Three leading experts on teacher evaluation agree that multiple data sources improve evaluation accuracy. A testing program for preservice and inservice teachers is cited. Semiannual testing (norm-referenced and criterion-referenced) of students is also cited as a way to evaluate teachers' effectiveness. (MLF)

Two brief articles suggest sound evaluation procedures, one for administrators and the other for teachers. Both stress clearly stated, objective evaluation criteria. (JM)

Reviews, from a legal counsel's perspective, themes common to improving or discharging incompetent teachers. Teachers who fail remediation are unhappy people who never understand they have problems. Administrators who inflate evaluation grades aid this avoidance. Administrators must overcome their personal predilections and training and act like…

Multirater or 360-degree feedback is a sampling technique that can be used at three levels: for developmental purposes, appraisal, and compensation. It was designed to be small-scale, personalized, and occasional. Implementation tips and pitfalls for districts are described. (MLH)

Utilizing teachers to observe and evaluate other teachers provides an opportunity for peers to exchange ideas and learn the components of competent teaching. A peer assessment program requires delineation of indicators to be evaluated, a procedure for lateral and vertical communication, and a procedure for selecting observers. (MLF)

A self-nomination process is the key to a merit program in a Nebraska school system. An incentive award is distributed equally among teacher candidates who meet defined criteria in the areas of (1) student achievement, (2) candidate cooperation, (3) improving the profession, and (4) commitment to professional growth. (MLF)

As principals and other administrators increasingly find themselves being held accountable for various school performance measures, they must recognize the deleterious effects of poorly performing teachers and learn to evaluate all teachers more truthfully. Documentation will be effective only if it is honest, straightforward, and complete.…

Competency-based pay provides an incentive for employees to enhance their capacity for performing their jobs. Salary increases are not linked to past performance, but to future professional growth to meet increasingly higher expectations. Discussions to identify key teaching competencies must precede implementation. (MLH)

Because teacher pay is by far the largest part of most school districts' operating budgets (often 50 to 70 percent), it is compelling to ask if those dollars can be linked to improving teacher quality and, ultimately, student performance. Improving teacher quality means ensuring that: (1) All teachers have sufficient knowledge, skills and…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards emerged in 1987 in response to recommendations by the Carnegie Forum's Task Force on Teaching as a Profession in its 1986 report "A Nation Prepared." This article discusses competition problems arising from national voluntary certification for teachers wishing to demonstrate greater…

Responding to renewed interest in merit pay and master teacher plans, this article reviews surveys and local plans and finds that successful plans exist in areas with adequate salaries and evaluation measures. "Career Ladders" based on incentives and/or additional responsibilities are also examined. (MD)

Urban school systems in Birmingham (Alabama), Baltimore (Maryland), and other cities have achieved large increases in student test scores by emphasizing basic skills, teacher evaluation and training, learning objectives, and strong administrative leadership. (RW)

A well-conceived and administered evaluation plan that incorporates the techniques of target-setting for all teachers and administrators may be one way to combat teacher burnout. (Author/MLF)

Since teachers know that students and parents will not rate them as kindly as fellow educators, most attempts to add these voices have been resisted. Although some districts have managed to overcome teacher skepticism and hostility, only 1 percent of U.S. school districts use 360-degree evaluation regularly. (MLH)

Describes differences between problems and predicaments. Asserts that top leaders manage predicaments. Describes several paradoxes faced by educational leaders and the predicaments underlying their decision choices that usually result in coping with, rather than resolving the predicaments. Offers suggests for improving educational leaders'…