In the 1950s and 1960s, students practiced ducking under their desks in case of an atomic bomb attack. We know that this was silly and provided no protection and many school practices that are popular today are equally silly. This book explores a wide range of what the authors label "duck and cover" policies--ideas that may have started…

For well over a decade, teachers have been recognized as the single most important school-level factor influencing student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; McCaffrey, Lockwood, Koretz, & Hamilton, 2003; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2000; Rowan, Correnti & Miller, 2002; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). Tremendous public resources…

In the report "From Good to Great: Exemplary Teachers Share Perspectives on Increasing Teacher Effectiveness across the Career Continuum," (See full report in ERIC at ED555657) National and State Teachers of the Year shared their views on what helped them become great teachers. This accompanying "Discussion Starter Tool" builds…

As the education reform movement increasingly focuses on teachers and teaching, educators, policy-makers, and researchers need valid and reliable measures that can be used to evaluate individual teachers, provide guidance for improving teaching performance, and support research in ways that advance instruction and classroom dialog and practice. A…

Purpose: To present a framework to facilitate comprehension of research on the effectiveness of the teaching evaluation process. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive review of the literature that identifies common categories and factors that can be used to construct an analytical framework. Findings: Identifies student related, course…

This collection of nine papers was presented at a workshop on evaluation for excellence in education. "Why Evaluate?" by Madeline I. Hardy, contends that although reform is needed, evaluation must continue in order to measure educational change, bring improvement, and provide public accountability. In "Evaluation for Excellence in…

This article assembles data and opinions of teachers, superintendents, and principals on the process of teacher evaluation, as reported in five recent surveys conducted by the Educational Research Service between 1984 and 1987. (TE)

This compendium, a deliverable for "Assessments for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning with Preschool/Elementary-School Children," focuses on tools to assess the social and emotional learning (SEL) of preschool and elementary school students (i.e., five- to ten-year-olds), along with aspects of the contexts in which they learn and…

A survey of over 200 English comprehensive schools revealed that nearly half the schools had either implemented or were about to implement staff appraisal schemes. The survey emphasizes the definitional problem of appraisal; some styles of appraisal were the same as staff development. (MLF)

Based on teacher estimates, this discussion focuses on the importance of test content coverage in terms of instructional and curricular validity; students' opportunity to learn test content; and the relationship between test content covered in class and student performance on a standardized achievement test in reading. (JS)

This paper presents Professional Practical Knowledge research as a method for studying the observable action and invisible knowledge of early intervention service providers. The research provides practitioners with a special window through which intervention practices can be seen from a fresh perspective. The paper addresses the method's…

Out of the eight decades of thought about the meaning of social studies, some agreement as to the purpose and goals of social studies has emerged, yet argument continues on just how the goals and purposes should be applied. One approach to understanding the different points of view on the purposes and goals is the "three traditions"…

Presents a conceptual model for teacher supervision and staff development for both practitioners and researchers. Constructs can also be used to diagnose problems and plan appropriate strategies for professional improvement. The model offers researchers opportunities for analysis and hypothesis testing. Includes 16 references. (MLH)

Current interest in the topic of teacher evaluation indicates a need for better evaluation techniques. The methodological problems in teacher evaluation are explored through a discussion of audiences, models, sources for data, and modes of reporting. Directions for development by researchers and practitioners are presented. (DF)

Reports results of a study of the ways in which undergraduate and graduate music majors evaluated the teaching methods of graduate associate music instructors. Reports that evaluators gave instructors high marks for characteristics including enthusiasm, interest in the student, and patience. Concludes that untrained evaluators can reliably analyze…