While local schools are on spring break this week, the Indiana Department of Education released the Indiana teacher evaluation data for the 2012-13 school year. According to the Associated Press, the data is leading some to question whether the current system of evaluating educators is effective because so few teachers were rated poorly. In the evaluations, about 88 percent of teachers and administrators in the state were rated as either effective or highly effective. For local schools, the data showed: Triton Elementary received a school grade of “A” in 2012-13. Of its teachers, 14 were rated “highly effective,” 16 “effective,” 2 “needs improvement” and none “ineffective.” Triton Jr.-Sr. High School also received an “A.” Of its 33 teachers, 7 were rated highly effective and 26 effective. In the Tippecanoe Valley School District, Akron Elementary earned a “C” from the state for 2012-13. It had 4 highly effective teachers, 24 effective teachers, 1 needs improvement and 1 not evaluated. Those who were not evaluated included those who were on medical or family leave, or retired or resigned before the end of the school year, according to Indiana Department of Education information. Valley’s high school, with a “B” grade, had 7 teachers rated highly effective, 34 effective and 1 ineffective. Mentone Elementary earned a “B.” The data shows it had 9 highly effective and 24 effective teachers. One was not evaluated. For the second time in three years, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School earned an “F.” Of its teachers, 3 were deemed highly effective, 24 effective, 1 needed improvement, 1 ineffective and 1 was not evaluated. Warsaw Community Schools has been an “A” school district for the past two years. Claypool earned an “A” in 2012-13. As for its teachers, 8 were rated highly effective and 20 effective. Lakeview Middle School was one of four WCS schools that earned a “B” in 2012-13 instead of an “A” like in the previous year. Of its teachers, 14 were rated highly effective, 40 effective and 1 needs improvement. Eisenhower, an “A” school, had 30 teachers evaluated, with 12 being highly effective and 18 effective. Harrison, a “B” school, had 37 teachers evaluated, with 7 being highly effective, 29 effective and 1 ineffective. “A” school Leesburg Elementary had 13 teachers rated highly effective and 23 rated effetive. The school with the largest number of educators evaluated locally was Warsaw Community High School with 150. It had 37 teachers rated highly effective, 109 effective, 2 need improvement, 1 ineffective and 1 was not evaluated. Like Lakeview, Edgewood Middle School also received a “B” rating. Of its 48 educators evaluated, 8 were highly effective, 34 effective, 1 needs improvement and 5 were not evaluated. Jefferson Elementary, an “A” school, had 3 highly effective teachers, 32 effective and 2 were not evaluated. Lincoln, an “A” school, had 22 highly effective teachers and 12 effective teachers. At Madison Elementary, a graded “B” school, there were 12 teachers rated as highly effective, 17 effective, 1 ineffective and 1 was not evaluated. The majority of Washington STEM Academy teachers – 22 out of 30 – were evaluated as effective teachers. The other 8 “A” school teachers were rated “highly effective.” Forty-five educators were evaluated at North Webster Elementary School, a “B” school. Of those, 12 were rated high effective, 22 effective, 1 needs improvement and 10 were not evaluated. Wawasee Middle School received an “F” for 2012-13. Its 46 educators included 2 rated highly effective, 36 effective, 1 needs improvement and 7 not evaluated. A “D” school, Milford’s 52 evaluated teachers include 1 highly effective, 40 effective, 2 needs improvement and 9 not evaluated. Syracuse Elementary, also a “D” school, had 1 highly effective teacher, 21 effective, 4 needs improvement and 11 not evaluated. An “A” grade was given to Wawasee High School. Its 69 educators included 4 highly effective, 47 effective, 4 needs improvement and 14 not evaluated. Pierceton Elementary, an “A” school at Whitko, had 4 highly effective teachers and 18 rated as effective. Whitko Middle School, a “B” school, had 3 highly effective teachers, 21 effective and 2 needs improvement. With only 18 educators, South Whitley Elementary School, a “C” school, had 5 highly effective and 13 effective teachers. At Whitko High School, an “A” school, there were 9 highly effective and 23 effective schools. A “B” school, Manchester Intermediate School had 6 highly effective and 8 effective educators. Manchester Elementary, an “A” school, had 8 highly effective and 20 effective teachers. Manchester Junior-Senior High School, a “B” school with 29 educators evaluated, had 6 rated highly effective and 23 effective.
