New Danielson Framework for Teaching Resources Released to Help Teachers Adjust Through Pandemic
New open-source tools focus on support and learning, not scores, for teachers in the current context
CHICAGO, IL – This week, the Danielson Group, best known for the Framework for Teaching used by hundreds of thousands of educators nationwide, released two tools to complement its new Framework for <Remote> Teaching, now widely available in English and Spanish. The Framework for <Remote> Teaching has been used in districts across the country and has been downloaded nearly 10,000 times since its earlier release this past summer. The Self-Assessment & Reflection Tool and the Observation Tool help teachers, and those who coach and mentor them, identify actionable ways to improve instruction and promote racially just classrooms in the current environment. These tools help schools to refocus teacher observation and feedback on supporting teachers’ professional growth, rather than high-stakes performance evaluation, during this unprecedented school year.
“Our nation’s teachers are being asked to perform heroic work under exceptionally challenging circumstances,” says Jim Furman, Executive Director of the Danielson Group. “This pandemic has elevated the need to completely reimagine how we support teachers on their path of professional growth and improvement. This is not the time to double down on out-of-date and out-of-touch punitive teacher evaluations. Instead, school systems should focus on providing teachers with opportunities to reflect on their practice, and observation and feedback coupled with professional learning opportunities so teachers can improve their craft.”
The Self-Assessment & Reflection Tool and the Observation Tool encourage teachers and coaches to focus on a set number of practices that are critical to effective instruction and to meeting students’ needs in the current context. These include practices such as cultural responsiveness, family and community engagement, equitable access to resources and support, creating opportunities for student collaboration and teamwork, and providing tailored strategies to meet each student’s needs, among others. These critical components were identified based on the Danielson Group’s work with instructional leaders last spring, input from school leaders and teachers, and existing research on teaching in remote environments. By narrowing the focus of teachers’ self-reflection and coaches’ observations, the tools create opportunities for open dialogue between teachers and coaches to provide immediate, actionable feedback.
In sharing the new tools with educators across the state of Washington, Sue Anderson, Director of Educator Growth and Development in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction wrote, “The Framework for <Remote> Teaching provides a thoughtful, practical, culturally responsive approach to developing virtual learning. It recognizes the reality of what teachers and students are facing as schools open virtually. What an amazing resource for this challenging moment!”
The Self-Assessment & Reflection Tool and Observation Tool are available for download on the Danielson Group’s website. To learn more about the recommended use of these tools, the Danielson Group will host a webinar on October 27, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. To register to participate, please go here.
About the Danielson Group
The Danielson Group works with school systems across the country to bring out the best in their teachers by creating professional learning programs and policies that provide the right levels of support all along a teacher’s career path. Since its founding in 2003, Danielson Group experts have worked with thousands of schools and tens of thousands of educators to advance the teaching profession in service of student learning and development.