Purpose: In 2012, the Israeli Ministry of Education and its Testing and Evaluation Department introduced a new tool to evaluate the quality of kindergarten teachers' work. This paper aims to identify how kindergarten teachers perceive the new multiple domains performance tool. Design/methodology/approach: The study applied a qualitative paradigm…

This paper presents a qualitative study of the interactions between public kindergarten teachers and their superintendents, using the symbolic interaction theoretical framework. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the meaning-making processes and social dynamics that occur in these interactions, specifically monitoring ones. The…

The relationships students form with their teachers are critical to children's early school adjustment and later school success. While previous research has relied on teachers' single-point ratings of student-teacher relationship (STR) quality, this study included data provided by children and teachers at two time-points in the kindergarten year.…

Teacher evaluations serve as a measure of accountability and should improve instructional practice. The problem addressed in this study is that too much focus is placed on accountability while improving instruction is rarely realized, abandoning teacher development that promotes student achievement gains. This research is a qualitative,…

We evaluated the score stability of the Framework for Teaching (FFT), a prominent observation instrument used for teacher evaluation. Three raters each scored 200 reading and mathematics lessons taught by 20 kindergarten teachers. Using Generalizability theory analyses, we decomposed the FFT's Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Total scores…

Several instruments that measure the teaching, learning, and assessment quality have been developed and published. However, a psychometrically sound instrument to measure teaching, learning, and assessment quality in early childhood care and education that suitable for the Malaysian context needs to be validated. Therefore, this study aimed to…

This research aimed to analyze the levels of agreement between kindergarten teachers and principals in identifying the assessment of teachers' teaching competencies and performance. The study was designed under a quantitative approach using a survey. It implemented a non-probability sampling technique with purposive sampling. The sample of the…

Observation scales for measuring teaching skills were developed for both elementary education and kindergarten. Based on 500 observations, we found that both scales meet the requirements of the dichotomous Rasch model. These observation scales can help in finding the zone of proximal development of teachers in elementary education and…

We used multilevel analysis to examine the predictive validity of scores from the Framework for Teaching (FFT), the observation measure used most often to evaluate teachers' instruction. We investigated how well 81 kindergarten teachers' FFT scores for eight reading and eight mathematics lessons observed throughout the year predicted students'…

The purpose of this research is: 1) to develop the model and produce the assessment of creative curriculum-based learning program multiple intelligences (MI), 2) to know the characteristics and impacts of developed product models. Research using multi-years by method R & D (Research and Development) with two phases; First phase: 1) Preliminary…

To meet recent accountability mandates, school districts are implementing assessment frameworks to document teachers' effectiveness. Observational assessments play a key role in this process, albeit without compelling evidence of their psychometric rigor. Using a sample of kindergarten teachers, we employed Generalizability theory to investigate…

In statehouses, school boards, and communities across the US, battles are raging over the direction of education policy--from the standards that are shaping what students learn to how test results are being used to judge a teacher's performance. These battles are being waged against a backdrop of shifting demographics, rapidly developing…

Over the last several years, Tennessee has rapidly expanded the use of student growth portfolio models for the purpose of teacher evaluation. Participation, both in the number of districts and teachers, has increased steadily since portfolios were first introduced during the 2011-12 school year, and we expect that participation will continue to…

The authors examined the ecological validity of using observation-based scores to evaluate individual teachers' effectiveness, mirroring their use by school administrators. Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, the authors asked (a) how similar are teachers' emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support scores from…

Federal Staff from the U.S. Department of Education asked the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) to provide information on the number of states that include prekindergarten teachers in state teacher evaluation systems. This was a quick turnaround response to a request from the Office of Management and Budget. In response to this…