The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) was implemented in the 2020 school year to provide schools and teachers with feedback that would help ensure high-quality teaching and learning. Since then, OTES has been used to evaluate more than 50,000 teachers statewide.
Here’s how it works: Teachers are evaluated on a seven-point scale in three categories – planning and preparation, classroom environment, and instruction – using observations, student surveys, and artifacts. In addition, a principal or assistant principal completes an overall rating for each teacher at the end of the evaluation process.
Feedback from OTES has been shown to be valuable for both teachers and administrators. In a survey of Ohio principals conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), 96% of respondents said that OTES had improved the quality of educator feedback in their buildings. And in a separate survey of Ohio teachers conducted by ETS, 90% of respondents said they found their OTES scores to be accurate.
OTES provides educators with data that can be used to improve their practice and help ensure that all students have access to high-quality instruction.
How OTES Scores are Used
Teachers receive an overall score for each evaluation cycle, which is comprised of their ratings in the three categories mentioned earlier – planning and preparation, classroom environment, and instruction – as well as their principal’s or assistant principal’s overall rating. This score is reported on a 7-point scale, with 1 being Unsatisfactory and 7 being Accomplished.
The vast majority of teachers score in the Satisfactory range (4-6). In the 2017-2018 school year, nearly 80% of teachers statewide scored a 4 or above on their overall evaluations. Just 3% of teachers scored a 1 on their evaluations, while less than 2% scored a 7. Interestingly, regardless of years of experience, nearly all teachers scored within two points of the median score of 5. The median score for first-year teachers was 4.8, while the median score for those with 20+ years of experience was 5.2.
The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System provides principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and other educators with data that can be used to improve their practice and help ensure that all students have access to high-quality instruction. Feedback from OTES has been shown to be valuable for both teachers and administrators, with 96% of principals surveyed saying that OTES had improved the quality of educator feedback in their buildings. If you’re looking for ways to improve your teaching practice or ensure that your students are receiving high-quality instruction, consider using the resources provided by OTES.
