District to support teachers and administrators through collaborative professional development based on fair and reliable teacher evaluations
SAN FRANCISCO – Calcasieu Parish School System (CPSS) in Lake Charles, LA has selected Teachscape to support the increased effectiveness of teachers and administrators in its 21 priority schools, those designated as high-need. CPSS, the fifth largest district in the state, will help educators at these schools engage in collaborative professional learning based on instructional data collected during teacher evaluations. To ensure that these evaluations are fair and reliable, 70 administrators will be trained and assessed on Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FFT).
“Evaluations are critical to improving teaching outcomes, and ultimately the achievement of our students,” said Lauren Beckham, project coordinator for The PROGRESS Project, which provides support resources for the district’s priority schools. “To make sure the evaluation process is both fair and effective, we have to ensure that observers are seeing teaching practice through a common lens using the FFT and then using the instructional data collected to personalize the professional learning process for teachers. Teachscape will be a valuable resource for us throughout this multi-faceted process.”
Teachscape will be used as part of the district’s Compass evaluation system, which is designed to provide all educators with regular, meaningful feedback on their performance, as well as professional development support aligned to educators needs to foster continuous improvement. Using the Teachscape Focus Observation Training and Assessment System, administrators will be able to conduct evaluations based on the FFT. Outcomes from evaluations will inform teachers’ ongoing professional learning that will be enriched using the comprehensive, research-based professional development resources in the Teachscape Learn Professional Learning System. This process will provide the foundation for improving teaching practice uniformly across the district’s priority schools.
CPSS joins Jefferson Parish Public School System, which is the largest school district in Louisiana, and St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, as the latest district in Louisiana to choose Teachscape to help support increased teacher effectiveness.
To learn more about Teachscape, visit www.teachscape.com.
About Teachscape
Teachscape uniquely combines innovative technology, engaging content, and expert services to develop great teachers. From its classroom observation training and technology to its powerful web-based content delivery platform, Teachscape’s award-winning products and services have been inspired by its dedication to sparking transformative change in teaching practice. Since 1999, Teachscape has worked with schools and school districts, charter networks, archdioceses, universities and state education departments to measurably and continuously improve the effectiveness of educators to produce gains in student achievement. Teachscape’s partners, including Charlotte Danielson, ETS, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanford University, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, have helped to shape its vision, its products, and its strategies. To learn more about Teachscape and its complete collection of professional development offerings, go to www.teachscape.com.
