Teacher evaluation policies have become increasingly central as a promising way to enhance student learning. We examine how teacher evaluation policies in a Great Lakes state have played out at the district level based on a policy instruments framework. Drawing on interview data collected from 11 school district administrators, we found that the…

The majority of states have laws in place that require teacher evaluations and many states are tying teacher evaluations and teacher effectiveness to tenure and dismissal policies. Historically, the teacher evaluation process has been conducted by the school principal and has commonly been disconnected from the teacher development processes that…

Educators, economists, and sociologists have long discussed how best to measure the value of education in society. Since the Coleman Report was published in 1966, indicating that America's students were falling behind, there has been increased scrutiny on ensuring teachers are effective in the classroom and that students are learning and growing…

Despite teachers being centrally implicated in teacher evaluation policy reform, we know little about the effects of its policies and procedures on teachers' work in their school district, and we see limited discussion about the possibility of teachers as policy actors to reflect upon and possibly improve or overcome teacher evaluation. Using data…

Over several weeks of the late Spring and early Summer of 2010, along with a bright summer intern, the author visited a dozen DCPS schools. The alleged purpose was to collect feedback on the design of an expanded testing program. These meetings were informative, animated, and very well attended. School staff appreciated the apparent opportunity to…

Positive learning experiences and achievement for students are significantly skewed to the knowledge, level of skill, and disposition of the classroom teacher (e.g., Darling-Hammond, 2000; Rockoff, 2004). Ensuring teachers have professional learning experiences that develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions is critical. This research…

Wisconsin's teacher evaluation approach departs from most states by articulating principles for a learning-centered system and discouraging districts from using evaluation results for accountability purposes. This study presents findings from a longitudinal analysis of practices within fourteen schools across five districts. Findings demonstrate…

This study examined the relationship between effective educational planning and teaching staff performance among public secondary schools in Zamfara State, Nigeria. A research null hypothesis was established to guide the research work. The study adopted correlational survey design. The population of the study comprised 24 public secondary schools…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to help to understand teacher morale in the local context, providing insight into the perceptions of teachers experiencing low morale surrounding the evaluation process. To achieve this goal, the research question explored was: What role do teachers from a high school in New Jersey perceive that teacher…

Well-designed research-based evaluation instruments have been implemented in school districts in a southwest U.S. state; however, it was unclear how elementary teachers were using an evaluation instrument as a formative tool to guide their instructional practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how elementary…

This current study is an exploratory, secondary data analysis of a survey assessing training, district support, and confidence of school administrators when it comes to special education teacher evaluation. The present study specifically examines (a) if the influence of district training regarding special education teachers influences the…

The study explores the implementation of teacher evaluation models and federal education policies, particularly AchieveNJ, in an urban public school district in New Jersey. It focuses on principals' experiences and perceptions, uncovering their challenges and thoughts on the policy's effectiveness in enhancing teacher performance and student…

Under the "Every Student Succeeds Act," states and local school districts have more flexibility to design and implement teacher evaluation systems; however, very few studies have empirically examined the issue of localization of teacher evaluation policies. This study draws on longitudinal, mixed-methods evidence from school districts in…

This study builds on an initial coaching study that found a strong focus on logistics and a lack of depth in coach-teacher talk during modeling and coteaching cycles in one midsize urban school district. The current study explores how administrative policies and expectations may have shaped these coach-teacher interactions. Data sources include 27…

A fundamental question for education policy is whether outcomes-based accountability including comprehensive educator evaluations and a closer relationship between effectiveness and compensation improves the quality of instruction and raises achievement. We use synthetic control methods to study the comprehensive teacher and principal evaluation…