District 113 certified staff members will be evaluated using a new model next year.

“The state is changing a lot of legislation related to teacher evaluations,” Sue Hebson, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Communication, said. “The education field is changing significantly; these are changes we haven’t seen in our field for decades.”

In an effort to preempt those modifications, District 113 is transitioning to the Charlotte Danielson Model.

Danielson designs teacher evaluation systems and is an internationally-recognized expert in her industry. She has created a rating system, which includes a research-based set of components of instruction. The model is divided into four main domains of teacher responsibilities, which includes 22 components and 76 smaller elements. The domains are: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities.

According to Danielson’s website, “Each component defines a distinct aspect of a domain; two to five elements describe a specific feature of a component. Levels of teaching performance (rubrics) describe each component and provide a roadmap for improvement of teaching.”

District 113 spent Institute Day on Tuesday training employees on its structure and implementation.  

Deerfield and Highland Park high school’s current evaluation system is similar to the Danielson Model. However, the rubrics and evaluation language are much more specific, “This maintains consistency,” Hebson explained. “It helps teachers set some personal goals, fosters professional growth and promotes student achievement.”

District 113 will also have a better method of evaluating all sorts of employees. “We have had clear expectations for a teacher but we would always have to modify those expectations for a counselor or social worker,” she stated. “The Danielson Model has job specific rubrics, which in the past didn’t really exist.”

School systems across the country are adopting the method and others have been utilizing the model for years. “When people read the rubrics, they agree with the descriptors of what a strong teacher looks like,” Hebson said. 

“In general, it’s been really well received.”