This article presents a conversation with Charlotte Danielson. Danielson is an expert on good teaching, having analyzed the performance of what distinguished, proficient and underperforming teachers do (or don't do). Her detailed rubrics on teaching reveal the benefits to teachers, students and administrators when a common standard of practice is…

School funding always will be a concern to school leaders, but it is an issue that districts have little control over. Teacher evaluation too often is a matter of compliance in school districts, and the author has always wanted to do something about it. Because of recent legislative changes to teacher evaluation in Michigan, where the author led a…

Monique was the kind of student every college professor remembers fondly. She seemed to excel in all areas. She enrolled in additional course work to earn a double academic major, completed an academic honors program for which she received national recognition, earned accolades for her high grade-point average and competed on the university swim…

Pay-for-performance systems in public schools have long been burdened with controversy. Critics of performance pay systems contend that because teachers' impact cannot be measured without error, it is impossible to create fair and accurate systems for evaluating and rewarding performance. By this standard, however, current practice fails on both…

Last May, the seven most recent New York State Teacher of the Year award winners joined the 1993 recipient in sounding the alarm bell over the state's new plan to stake 40 percent of teachers' performance evaluations on students' standardized test scores. In their letter to Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the state Board of Regents, the teachers said…

In the new political landscape, lawmakers in state after state are anxiously sponsoring legislation eliminating "last-in, first-out" policies. News reports would have people believe every untenured teacher, with just a few months of experience, is a "Teacher of the Year" candidate, while every tenured professional is a money-grabbing, lazy and…

Pay for performance is not a new idea, and reformers should not ignore the dismal record of merit pay over the past century. Initially adopted with a flourish of expectations during several waves of popularity in the past, every plan eventually fell into disuse. These plans proved to be unexpectedly costly and cumbersome to run. They often…

As it affects economics, inflation has affected educational jargon, maintains this author, who "researched" this question so thoroughly that it has become her "area of expertise." The result is a devastating critique of "educationese" for everything from teacher rating "instruments" (once called…

The most frequently used cooperative learning models feature five common components: heterogeneous teams, teammate interdependence, team interdependence, accountability, and activity appropriateness. These elements are explained to assist supervisors desiring to evaluate teachers using cooperative learning methods. Includes seven references. (MLH)

Existing teacher evaluation procedures are flawed because they are too "global" and fail to recognize differences attributable to content and learner ability. Lee S. Shulman hopes to change this situation through the Teacher Assessment Project, a Carnegie Corporation-sponsored program developing alternative assessment exercises. (MLH)

In her 27 years as an administrator in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Marge Chiafery can legitimately claim to have seen the best of times and the worst. The high moments were the earlier years when Merrimack's job-sharing initiative, teacher evaluation system and middle school project promoting parent-child communication were emulated statewide. The…

A reading observation checklist is presented for principal use in classroom observation. (MD)

Suggests some tested methods for superintendents to determine whether their administrators are truly practicing instructional leadership. Emphasizes the importance of visiting classrooms and attending inservice workshops at each school. Effective instructional leadership calls for getting others involved with improving overall performance. (MLH)

Describes the efforts of two educational institutions to reward teaching excellence using positive feedback rather than merit pay incentives. An Arizona district, drawing on Herzberg's motivation theories, offers highly individualized rewards ranging from computers to conference money, while an Illinois community college bestows engraved plaques…

Describes Salt Lake City (Utah) schools' five instructional improvement goals, including clearly developed learning objectives, effective teaching and evaluation models, appropriate assessment tools, an energized classroom environment, and career leaders to attract and retain superior teachers. Discusses career ladder systems, focusing on teacher…