The state's education department and teachers' unions have reached an agreement that will change the way teachers are evaluated. Under the new system, teacher' ratings would be linked to how well their students perform on state and local tests, as well as other factors. The agreement, which is subject to approval by the State Legislature, was timed to bolster New York's chances in the second round of Race to the Top federal funding.

In the current system, teachers are rated either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In the new system, teachers would be given one of four ratings annually -- highly effective, effective, developing, and ineffective. And, apparently, it would become easier to fire teachers who are rated "ineffective" for two years in a row.

Initially, the new agreement will impact English, math and common branch (elementary school license) teachers in grades 4 through 8 . In 2012, the new evaluation standards will apply to all classroom teachers, regardless of subject or grade.

Still unclear is what the agreement means for the city's students. At the very least, according to The Times article, it means more testing:

"Teachers would be measured on a 100-point scale, with 20 percent points based on how much students improve on the standardized state exams. Another 20 percent would be based on local tests, which would have to be developed by each school system [emphasis added]. After two years, 25 percent would be based on the state exams and 15 percent would come from the local tests. "

It was just a few years ago that the city did away with its own version of standardized tests (given to 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th-graders) after the No Child Left Behind Act mandated that the states test all students. The new plan sounds like a return to the city tests.

What do you think about tying student test scores to teacher evaluations? And how does the prospect of more standardized tests strike you?

Please comment below.