Suggestions ...How to evaluate teachers in Japan (2) ?

As it is ruled in Japan now, I think, it would be good system that vice-principal evaluate teachers at first
and then pricipals evaluate them finally. After that, boards of education assess them.

But moreover, I would suggest to set up an Office for Councillors of Education in each prefecture in Japan,
for it would be more fair and objective concernig the system of evaluation of teachers in our country.

In this respect, it is similar to the method of England where pricipal evaluate teachers and it is recognized
by assessors. And there is OFSTED ( Office for Standard of Education ) and it evaluates all schools and
all LEAs ( Local Education Authorities ) in England.

But in Japan, the system of the Office for Councillors of Education would be better than their OFSTED,
thinking Japanese character of nation.

1. Councillors of the Office should be consult with pricipals on educational problems of the schools, and
they have also to include points of evaluation of teachers.
Of course, there would be not only points of evaluation of teachers, but also would be a lot of topics of
the schools and through the discussions, consultations, questions and responses with each other ,
the principals would consider their evaluation of teachers naturally and sometimes they might consider
their evaluation again. This way would be the best way of evauation of teachers in Japan.

2 Points

● The Office should be independent from the Board of Education.

● Regular visit to schools by a team from the Office

● The team or the principal have to respectively report the results to their Office or Board of Education
　　with the documents based on the forms.

● Ratios will be regulated from sex, age, person who experience teaching or managing a school,
　　parents, citizens, specialist education consultants and so forth

● As a result, the team does not include as assembly members, staff of the board of education,
　　aduit committee and the person like these.

● Therefore, the councillors are pooled irrespectively of school districts and areas of board of education.

● Term of the office of the councillors shall be regulated. Eight years at most ?

● Councillors should be trained and should keep the secrets of the works.

● They could not evaluate the schools, but only might give advice to the principals, if necessary.
　　They don't check the official books and records of the schools.
　　They don't do auditing and don't enter the classrooms of the schools with a few exceptions.

( Note ) Concern to school council at each school ..... If the Office would be established, such a council
　　　　　at each school is not necessary. We have only to reinforce present PTA.

New policy to reward good teachers doing their jobs will be necessary in Japan and researching the
British way of this policy would be usefull for us.

But, We don't need so many divisions in so -called too accuracy, merit paying system. Three classes or
so where the middle layer is very thick seems appropriete in our country.
It will relate to the active staff meetings of the schools. Cooperation and help of the colleague teachers
with each other is an efficiency evaluation system in our country, and it seems to make reference to some
part of the United States, too.

OFSTED
● The Office for Standards in Education (OESTED), officially the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
　　of Schools in England, was set up on 1 September 1992. It is a non-ministerial government department,
　　independent from the Department for Education & Employment.
● The inspections are carried out by teams of OFSTED accredited independent inspectors led by a
　　Registered Inspector (Rgl). The teams vary in size, from a minimum of three, up to about eight. Each
　　team, in addition to the Rgl, will always have one lay member, who should have no paid experience of
　　teaching or managing a school.
　　Only people with appropriate experience who have successfully completed OFSTED's training and
　　assessment can participate in inspections.　　

● From Kate Spratley-san : Teachers' Continuing Professional Development
　　　We do not have evaluators who directly assess serving teachers. The Office for Standars in
　　　Education ( OFSTED ) carry out inspections of whole schools and part of this process entails
　　　inspectors observing classroom teaching. This is not, however, a direct evaluation of teachers,
　　　but a report on the quality of the education provision at a particular school.

● From Nicola Edwards-san: Teachers Pay and Policy Division
　　　Threshold Assessment is a new policy to reward good teachers doing their job. It enables teachers
　　　to access a new upper pay rage. The teachers complete an application from stating how they meet
　　　the eight national standars for good teaching, Applicant's headteacher assesses their applications
　　　and the headteacher's decision-making is verified by an external assessor.

　　　Full-time teacher will be assessed by their headteacher who is their line manager.
　　　Each teacher is only assessed by one person, their headteacher, but the headteacher's judgement
　　　is verified by an accredited trained external assessor.
　　　However, we will be using a slightly different system in Wales.

June 15, 2000, described