The Washington Post is shedding light on a new teacher evaluation model from Louisiana that surprisingly, doesn't stop with the teacher.  Most teacher assessments place all the weight and responsibility on the teacher alone.  However, this newly developed model, unique to Louisiana, traces the teacher's training and preparation back to their education schools and holds some responsibility on the teachers and programs who taught them.  Finally an assessment model that places shared accountability and responsibility on both the teacher and the school that made them!  While I think that this model shows great strides, it is unfortunate that the assessments are based only on standardized test scores.  As most teachers will tell you, there is more to teaching than test scores....or at least there ought to be.  For example, I am not really sure how a standardized test score will indicate that the teacher is weak on classroom management skills.  It may be that this student is having difficulty learning because of the chaotic environment, not because of they way the material is presented.  His test score will not reveal that and consequently, the school that trained that particular teacher will never know it either. It is a wonderful step in the right direction but in order to keep our education system moving forward, one must continue to take steps.  I think a more complete model of assessment would include observations, teacher input, and interaction with the students.