A state court this afternoon was a mixed bag for teacher evaluations in New York.

On the one hand, the State Supreme Court in Albany ruled that teacher evaluations can’t rely heavily on the performances of students in a scattering of state tests. At the same time, the court also upheld a provision that allows for expedited removal of bad teachers.

The evaulation system was the product of an accord between the Board of Regents and the state United Teachers union. Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sought to change the agreement by calling for an increased emphasis on student achievement on tests, much to the dismay of NYSUT.

From the AP:

A New York state court is ruling that a new teacher evaluation process can’t rely so heavily on how students perform on a few state tests.

But the mixed judgment also upheld an expedited review process that could speed up the firing of bad teachers.

The decision in Supreme Court in Albany County addresses a landmark teacher evaluation system worked out by the state Board of Regents with the New York State United Teachers union. That plan was abruptly changed by the Regents after Gov. Andrew Cuomo interceded to further emphasize student test performance.

Wednesday’s decision states that although 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation can still be based on test scores, half of those tests must be chosen by local school districts through collective bargaining with their union.

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