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What is the Observation Engine?
The Observation Engine is a web-based tool (funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) that allows educational agencies to track and calibrate observers on the observation protocols they use for evaluating teacher effectiveness. Oberservers can practice using their district protocols by viewing and rating classroom videos the same way they would conduct a live observation.
The expected product launch of the Observation Engine is summer 2012. Please email Product Manager, Alyssa Chavez to be added to a list for updates and announcements.
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Why use the Observation Engine in school systems?
Whether an observational protocol is homegrown or adapted from popular protocols, it is important to establish and maintain consistency among all observers using the protocol. School systems use the Observation Engine to conduct periodic calibration studies with staff who observe and evaluate teachers.
Observers can access classroom videos from any computer with an internet connection. The Observation Engine efficiently collects, analyzes, and stores the results of calibration studies. School systems will also be able to test whether elements of the protocol distinguish between teachers with the most and least student growth.
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How does the Observation Engine work?
Each study consists of viewing a collection of classroom observation videos, rating those videos with the district observation protocol, and then receiving a report that evaluates observer consistency for the protocol.
The Observation Engine contains five major components:
- Secure, online access to a large video library of teacher lessons for observers to watch. School systems can use this to supplement their own video library of teacher practice if desired.
- A scoring template that allows observers to enter scores for each observed video into a web- based system on each domain of the observation protocol.
- An analytic engine that calculates observers agreement as well as validation against value-added benchmarks on state and supplemental assessments.
- An automated report generator that provides immediate feedback on levels of observer agreement as well as the predictive validity of the observation protocol as scored, based on a set of expert-scored benchmark instruments.
- A observer database that tracks and records each observer’s progress and rating patterns throughout the year.
For more information on the Observation Engine please contact Alyssa Chavez.