How Our Evaluation Process
Measures
Instructional Capabilities
At BEC, we offer unbiased evaluations in the setting where it counts - the classroom. In the actual learning environment setting, we can observe everything. This approach allows us to evaluate un-rehearsed, in-action instructional efforts. It also lets us observe actual student reaction to instruction. An instructor may make a mistake, or change styles for an evaluation, but the student reaction will reveal what is really going on.
The four principle areas we measure against best practices include:
- Lesson Preparation
- Lesson Delivery
- Student Engagement
- Classroom Management
How is BEC’s evaluation process different from in-house processes?
The in-house evaluation process is often a time-consuming process administered by insufficiently trained personnel who have a political or personal stake in the outcome. This can lead to high levels of worry and anger, as well as having a destructive impact on team building. Many times the outcome of these evaluations may be compromised for fear of hurting someone’s feelings or causing staff fractionalization.
Research indicates current evaluation practices often have little correlation with effective teaching and learning.
- Peers evaluating peers can lead to staff fractionalization and has only a 10% correlation between instructor ratings and student outcomes. It is very political.
- Students evaluating instructors can lead to grade inflation and popularity contests. Students give higher ratings as class size decreases and lower ratings as class size increases.
- Administrators evaluating instructors may compromise standards because administrators still have to work with these instructors. Negative reviews often lead to cliques that set about to sabotage administrators.
- Administrative personnel not critically trained in the evaluation process often spend thousands of hours, at great cost to the organization, completing this arduous task.
BEC evaluations are designed to objectively measure and enhance instructional skills through a carefully planned, step-by-step process:
- The orientation meeting.
The evaluator conducts an orientation meeting to familiarize all participants with the process.
- Instructors complete a self-evaluation.
The self-evaluation examines the same best practices the evaluator will address, and is shared only with the evaluator, allowing the instructors to express themselves freely.
- Evaluator observes the instructor.
The evaluator uses tools produced by the Institute for Effective Instruction to observe and record behavior in a variety of best practices.
- The evaluator debriefs the educator.
The debriefing closely follows the observation so the session is fresh in the minds of the participants.
- The institution receives a summary report.
The report identifies areas in which the institution can provide additional training to instructors.
- IEI issues the appropriate certifications.
IEI certification is based on a copy of the observation report provided by the evaluator. The IEI ensures consistency in evaluations and continuous high quality standards.