During the spring semester of 1987, the Alabama State Department of Education conducted a statewide assessment study in which all teachers and principals participated. The classroom performance of teachers was observed, and their teaching competencies were measured on low- and high-inference instruments. These measurements were to be used to…

Two components in making decisions about selecting courses are examined: course descriptions by instructors and evaluation of instruction by students. Faculty attitudes toward student evaluations in general and their attitudes about evaluations being used for instructional improvement, administrative decisions, and course selection are discussed,…

A survey was administered to 51 business education teachers who have taught handicapped students in their business education classes. Results indicate that business education teachers are not receiving the necessary training or support to serve this diverse student population. Recommendations are given to improve the mainstreaming experience for…

An empirical test of a method of teacher evaluation by predicting student performance and comparing it with actual outcomes is described. Results from 6,249 urban fifth graders in 103 schools suggest that teachers can be evaluated in this way and that the best and worst teachers can be identified. (SLD)

The purpose of this article is to identify topics that principals of highly successful middle level schools perceive as important in principal preparation programs, and to make recommendations for policy and curricular changes based on those recommendations. The importance assigned to topics of study in graduate programs by principals of highly…

A 3-year research project commissioned in 1988 investigated Scottish probationer teachers' views of five aspects of their experience: initial training, recruitment and selection, induction, support, and assessment. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect the views of 250 probationer teachers, their headteachers, other school staff,…

Issues in collecting data on the classroom performance of teachers are discussed, with a focus on written descriptions of teacher behavior in contrast with videotaped observations. The central issue in this comparison is the comparability of the information when it is observed live and when it is simply recorded on videotape. The fundamental…

Schools are not serving our Black and Hispanic youth well, as standardized test scores reflect. The problem of educating these students must be addressed. This book offers suggestions to educators who have the interest, intent, and inspiration to facilitate achievement motivation among these students, but who may lack the information or teaching…

Using a segment of one program from a series of videotaped staff development programs as a data base, this paper investigates the nature of the relationship involved in peer coaching. The segment is a model interview between two teachers who are engaged in a peer coaching program. The series, Coaching for Improved Teaching, promotes the idea that…

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of teacher selection practices with reference to literature sources and recommends experimentation with a structured interview approach based on life style themes. The first variable in selection involves identification of characteristics of effective teachers. Some agreement concerning particular teaching…

This document, which was created by a work group of literacy program coordinators in the state of Washington, is designed for the following purposes: to provide a set of written standards for quality volunteer adult tutoring programs; to list criteria by which Washington's State Board for Community and Technical Colleges can award Volunteer Tutor…

The purpose of this paper, which is drawn from a larger analytic history of the National Teacher Evaluation (NTE) program, is to investigate issues of validity within the context of the program's 50-year history. Three major findings emerge from historical considerations relating to: (1) the continuity of test content and justification over the…

Reviews research data to identify design criteria for a school-family policy system that includes evaluation of teachers' relations with families. Finds that evaluation of teachers' relationships with families is valuable to fostering school-family partnerships. Provides parent involvement policies to consider as fair criteria for evaluating…

The Santa Cruz County Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program provides social and instructional support for novice teachers assigned primarily to language minority classrooms. This report, an evaluation and assessment of the program, is organized into chapters as follows: (1) "Introduction and Overview"; (2) "Program…

Teacher evaluation remains a controversial and disruptive area. The problems arise from the way evaluations are carried out. In many cases the evaluation system used is the problem. This book discusses teacher evaluation by providing characteristics separating effective and less effective systems. It presents eight commonalities identified in…