Providing Feedback
With the Marzano Evaluation Model, teachers receive feedback immediately through the iObservation website. Teachers know what strategy (or element) that they need to improve upon and what strategies they are currently effective in implementing. The research of Blase (1999) states that an instructional leader provides feedback by providing the teachers with “another set of eyes” and engages in discourse based upon what they have observed with the teachers. Effective school leaders communicate to the teachers the classroom behaviors that were seen.
Marzano states that the feedback provided to the teachers must be focused. As a result, the feedback clearly describes the level of the teacher's performance. Marzano's Evaluation Model consists of 41 elements or behaviors. Each element has a scale that has a numerical value of 1 to 4. In Broward, the scale value of 1 or Not Using, indicates the strategy was called for but not used by the teacher. The scale value of 2, or Beginning, indicates that the teacher uses the strategy but with some errors. The scale value of 2.5, or Developing, indicates that the teacher uses the strategy without any significant errors. Within this level, the instructor effectively uses the strategy but does not check to see if it has the desired effect on students. The scale value of 3, or Applying, is the minimum desired status for any element in Domain One. At this level, the teacher uses the strategy without any errors and monitors student behavior and makes adaptations. The highest value is a 4, or Innovating; this indicates that the teacher is so skilled at the strategy that he or she has adapted it to meet the specific needs of the class (Marzano 2011).
How do I identify and further develop teachers in need? How do I provide assistance and resources for teachers on the Marzano Model?
An instructional leader assists teachers in becoming more effective educators to increase student achievement. In order for these leaders to determine which teachers need assistance, they would need to be visible in the classroom, observe teachers’ pedagogy, and provide focused feedback to improve instruction. Randy Willison, an associate superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas, compares an instructional leader to a caddy on a golf course. The caddy is there to give advice to the golfer on how he can improve his game by offering advice on shot and club selection. Likewise, an instructional leader provides the teacher with the necessary tools and advice (Willison, 2012).
Using the Marzano Evaluation Model, school leaders can observe teachers’ effective use of the 41 elements in Domain One. Therefore, the feedback that is given is based on these strategies. Once leaders determine which teachers need support on implementing these strategies, they can provide them with the appropriate resources to assist them in becoming more effective. Leaders can provide teachers support by giving them instructional books to read, providing them opportunities to attend professional development, and offering them advice based on their instructional expertise.
One of the most important resources that can be given to a struggling teacher is an instructional coach. This person is assigned to assist teachers who are on a Cycle of Assistance. An instructional coach is a teacher leader who is considered an expert and is a highly effective leader. Steiner and Kowal (2012) state that an instructional leader works with individual teachers by modeling instructional strategies, observing teachers, co-teaching, co-planning lessons and units, and providing feedback.
