Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-4_74-cv-00090/USCOURTS-azd-4_74-cv-00090-111/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Roy and Josie Fisher, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

United States of America,

Plaintiff-Intervenor,

v.

Anita Lohr, et al.,

Defendants,

and

Sidney L. Sutton, et al.,

Defendants-Intervenors,

CV 74-90 TUC DCB

(Lead Case)

Maria Mendoza, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

United States of America,

Plaintiff-Intervenor,

v.

Tucson Unified School District No. One, et al.,

Defendants.

CV 74-204 TUC DCB

(Consolidated Case)

Case 4:74-cv-00090-DCB Document 2451 Filed 03/18/20 Page 1 of 5
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-2-

SPECIAL MASTER’S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

RELATING TO TEACHER EVALUATION TOOLS

The District uses at least a dozen different forms for recording teacher effectiveness. This 

fact was brought to the attention of the Court by the Special Master. In its order, the Court 

directed the Special Master to identify the discontinuities among these various ways of describing 

teacher effectiveness1.

The Special Master and Dr. Rebecca Montano, who is a member of the Implementation 

Committee, examined the following forms (some are rubrics some are checklists) that are used in 

assessing teacher practices:

1. The modified Danielson instrument – this is the primary teacher evaluation rubric 

2. The technology integration observation tool

3. The AVID elective classroom observational form 

4. The Cholla High School instructional visit form (many schools have their own 

forms). 

5. The culturally responsive pedagogy and instruction form. 

6. The Observable behavior and reflection instrument for 2019-20 

7. SPARKS—a summary of culturally responsive teaching behaviors 

8. The Mexican-American student services classroom checklist

9. ALP monitoring notes 

10. Schoolwide restorative practices assessment instrument

11. The AVID consultant K-12 classroom observation tool

 

1

 There are well over 100 different descriptions of teaching practices on the several forms, but not 

one specific description appears more than once.

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-3-

There are other forms that the Special Master and Dr. Montano did not assess including 

the site-based walk-through observation instruments, the AVID tutorial observation and feedback 

tool and additional forms used in dual language classes.

In most of these forms, teacher practices are described in somewhat different ways and 

different strategies are prioritized. While it is possible to match some of these practices on 

different forms, the terms used are different in many cases, which makes them subject to different 

understandings.2The District says that these various measures determine priorities for 

professional development but it is not clear which reports should be used for designing 

professional learning opportunities. The ambiguity involved in these different messages about 

teacher practice also makes it difficult for evaluators to provide consistent information to teachers 

about what they need to do to improve.

Recommendation

The most important school school-based influence on student learning is teacher 

effectiveness. If the tools used to identify what teachers need to know and be able to do are 

inconsistent and convey different priorities for improvement, the ability of the District to enhance 

student cognitive and social development is undermined. 

The District should align the various descriptions of effective teaching using the same 

terminology to describe the same practices whenever possible. To the extent possible, the 

practices being assessed should be aligned with the revised Danielson instrument because that 

tool is the most comprehensive, the best validated, the one with the formal role in rating teacher 

expertise and the one shaped by District teachers and administrators. This alignment exercise 

should be completed before the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

 

2

 When ambiguity characterizes messages, the person receiving the messages will tend to fit the 

meaning of those messages into their current understanding of what their responsibilities are.

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-4-

This recommendation should not, however, be mandated by the Court. The USP is silent 

about the ways the District should evaluate teachers.

Respectfully submitted,

________/s/_____________

Willis D. Hawley

Special Master

Dated: March 18, 2020

Case 4:74-cv-00090-DCB Document 2451 Filed 03/18/20 Page 4 of 5
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-5-

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on March 18, 2020, I electronically submitted the foregoing via the 

CM/ECF Electronic Notification System and transmittal of a Notice of Electronic Filing provided 

to all parties that have filed a notice of appearance in the District Court Case.

Andrew H. Marks for 

Dr. Willis D. Hawley, 

Special Master

Case 4:74-cv-00090-DCB Document 2451 Filed 03/18/20 Page 5 of 5