This book shows how a school district's local teacher evaluation committee can design evaluation systems in which educators can achieve the dual purposes of accountability and professional development and even merge these purposes. A structural framework for designing the evaluation is proposed that locates teachers in one of three tracks: the…

One way to exert leadership in orienting new teachers is to act confidently as master teacher. This can be accomplished by scheduling informal monthly orientation meetings centered on priority topics. Roundtable discussions of sensitive topics foster a different image of the principalship, increase administrator visibility, and facilitate both…

Rather than being neutral, teacher education is grounded in a set a values that are culturally defined and politically transmitted. These values, and their political significance in terms of power and control issues, go far toward defining the educational experience that students and teachers, both in the schools and in universities, have.…

Describes the efforts of two educational institutions to reward teaching excellence using positive feedback rather than merit pay incentives. An Arizona district, drawing on Herzberg's motivation theories, offers highly individualized rewards ranging from computers to conference money, while an Illinois community college bestows engraved plaques…

Provides background, including Tennessee Education Association involvement, and current status of Tennessee's Comprehensive Education Reform Act. Summarizes national career ladder plans. Identifies key issues: fair evaluation of teachers by statewide process; appropriate state and local roles for teacher evaluation and employment; workability of…

Teacher evaluations can prove very effective if sufficient observation time is allowed, classroom activities are noted objectively and thoroughly, both positive and negative findings are discussed fully with the teacher, and opportunities for improvement are provided. (PGD)

Three leading experts on teacher evaluation agree that multiple data sources improve evaluation accuracy. A testing program for preservice and inservice teachers is cited. Semiannual testing (norm-referenced and criterion-referenced) of students is also cited as a way to evaluate teachers' effectiveness. (MLF)

Analysis of responses from 536 teachers revealed that teachers' background and professional attitudes were related to their views toward six specific types of evaluation. Multifaceted approaches may be required in order to realize consensus regarding teacher evaluation. (MLF)

Outlines the first part of a two-phase process for developing a student teacher evaluation model. A listing of the nine "core tasks" comprising the evaluation instrument is provided. (MD)

Three urban school principals from the US have described their efforts to turn around their performing schools and create sustainable leadership. They describe about the challenges they had faced while reorganizing the school, recruiting new teachers, spending extra time on teacher evaluations and remaining the instructional leader.

The Principal's Legal Handbook contains information and recommendations for practice in four areas. Section 1, "Students and the Law," yields interesting and informative answers on a number of issues related to students and the law: recent issues in schools relative to students' rights; the use of technology; and the latest case law and…

Written in a reader-friendly style for busy faculty members and school administrators with little or no prior knowledge of statistics, this comprehensive model is designed to create fair, valid, and reliable assessments of teacher knowledge and skills. Evaluation experts Judy Wilkerson and Steve Lang provide detailed guidance for the complete…

Curriculum, instruction, classroom climate, enhancement of self-esteem, and organizing for teaching are readily evaluated by using this manual for teacher evaluation. Five performance areas outlined in part 1 list benchmark skills associated with sound teaching skills: (1) proficiency with curriculum; (2) evaluating student growth; (3) preparation…

Rather than being trained and supervised, graduate teaching assistants in rhetoric and speech should be taught and advised. Teaching assistants, or graduate instructors, should be considered colleagues, not merely cheap labor to teach courses the rest of the faculty does not want to teach. The first step in establishing an effective teaching and…

The Teacher Quality Assurance Program, an integral part of the Houston, Texas, Plan for Excellence, addresses renewal and professional growth opportunities for current staff. The program is administered by a bi- or tri-dimensional assessment team that may consist of the principal, an instructional supervisor, and the associate and/or deputy…