With increasing interest in student-driven classroom evaluation, more schools consider student evaluations of teachers viable. However, focus should also be on the potential effects of students evaluating the entirety of the learning experience and education system.
Opportunities for Meaningful Student Involvement
Engaging students in evaluating classes and schools; teacher performance and efficacy; and self-performance and learning can be the keys to truly transforming learning, teaching and leadership. When done in concert with educators’ self-evaluation and peer evaluations among educators, there is a perfect space formed. This can include student-led parent-teacher conferences, student assessments of classrooms and curricula, as well as other approaches.
There are examples from around the world.
- LEXINGTON, MASS: Students at Lexington High School wanted to share their feedback with teachers. However, unable to find a school sanctioned way to do that, they created their own club and process. Approaching the process as allies to teachers, these students devised their own evaluations and volunteered their evaluative services to teachers.
- BOSTON: In 2010, the Boston School Committee passed the Boston Student Advisory Council‘s “Student to Teacher Constructive Feedback Policy” mandating that all high school teachers administer the “Friendly Feedback Form” in their classrooms. Every full time high school teacher administers the constructive feedback survey at least once per year. The initial implementation will be piloted using the paper survey that allows for anonymous completion. A professional development workshop was offered fall to provide school leaders with more information about the tool.
SoundOut Education Consulting 