Just as federal officials begin pushing school systems to evaluate teachers based on their students’ performance, the city has inked a deal with the University of Wisconsin to expand a program that can do just that.

The contract will pay the Wisconsin Center for Education Research $840,000 over three years to produce individual teacher reports based on how their students performed on state reading and math tests.

Officials are looking to expand the current program — which covers reading and math teachers in grades four to eight — to the high school grades and to subjects including history and science.

While education officials have expressed their interest in using the data to rate teachers, earlier this school year they agreed not to do so at the urging of the teachers union.

Yet using student data to assess teachers was among the main criteria set by the US Department of Education yesterday for states wishing to compete for a share of a $4.3 billion education pot.

States that have laws preventing the use of student performance data in teacher evaluations are ineligible to even apply for funding — raising questions about a New York law that prohibits school districts from factoring student performance in teacher tenure decisions.

The law is set to expire in June.

“I don’t believe that it precludes New York from the [funds],” said state Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, when asked about the eligibility rules.

Among the other criteria for states highlighted by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan were a commitment to raising standards, identifying and retaining good teachers and principals, and removing caps on charter schools.

Source: NY Post