Principals' Perceptions of Teacher Evaluation Practices in an Urban School District PDF Download

Author: Shana N. Henry Barton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Teachers
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Author: Gladys Smith Moton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and Obama‘s Race to the Top (2009) policy charged districts with increasing academic achievement by improving teacher quality. The problem of teacher quality has plagued the public school system for decades. Stronge and Hindman (2005) suggest, we can greatly improve student achievement if we come to an understanding of what constitutes an effective teacher and then seek out those qualities and behaviors (p. 49). Districts are now compelled to take a closer look at teacher evaluation systems in order to measure teacher quality and effectiveness. Evaluation systems provide the impetus for informing teacher practice, as well as, potentially driving future staff development (Education, 2009). Many states are now requiring teacher ratings to be based on multiple measures of performance, with many states and districts electing to establish performance pay incentive parameters for meeting specific goals (Doherty & Jacobs, 2013). In the backdrop of this transitional educational landscape, at least one large urban school district in Texas embarked upon a project to improve its teacher evaluation system. The 2012-2013 school year marked the deployment of this district‘s newly implemented teacher evaluation system. This newly implemented teacher evaluation system aimed to address both teacher effectiveness and student growth. The purpose of this program evaluation was to: 1) examine teachers‘ and administrators‘ perceptions of the newly implemented teacher evaluation system within a large urban school district and its influence on instructional planning, classroom instruction and professional practice; 2) examine teachers‘ and administrators‘ perceptions regarding the training they received with the newly implemented evaluation system; and, 3) explore teachers‘ and administrators‘ perceptions regarding the newly implemented teacher evaluation system being tied to performance pay. A purposeful sampling of sixteen teachers and five principals from low-performing and high-performing elementary, middle, and high schools within one large urban school district were selected as participants for this study to gain multiple perspectives from teachers and administrators across various contexts. Participants were part of one of the district‘s feeder pattern schools who participated in the pilot year of implementation. Three teacher focus groups were conducted, and each of the five principals were interviewed one-on-one using semi-structured interviews. Transcribed audio recordings from principal interviews and teacher focus groups were coded inductively (Creswell, 2002) and analyzed for emerging themes using the constant comparison method (Glaser and Strauss,1967). Findings revealed teachers and administrators perceived the newly implemented teacher evaluation system to positively influence instructional planning by providing the focus and structure embedded in the Danielson‘s Framework for Teaching and assisting teachers in refining pedagogy. Additionally, both teachers and administrators reported the evaluation system influenced classroom instruction by promoting increased levels of student engagement and moving teachers from teacher-directed instruction to student-driven learning. Findings also revealed the evaluation system provides teachers and administrators opportunities for reflective practice through increased dialog and strengthened relationships. The teachers and administrators perceived some of the training to be overwhelming and confusing due to the large amount of content given at once. Lastly, findings revealed teachers and administrators question the fairness of tying student growth measures to teacher performance pay, and they are unclear about the process for determining teacher performance pay. Implications and recommendations for districts planning to implement new evaluation systems are included in this study. The recommendations include: developing a clear set of teaching standards rooted in best practices for effective teaching when adopting a new teacher evaluation system; assuring the evaluation process encourages frequent observations, goal setting, action planning, and teacher and administrator reflections to promote reflective and improved practice, increased dialog, and strengthened relationships; assuring district leadership across all levels are well-informed regarding the newly implemented teacher evaluation system and are equipped to explain processes and address concerns; forming a district-wide core training team to deliver district-wide professional development rather than relying solely on campus administrators to deliver turn-around training to teachers and other campus level administrators; and, scaffolding training in smaller segments to allow adult learners to synthesis and process information more deeply.

Author: Barbara Jean Swenson Hauge
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Author: Claire L. Angers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Elementary school principals
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Author: Paul Travis Friedman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Elementary school principals
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Author: James H. Stronge
Publisher: ASCD
ISBN: 141661561X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Effective principals run effective schools--this much we know. Accurately measuring principal effectiveness, however, has long been an elusive goal for school administrators. In this indispensable book, author James H. Stronge details the steps and resources necessary for designing a comprehensive principal evaluation system that is based on sound research and established best practices. Here you'll find everything you need to thoroughly assess principal performance, including * An in-depth analysis of research findings related to principal evaluation. * A set of seven field-tested and research-based principal performance standards. * Detailed indicators for each standard that describe the principal's duties and expected level of performance. * A four-point performance appraisal rubric for each standard. * Forms and checklists for use in compiling evidence of performance and completing evaluations. * A step-by-step guide to planning, designing, implementing, and troubleshooting a successful evaluation system. If there's a new principal evaluation system rolling out in your school or district, or if your administration is planning to build one, Principal Evaluation: Standards, Rubrics, and Tools for Effective Performance is essential for ensuring that the system is accurate, fair, and effective.

Author: Jennie Y. Jiang
Publisher: Consortium on Chicago School Research
ISBN: 9780989799485
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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As part of UChicago CCSR's ongoing study of Chicago Public Schools' new teacher evaluation system, this report looks at teacher and principal perceptions in the second year of implementation. It finds teachers and principals remain positive about the new evaluation system, though less so than in Year 1. This brief, a continuation of the work that began in Teacher Evaluation in Practice: Implementing Chicago's REACH Students, draws on survey data from more than 19,000 teachers and nearly 800 principals and assistant principals to measure their views of REACH (Recognizing Educators Advancing Chicago's Students). REACH replaced the previous checklist system, which rated nearly all teachers as excellent or superior and failed to provide much useful feedback for improving teacher practice.

Author: Raymond A. Bastarache
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Teacher effectiveness
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Author: Christopher Clark
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : School principals
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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In recent decades, changes to federal and state accountability policy and related teacher evaluation systems occurred in the United States with minimal input from two of the largest groups of stakeholders impacted: principals and teachers. For this case study, I explored principals' and teachers' perceptions of their experiences with the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS), specifically the role of leadership practices and use of the evaluation rubric as a policy tool within an evaluation process. The study took place at one elementary school. Teachers perceived the evaluation process as carrying out its intended purpose of improving instruction through professional growth. Principals and teachers viewed the teacher evaluation system and the teacher evaluation rubric, a policy tool designed to facilitate and inform the processes and practices used to improve instruction in their districts and schools, as effective. Important district-level decisions also impacted how principals and teachers perceived the T-TESS. District-level decisions included policy related to frequency of required observations, methods of including student performance data, decisions related whether to issue a single rating or multiple ratings, and evaluation of specialized teachers. School-based leadership behaviors and practices were also found to influence teachers' perceptions related to the effectiveness of teacher evaluation which included a focus on school culture, leadership style employed, evaluation training, and use of the evaluation rubric. The findings of this study have implications for policy decisions, district-leadership decisions, and school-based leadership practice related to teacher evaluation, both in Texas as well as the nation.

Author: Thomas Kane
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118837185
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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WHAT IS EFFECTIVE TEACHING? It’s not enough to say “I know it when I see it” – not when we’re expecting so much more from students and teachers than in the past. To help teachers achieve greater success with their students we need new and better ways to identify and develop effective teaching. The Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project represents a groundbreaking effort to find out what works in the classroom. With funding by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the MET project brought together leading academics, education groups, and 3,000 teachers to study teaching and learning from every angle. Its reports on student surveys, observations, and other measures have shaped policy and practice at multiple levels. This book shares the latest lessons from the MET project. With 15 original studies, some of the field’s most preeminent experts tap the MET project’s unprecedented collection of data to offer new insights on evaluation methods and the current state of teaching in our schools. As feedback and evaluation methods evolve rapidly across the country, Designing Teacher Evaluation Systems is a must read and timely resource for those working on this critical task. PRAISE FOR DESIGNING TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEMS “This book brings together an all-star team to provide true data-driven, policy-relevant guidance for improving teaching and learning. From student achievement to student perceptions, from teacher knowledge to teacher practices, the authors address key issues surrounding the elements of a comprehensive teacher evaluation and improvement system. Highly recommended for anyone seriously interested in reform.” —PETE GOLDSCHMIDT, Assistant Secretary, New Mexico Public Education Department “This book is an invaluable resource for district and state leaders who are looking to develop growth and performance systems that capture the complexity of teaching and provide educators with the feedback needed to develop in their profession.” —TOM BOASBERG, Superintendent, Denver Public Schools “A rare example of practical questions driving top quality research and a must read for anyone interested in improving the quality of teaching.” —ROBERT C. GRANGER, Former President (Ret.), The William T. Grant Foundation “This will be the ‘go to’ source in years to come for those involved in rethinking how teachers will be evaluated and how evaluation can and should be used to increase teacher effectiveness. The superb panel of contributors to this book presents work that is incisive, informative, and accessible, providing a real service to the national efforts around teacher evaluation reform.” —JOHN H. TYLER, Professor of Education, Brown University