Newark Public Schools and Newark Teachers Union Teacher Contract Evaluation

In 2012–13, Newark Public Schools (NPS) ratified a new teacher contract with the Newark Teachers Union, the main goal of which is to implement a high-quality measure of teaching effectiveness and use it to support and manage teachers in ways that improve student outcomes. AIR is conducting a three-year evaluation focusing on a variety of outcomes (e.g., educator perceptions, teacher retention, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement) associated with the contract and associated initiatives.

Key Findings

• The survey findings suggest that the new evaluation system is perceived as valid, accurate, fair, and useful.
• The retention results suggest that teachers who are rated more effective under the new teacher evaluation system are retained at higher rates than teachers who receive lower ratings.
• The survey findings suggest that educators reported mixed support for the differentiated compensation component of the teacher contract.
• The survey findings suggest that extended learning time for student instruction and teacher planning and collaboration has been implemented in more than half of NPS schools and is perceived as useful by a majority of educators.
• The survey findings suggest that teachers who felt supported and both teachers and school leaders who felt knowledgeable about the teacher contract also felt more positive about the teacher contract and related initiatives.

Recommendations

• Continue to use the new evaluation system to measure effective teaching and provide teachers with performance feedback, while
  increasing awareness about opportunities for teachers to provide feedback on the functioning of the system.
• Provide more opportunities for teachers and school leaders to learn about the components of the teacher contract.
• Develop a communication plan and trainings for teachers and school leaders to learn more about the differentiated compensation available under the new salary systems.