The Redmond School District is preparing two administrators to coach their colleagues on how to offer teachers effective feedback following a classroom evaluation.

The program was made possible by an additional $54,000 received through the Teacher Incentive Fund last spring. The TIF grant program is a federal project that develops performance-based compensation programs and tools for improving instructor effectiveness.

In Oregon, the grant is overseen by the education reform nonprofit Chalkboard Project. Both Bend-La Pine and Crook County school districts have also received TIF funding through the Chalkboard Project for similar projects.

Marsha Moyer, an independent contractor with the Chalkboard Project, oversees the instruction of the administrator coaches in Redmond.

“Schools have always conducted observations and given feedback to their teachers,” Moyer said. “But it used to be about saying, ‘I saw A, B and C’; now it’s about saying, ‘I saw you do A, B and C and that worked because of this and that specific reason.’”

Moyer says her role is focused on transforming the observation and feedback routine from a process focused on evaluation into one that inspires teacher growth.

“I want to show administrators how to offer feedback that will cause reflection in the teacher,” Moyer said. “Administrators need to ask teachers questions that invite conversations, not simply offer observations.”

Moyer said that, traditionally, teacher evaluations are hindered by inconsistencies among evaluators, which harm the relationships between teachers and their administrators.

“When teachers move around schools they may get different evaluations, so we work on calibrating administrators,” she said.

In Redmond, teachers are evaluated based on the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching. This model offers a four-tier rating system that spans different aspects of instruction.

“I’m most interested in making sure administrators understand the difference between a rating of 2 and 3, or basic and proficient,” Moyer said. “I care about the difference between a 3 and 4, too, but I’m less concerned there because both of those are good.”

Tracie Renwick, principal of Elton Gregory Middle School, will be the district’s secondary administrator coach, while Kristen Rooney-Gleeson, principal of Vern Patrick Elementary, will coach primary administrators.

“It’s exciting to have this opportunity,” said Rooney-Gleeson. “We let students know what we expect so they know how high to jump, but now we’re talking to teachers about expectations.”

Renwick underscored the importance of this training for school performance.

“You can only talk to one teacher for about 15 minutes, so conversations need to be meaningful,” she said. “Administrators need to be resources. You can’t just say, ‘You need to improve here,’ or, ‘Great job there.’ We need to offer specific suggestions so evaluations move away from gab sessions to something reflective.”

Moyer says the goal is not to offer teachers more effective feedback during the upcoming year, but to cultivate a culture where administrators and teachers are constantly evaluating their own practices in order to improve student performance.

“In two more years, the TIF money will run out, and I want to make sure Redmond has something that is sustainable,” she said.