The Proficiency Paradox Theory

The Proficiency Paradox Theory is a theoretical concept addressing the attitudes and motivations of teachers being evaluation and being placed at the “proficient level “on the evaluation instruments rating scale.
The theory manifest itself in the over classification of teachers at the proficient level, not accounting for statistical models that posit that at any one time, 10-15 percent of teachers will have evaluation rating of less than proficient (Darling-Hammond, 2016a; Darling-Hammond, 2016b; Gabriel, 2016; Hanushek, 2011; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016). These results are in contradiction to a loosely held idea that “it would be reasonable to expect something like: Highly Effective=20-30%, Effective=50-60%, Partially Effective=10-15%, and Ineffective ≤5%.” (Kraft & Gilmour, 2016; Stronge, 2016, p. 6). A limitation is there is no documentation or studies that define precisely what the distribution should be (Stronge, 2016).
This inflation of ratings creates dismissive attitudes towards the ratings as they fail to recognize excellence or ineffective teachers. In not identifying either, the evaluation process is rendered unreliable and ineffective (Kraft & Gilmour, 2016). In several states, evaluation rating numbers place teachers at the proficient level more than 97 percent (District of Columbia Public Schools, 2017; Florida Department of Education, 2016; Michigan Department of Education, 2017; New York Department of Education, 2017; Tennessee Department of Education: Office of Research and Policy, 2014).
If an overwhelming number of teachers are deemed proficient, then they cannot not be all at the same level of proficient (Latunde, 2017). However, the designations does not allow for that differentiation within the rating. Proficient is proficient, it's a winner take all type of designation rating, just like the other ratings in the spectrum for teacher evaluations. A comparable example would be in looking at grades in classroom; a score of 80 and a score of 89 are interpreted as the same; a grade of B. The overriding concepts of fairness and equity become central to this theory as you cannot have one without lessening the other; equal is not fair and fair is not equal. In teacher evaluations everyone one is held to the same standards, from a special education teacher to a Dual enrollment facilitator. In applying the evaluation standards every teacher is projected into the same lens and creates a disequilibrium in equity and fairness in evaluation designations (Moran, 2017). This brings up the notion that if we are all seen as the same, then by common sense we are not.

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