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Roughly 16 percent of New York teachers in grades four to eight are not effective instructors when judged by their students’ scores on state math or reading tests, preliminary data show.
The first-ever data compiled by the state Education Department rated 6 percent of teachers as “ineffective” — the bottom of a four-category scale — and 10 percent as “developing,” based solely on student gains or losses on this year’s exams.
The bulk of the 33,000-plus teachers statewide who were given the preliminary ratings — 77 percent — were perceived to be “effective,” while the remaining 7 percent were considered “highly effective.”
The test-based ratings, known as “growth scores,” will account for only 20 percent of a teacher’s overall evaluation.
But some districts, including New York City, have yet to reach agreements with teachers unions on which factors will make up the remaining 80 percent — so teachers here won’t get rated by a new evaluation system until next year at the earliest.
“Growth scores are just one of the multiple measures included in the new evaluation law, but they are an important tool to help principals and teachers improve,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch.
That evaluation law also prohibits the final scores from being released publicly.
Parents will be able to access the ratings of their children’s teachers in December.
New York City will lose more than $200 million in state education aid if it doesn’t reach a deal on the evaluations by mid-January.
Education and union officials said talks are ongoing.
Under the new system, teachers will face expedited firing with two years of “ineffective” ratings.