Changes that both sides say will strengthen the year-old teacher evaluation system have been approved by the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.

        Teachers who attended a union membership meeting Wednesday approved the agreement in a voice vote. The board approved the agreement at its meeting Monday.

        The evaluation system, implemented at Cincinnati schools last school year, links teachers' evaluations to their performance in the classroom, based on 17 standards of good teaching. In May, teachers will vote on the next component of the evaluation system, which will tie teacher pay to their evaluation — a groundbreaking move.

        The revisions change the pace of the system, phasing it in over four years to allow experienced teachers to receive training and to practice all 17 of the standards before they undergo a comprehensive evaluation. All teachers will be evaluated annually by principals in abbreviated performance assessments that focus on a cluster of standards at a time.

        The revisions also allow teachers to appeal evaluations within all four of the categories of standards; previously, teachers could appeal only in two categories.

        The system evaluates teachers based on how they meet the standards in their classrooms. Teachers must move through five levels: apprentice, novice, career, advanced and accomplished. Teachers must progress out of the two lowest categories to continue working for the district and can advance to higher salary levels by moving through the top three.

        CFT President Sue Taylor said the changes make the evaluation system more objective and address concerns from teachers, many of whom said they felt overwhelmed by the lack of training on the new standards.

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