ineffective teachers. PAR programs provide a way to dismiss ineffective teachers, while still protecting due process rights.
Policy makers interested in implementing PAR will need to think about how the program should be adapted to fit the culture and practice of their specific locale. The recommendations below are drawn from existing research and offer guidance for union and district leaders looking to implement these reforms. For additional resources, see the websites and tools section.
- Establish collaborative labor-management relations. Adopting PAR requires a change in the nature of traditional labor management relations. Members of both union and management serve on a joint governing board that monitors and evaluates program effectiveness. During negotiations, representatives from both constituencies need to determine how much detail should be specified in the local contract and what can be left to the PAR panel. See the Professional Unionism page for more information on developing collaborative labor-management relations.
- Create explicit standards and processes for referral, evaluation, and support. To build trust in the system, PAR programs must create and invest teachers in clear performance standards that they believe accurately measure their effectiveness. Further, the processes used for referring teachers to the program and evaluating their performance must be made explicit. These same performance standards should also serve as the basis of feedback and support received throughout the year. See the Teacher Evaluation page for more information on creating standards and rubrics for evaluation.
- Rigorously select and train consulting teachers. The effectiveness of a PAR program depends in large part on the effectiveness of its consulting teachers. Consulting teachers must demonstrate classroom success as well as strong communication and interpersonal skills. They should also be provided with ongoing training and support to ensure that they excel in their work with teachers.
- Provide sufficient support. Since the ultimate goal of PAR programs is to improve instructional practice, consulting teachers must be provided with sufficient time throughout the year to observe and work with new and struggling teachers. This means that districts should be careful to ensure that consultants have a manageable caseload and sufficient resources.
- Design a fair process for dismissal. As discussed in the previous recommendation, teachers must be provided with multiple observations and conversations over the course of the year to ensure that they have been offered the assistance they need to increase their effectiveness. For those teachers that fail to improve, PAR programs must design a fair process for dismissal that requires support of both union and management and protects teachers' due process rights.
To see how these recommendations have been implemented by various districts, refer to the case study pages.
- 2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook
The National Council on Teacher Quality documents the policies of all fifty states as they relate to three areas of teacher quality - identifying effective teaching, retaining effective teachers, and exiting ineffective teachers. These online reports provide valuable information on the systems each state has in place to evaluate teachers. The authors found that most states (1) grant teachers tenure without considering whether they are effective, (2) are not doing enough to help districts identify effective teachers, and (3) are complicit in keeping ineffective teachers in the classroom. - Exploring Teacher Peer Review
(Phillip Escamilla, Theresa Clarke, and Dane Linn, National Governors Association, January 12, 2000)
This Issues Brief by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices provides district leaders with a general overview of PAR. It examines the history of peer review programs and union relationships, the need for a peer review system, and its role in improving teacher quality. The brief also highlights PAR initiatives in California, Columbus, Toledo, and Chicago. - Peer Assistance and Review for New Teachers: Taking Charge of Our Profession
This brief written by the American Federation of Teachers discusses the benefits of a PAR program, includes a short overview and contact information for existing programs, and highlights the results from a 2008 survey of AFT membership. Of those surveyed, 83% believe that quality teaching should be a top union and management priority, 62% would rather be evaluated by qualified teachers than by administrators, and 72% had a positive reaction about the use of PAR for evaluating and mentoring new teachers. - Peer Assistance and Review: Working Models Across the Country
(California State University Institute for Education Reform, March 2000)
The California State University Institute for Education Reform prepared a report based on input from several districts - of various sizes - currently implementing PAR programs across the country. Districts featured included Columbus, Toledo, Rochester, and Poway. The report summarizes key program elements, provides districts with informative commentary from key players in the field, and concludes with three key points for districts to keep in mind: (1) developing and implementing an effective program will require patience, (2) getting it right the first time is not as important as committing to working hard to modify and improve the system, and (3) the starting point is focusing on helping children by improving the quality of instruction. - The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness
(Daniel Weisberg, et al., The New Teacher Project, 2009)
The New Teacher Project report studies teacher evaluation and dismissal in four states and 12 diverse districts, ranging from 4,000 to 400,000 students in enrollment. The authors found significant shortcomings in the current evaluation systems which rated virtually all teachers good or great, failed to recognize excellence or address poor performance, and neglected to provide sufficient professional development, particularly for novice teachers. The report closes by recommending that districts (1) adopt a comprehensive performance evaluation system, (2) train administrators and other evaluators, (3) integrate the performance evaluation system with human capital policies, and (4) address consistently ineffective teaching through lower stakes dismissal policies that are fair and efficient. Read the Executive Summary or see the website for more detail.
The following resources contain additional ideas and information about peer assistance and review (PAR) programs. These tools review characteristics of successful programs, issues that should be considered before beginning a PAR program, and first steps for those interested in developing a PAR program in their district.
- The Peer Assistance & Peer Review: An AFT/NEA Handbook assists American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA) affiliates interested in developing peer assistance and/or peer assistance and review programs in their local sites. It lays out five areas for districts to consider - the purpose of the program, the governing board, the participating teachers, the consulting teachers, and funding - and contains extensive materials designed to help policy makers brainstorm, develop, and implement a PAR program.
- The American Federation of Teachers provides a basic overview of PAR in its "Hot Topics" section. This section explains the benefits of PAR, discusses the necessary characteristics of an effective program, analyzes survey results from AFT members on PAR, provides examples from the field and lists steps for getting started.
- Peer Assistance: A Background Paper, adapted from materials by the National Education Association, serves as a frequently asked questions document on peer assistance, one of the two main components of a PAR program. Some of the key questions it answers include: What is peer assistance? What makes peer assistance successful? Who gets assisted? How should peer programs operate?
- How to Plan and Implement a Peer Coaching Program
(Pam Robbins, ASCD, 1991)
This book serves as a guide to districts looking to implement a peer coaching program. It defines peer coaching, outlines strategies for observation and data-collection, and establishes guidelines for designing a site-based system. Finally, it recommends three phases to help districts develop a peer coaching program: (1) mobilization - creating awareness and building commitment; (2) implementation - providing training and ongoing support, and monitoring progress; and (3) institutionalization - making coaching part of the culture. - Teacher Peer Assistance and Review: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Administrators
(Lorin Anderson and Leonard Pellicer, Corwin Press, 2001)
This book provides educators and administrators with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in peer assistance and review within the context of teacher evaluation, describing how to develop and implement an effective teacher peer assistance and review program. The book offers the following: components of successful peer assistance and review programs; 10 essential questions to ask before beginning; criteria, standards, and data; key players and their roles, relationships, and responsibilities; reporting and using the results; and best practices from accomplished programs. - The Marginal Teacher: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fair Procedures for Identification and Dismissal, 3rd ed.
(Edward Lawrence, Corwin Press, 2005)
This third edition of The Marginal Teacher offers timely solutions for successfully dealing with marginal teachers. Lawrence illustrates the proper actions that principals should integrate into the evaluation processes to successfully gather documentation to help improve or terminate an ineffective teacher. The book also includes a CD-ROM with tools and resources to help streamline the evaluation process, including customizable forms, checklists, calendars, and teacher dismissal documentation. - The Peer Assistance and Review Reader
(Gary Bloom and Jennifer Goldstein, eds., New Teacher Center, 2000)
The Peer Assistance and Revew Reader includes 26 articles and appendices written by academics, practitioners, principals, teachers, consulting teachers, and superintendents with expertise and experience in PAR programs. The articles in the PAR Reader represent a variety of perspectives and stakeholders. They discuss the following issues, among others: What is the rationale and history of PAR? Can an evaluator be a mentor? How will PAR impact site principals? How are existing PAR programs designed? What makes for a well prepared consulting teacher? Where are the minefields?