Teachers give feedback on proposed Instructional Practice Rubric tweaks
HISD is always looking for ways to improve its outcomes for students, and that includes how the district appraises and develops its teachers.
To refine this process, the district is proposing a series of updates to the Instructional Practices Rubric, the document that outlines HISD’s standards of teacher effectiveness. It also serves as a guide for teachers and appraisers to increase student achievement.
A select group of teachers recently attended a focus group at the Ryan Professional Learning Center to review and give feedback on changes to the district’s Instructional Practices Rubric.
Before proceeding with any changes, district officials first wanted to give a select group of teachers the chance to evaluate the changes and provide feedback.
One of those teachers is Mini Simon from Pugh Elementary School, who said she was thrilled to be contacted about reviewing the rubric, because this work will help develop and retain effective teachers.
“HISD is a great district and has lots of great systems in place,” Simon said. “But every system needs improvement. I’m getting the opportunity to open up and HISD is willing to listen to me.”
Led by a team from the Professional Support and Development department, 108 teachers and 42 school leaders recently took part in two focus groups to review the changes. The revisions centered on best practices related to college and career readiness, literacy, and technology education, which will produce graduates ready to compete in a global environment.
Gail McGee, manager of Teacher Support, reports that much of the feedback was positive, and groups were able to identify places where the rubric could be further clarified and streamlined. Her team also plans to give teachers and campus leaders a chance to review and understand the updated document.
“Input from all stakeholders is invaluable to the continuous improvement of the appraisal system,” McGee said.
Simon added that she’s encouraged by the spirit of collaboration between the district and its teachers.
“When we get to share our thoughts, you realize you’re not alone in this,” she said. “You’re part of a team.”
