Press Release: Systems Receive Grants To Boost Teacher-Principal Evaluation

Twenty-Two School Systems Awarded Grants Through Race To The Top Program

For Immediate Release                                                      Contact: Bill Reinhard, 410-767-0486
                                                                                                

Baltimore, MD (September 13, 2013)

Twenty-two Maryland public school systems this week were awarded grants to help them set into place their Teacher-Principal Evaluation Systems.

Nearly $1.5 million in Implementation Grants are being distributed. The funding will assist local systems participating in the State's Race to the Top program in personnel preparation and support associated with evaluation systems.

Maryland school systems are in the process of implementing new Teacher-Principal Evaluation systems that include student growth as a significant part of their formula, along with measures of professional practice. The school systems taking part in Race to the Top field tested evaluation systems during the 2012-13 school year.

The 22 systems are fully implementing their evaluation systems this year with one possible exception. MSDE intends to file for a one-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Education requirement that State assessment results be used for personnel decisions. All Maryland school systems this year are implementing the Common Core State Standards, but assessments designed to test those standards will not be fully operational until 2014-15.