Karen Colaric and Susan Lee presented this process in use at Park Day School in Oakland, CA. The SDA process (Support, Development and Assessment) for teachers was created by a committee led by the lower school director, Karen, and a group of teachers at PDS, including Susan. It is intended to appropriately acknowledge and celebrate the work of teachers and to promote their continued growth. This process is useful and relevant for teachers and a philosophical fit for progressive schools.

1. SDA: Support, Development and Assessment
Park Day School, Oakland, CA: Karen Colaric and Susan Lee
PEN 2011

2. Teacher Assessment
What do you think of when
you hear the word “teacher
assessment”?

3. Background
Assessment committee
focused on admin jobs
Annual Parent Program
Survey
Annual Goal Setting meeting
Lesson Study Partnerships
Employee Handbook: trial
and established teachers

4. Problem Statement
Park Day School has some systems in place for the support, professional
development and assessment of teachers, such as goal setting, mentoring,
advising and an annual parent survey. We also have established classifications for
teachers (trial employee, established employee and employee under review).
However, criteria for successful and effective teaching has not been established,
nor is there a process for periodic, comprehensive assessment of teachers at the
various stages of their career. A plan is needed that is a match for us
philosophically in our work with students, manageable and responsive to the
needs of individual teachers.

5. What are your needs?
Why are you here?

6. Philosophical Underpinnings
Useful and relevant for Meets needs of new hires and
teachers veteran teachers
Collaborative Differentiation for teacher
learning styles/needs: user
Documentation without
friendly
oppression
Oral and written feedback
Mirrors our work with
students Considerations of time
Build from processes in place Three - five year rotation

7. Annual all teachers
Fall goal setting meeting Advisory and Mentorship for
new teachers by current
Self assessment based on
teachers
mission statement
Classroom visits from LS & MS
Directors at least twice a year
Annual parent survey
Parent survey feedback meeting
Professional development log

8. Annual Goal Setting
Meet with Head of School Time given at annual retreat
and LS or MS Director
Shared with a colleague
Three professional goals
Time to reflect in spring
selected by teacher
One institutional goal
related to theme for year
Achievable and relevant
Action plan & timeline

9. Action plan for goals
Goal
Action Plan
Resources
Support
Allies/Obstacles
Reflection
Self-assessment

10. Considerations
Teachers participate in selection
of teacher team members
Cross grade & disciplines
Scheduling and time
Specialist teachers need process
to begin later in year
Guinea pigs
Dual role or experience first

11. Trial Teachers
Any new hire @ PDS Personnel Committee de-
brief in December with
Orientation on
teacher
progressive education &
reading Consultation with advisor
Advisor and mentor if Personnel committee
requested February follow up:
discuss status for next
Personnel Committee
year
formed
March status decision to
teacher

12. Established Teacher Options
Critical Reflection Process
Research/Project Option
SDA rotation chart

13. Critical
Reflection
Process
•Team meeting #1: identify /
refine area of inquiry using
questioning protocol
•Optional general classroom visit
•Team members observe using
feedback form
•Team meeting #2: “ladder of
feedback”

14. Questioning Protocol
Teacher begins process in annual goal
setting meeting
Teacher meets with team to refine
question of inquiry:
Why is this question personally and
professionally important to you?
What direct connections to student
learning can we identify?
What needs clarifying? What
assumptions are present?
How will you go about answering
this question? How can we help?

15. Sample Inquiries
Art: Is there a balance between teacher
direction and student discovery/
creativity?
First: What can I do to get the kids to
respond to the program and each other
in ways that help them be independent?
Third: How can I support each
individual child in his/her writing
development?
Fourth: How can I improve my spelling
program to provide deeper experiences
with spelling for the whole group and
the children most in need?

16. Ladder of Feedback
Clarify: Are there aspects of the
lesson that you don’t believe you’ve
understood?
Value: What did you see in the class
that you find to be particularly
impressive, innovative, strong or
noteworthy?
Raise Questions & Concerns, &
Give Suggestions
Thank: How has observing and
giving feedback enhanced your own
learning?

17. Critical
Reflection
Process, cont.
•Second observation by team
members
•Second ladder of feedback
•Reflection on process/goals/
inquiry
•Final meeting with Head of
School & LS or MS Director

18. What makes
a teacher
successful at
your school?
Brainstorm

19. Successful Teacher Characteristics
Affective Education and
Social Emotional
Development
Effective Learning
Environment
Curriculum Development
Communication
Contributions to School

20. Sample Characteristics
Promotes community building in Creates curriculum that
the classroom and encourages emphasizes process over
the development of empathy, product.
compassion and conflict
Maintain communication with
resolution skills in each student.
support staff for individual
Clearly outlines, maintains and children both inside and outside
promotes student investment in the school community.
classroom procedures, routines,
Regularly attends and
systems and expectations
participates actively as a member
of at least one governance
committee.

21. Research/Project Option
Self-assessment/reflection
Project or informal research selected
Teacher provides project/research and action plan
Work alone or as part of a PLC
Head of School & LS or MS Director visit classroom & debrief
Choose relevant documentation method
Share project and conclusions with staff, final debrief with supervisors
Keep on file at school

22. Presentation to staff
Early vision and timeframe announced
Informal updates while drafting
Series of meetings to discuss, gather feedback,
amend--all scheduled
History, problem statement, statement of purpose
& philosophical underpinnings
Qualities of a successful PDS teacher
Catchball feedback on all aspects of plan
Decision meeting

23. Sample SDA Projects
Julie, fifth grade teacher
How can I more effectively Also introduced Connection,
implement TfU in the Appreciation, Suggestion routine
during writer’s workshop
process aspect of my
session
writing program?
Crucial for them to learn to give
Modified See, Think, Wonder
more effective critical feedback.
thinking routine to: I read/hear,
I connect, I think, I would
change.

24. Julie’s Outcomes
Helped me tap into Allowed them to be
individual kids in more verbal and gave
terms of learning them license to be
styles. creative
Helped new kids who Saw improvement as a
were not as strong result of the
writers. processing we did
together and group
feedback

25. Sample SDA Projects
Amida, kindergarten teacher
How can I better prepare Two philosophical bases:
students for their experience
Sense of place to reduce
in the Create with Nature
anxiety and be
Zone?
meaningfully connected to
To inspire students to look at nature
nature in a certain way--to see
Experience non-
the building blocks nature
permanence and work
provides and use them
communally, share
artistically, and to connect to
the natural world emotionally. Reduce weaponizing/violence

26. Amida, cont.
Classroom lessons
developed prior to work
in Nature Zone
Nature pictures with
theme of change
Andy Goldsworthy art:
change and seasons

28. Amida’s Outcomes
Sense of community evolved
Spectrum of kids needs/responses
to nature closed somewhat
Vocabulary and experiences
related to change reassuring for
them
Subtle impact on other areas of the
classroom
Kids developed interest in balance
& bridges and focused there

29. Sample SDA Projects
Susan, second grade teacher
How do I use reading I noticed that in that class of
children, kids needed help finding
assessment to help inform
appropriate books - decided to do
me about the appropriate three kid case studies
“next” step or support?
How was I going to assess the
children? Would I need mini
lessons?
Decided to meet with individual
children for reading conferences
during independent reading time

30. Susan’s Outcomes
Helped me tailor Provided me an
reading materials invaluable opportunity
provided for each to meet/brainstorm
child during their ideas with other
animal research teachers
projects
Allowed me to think
deeply about my
teaching practice -
why and what

31. Participant feedback
Kris, 4th: “Picked Susan, 1st: “A safe,
challenging topic, rewards supportive process; a
felt next year with program wonderful time-out, pause
changes.” to reflect on one’s own
teaching.”
Jenny, art: “Appreciated
formality of process; never Bob, 4th: “Impressed with
felt intimidated . . . process & work of
supportive and helpful.” committee. Fraught with
peril but worked well.”

32. Participant feedback
Julie, 5th: “Process reflects Tom, Head of School:
our school and community. “Appreciated chance to
Genuine and helpful.” participate. Good match for
us and for newer and
Amida, K: “Received
veteran teachers.”
feedback I can work with
years into the future.”

33. Teacher Assessment Summary
All Teachers
SDA Process Teachers Trial Teachers
(every 3-5 years, rotation) Every Year
• Fall Goal-setting • Progressive education
Orientation
Critical Reflection Process • Parent Survey Feedback
• Classroom Visits from • Progressive education
or + LS/MS Director Readings
Research/Project Option
• Self-assessment • Advisory and Mentorship for
new teachers by current
• Professional
Development Log teachers
• Personnel Committee
• Classroom Visits from
LS/MS Director

34. Where are we now?
Living process, continuing
evaluation
Piloting research project
option
Adding visits
Other: admin/middle
school

35. Q & A / Discussion