The types of validity evidence that are appropriate for teacher licensure tests are discussed. Included are a discussion of the current popularity of teacher competency tests and the reasons for that popularity. Licensure, certification, and employment examinations are differentiated. Because the area of interest is the minimum competency…

The Developmental Teacher Evaluation Kit (DeTek) and the Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS) are compared in this report. The DeTek model is based on objective analysis, diagnostic procedures to guide inservice planning and professional growth, an ongoing cycle of evaluation and development, and provision of diagnostic instruments. It is limited…

A research-based administrative training program prepares principals and mentor teachers to evaluate classroom instruction. Since 1986, nearly 300 principals and teachers have participated in the Techniques of Responsive Intervention to Validate Effective Teaching program (TRIVET), which has been offered as a graduate course and year-long…

Since 1986, the Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) at Stanford University (California) has been exploring performance-based modes of assessment that capture the complexity of the practice of teaching. After a brief description of the rating procedures, the raters, and the situated-performances designed by the TAP for assessment, this paper describes…

The Teacher Assessment Program (TAP) presents alternative modes of teacher evaluation to inform the deliberations of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Three experimental methods of assessment--simulation exercise, portfolios, and simulation-based portfolios--were implemented by various groups of teachers. Practical…

The evaluation instruments used in the Tennessee Career Ladder program are described, and their evolution over the first three years of program implementation is traced. The instruments are designed to measure teacher performance and to determine outstanding teachers. They include: the Career Ladder Test of Professional Skills (a multiple-choice…

This report summarizes the 1988 study of Overseas Department of Defense Dependents' (DODD) Schools. The study assessed the quality of education, organizational structure, drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, and teacher evaluation systems by sampling 10 schools located in the Philippines and by interviewing concerned administrators in the…

This discussion on merit pay and career ladders focuses on legal questions about evaluation fairness. If the concern of teachers for fairness is heeded, policymakers must include in enabling legislation for teacher incentive programs procedures designed to minimize the impact of bias for or against particular individuals or particular teaching…

The development of a plan for language teaching evaluation and the first steps taken to implement it are reported. The plan, developed as a result of efforts to assist the Defense Language Institute in program evaluation, involves direct observation of language instruction in progress. Outside observers would assess the degree to which course…

The horizontal evaluation model was developed to remedy three major problems associated with competency-based approaches to teacher evaluation: there is no consensus regarding what competencies are essential to good teaching; teachers' behaviors may or may not be related to competencies they possess; and competency-based evaluation typically fails…

This is an evaluation of the Trilingual Education Learning Environment Program (TELE) which provided training to teacher interns in New York City. The program sought to improve the linguistic performance of limited English proficient students by training Spanish/English and Italian/English teachers in Title I designated schools, and to serve as a…

A teacher's academic preparation is crucial to classroom performance. Answers nine frequently asked questions about teacher education so that board members may be better able to act responsibly in making personnel recommendations. (MD)

Peer-Mediated Self-Appraisal facilitates merit pay decisions by combining summative (standard professional review) and formative (teaching processes and strategies) evaluation. It requires clear teaching standards, objective measures, and community acceptance of teachers as professionals. Two figures compare formative and summative evaluation and…

Looks at the ways in which health professions test for competence and improve training and testing programs. Discusses the controversy concerning medical licensing, criterion-referenced exams for nurses, and continuing education evaluations. Finally, testing in the teaching professions is examined, including competency-based and continuing teacher…

In this paper, we describe the results a study assessing the relationship between the certification of teachers by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and elementary level student achievement. We examine whether NBPTS assesses the most effective applicants, whether certification by NBPTS serves as a signal of teacher…