Board Of Education Members Questioning Teacher Evaluation System

Indiana Board of Education members are questioning the state’s teacher evaluation system after data released Tuesday shows nearly all teachers were ranked effective. 

Close to 89 percent of teachers, principals and superintendents ranked in the top two categories, "effective" and "highly effective” for the 2013-14 school year.

And in F-rated Indiana schools, only about 5 percent of teachers were rated as "ineffective" or "needs improvement." That number in particular is leading several board members to ask whether the evaluation system is tough enough.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz says she thinks the numbers are valid, despite how positive they seem, and adds that Indiana needs more highly trained teachers in low-performing schools.

"It is a major issue with me, that is my focus to be sure that we are attracting and retaining the most highly qualified and highly effective teachers that we can in all of our schools," Ritz said.

Board member B.J. Watts, a teacher himself, cautioned his colleagues not to confuse teacher effectiveness with school grades.