In 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the investigation of a $45 million question: How can we identify and develop effective teaching? Now that the findings from their Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project have been released, it's clear they asked a simpler question, namely, What other measures match up well with value-added…

An initial look at work being done in a reform project sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation finds that evaluations of teacher performance aren't as unpopular with teachers who have experienced the new system as some would have us believe. Leaders acknowledge that the new approach to teacher evaluation takes more time than…

Value-added models have caught the interest of policymakers because, unlike using student tests scores for other means of accountability, they purport to "level the playing field." That is, they supposedly reflect only a teacher's effectiveness, not whether she teaches high- or low-income students, for instance, or students in accelerated or…

Education reform is the focus of many of the political agendas today. The research is clear that the best way to increase student achievement is by having highly effective teachers in the classroom. As a result of prior research, both the state and federal governments have created mandates and legislation aimed at achieving that goal. One of the…

In this article, John Papay argues that teacher evaluation tools should be assessed not only on their ability to measure teacher performance accurately, but also on how well they inform and support ongoing teacher development. He looks at two major approaches to teacher evaluation reform: value-added measures and standards-based evaluations. Papay…

The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

The growing prominence of value-added models for measuring teacher effectiveness has prompted a recent surge in policies that consider students' classroom performance part of a teacher's evaluation. Yet, in light of the criticism and limitations of the current models, whether and how evaluation systems will adapt over time is unclear. This paper…

For better or worse, many educational decisions that were once handled on a personal level by teachers or administrators now increasingly rely upon data and information. To be successful in this era, educators need to understand this broad sociotechnical revolution and how it is realigning traditional roles and responsibilities. In this book, the…

We examine the distinction between teaching and teachers as it relates to instructional improvement. Drawing from work outside of education on improvement systems and from analyzing the Japanese system of lesson study, we contend that a focus on teaching can shape a coordinated system for improvement whereas a focus on teachers, common in the…

Research conducted by the British Council concerning modern continuous professional development of teachers has been analyzed. The issue concerning foreign language teachers' professional development has been considered. Productive approach to this process that gives a teacher the opportunities to define aspects of their professional activities…

With two decades of implementation in urban, suburban, rural, remote, tribal, public, private, and charter schools, the TAP System is impacting educators and students across the country. This document summarizes results from prior selected studies of TAP's impact and spotlights several new studies showcasing improved student achievement in…

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires faculty from educator preparation programs to provide evidence of credential candidates' impact on K-12 student learning. However, there is a paucity of information on preparation programs' use of direct assessments of student learning to gauge credential candidate…

This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the heterogeneity of effectiveness between supplemental educational services (SES) providers in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Using surveys of schools and SES providers, and statistical modeling, providers using college graduates and teachers as tutors were found to be more effective than…

The purpose of this research was to ascertain the methods used to evaluate music faculty and whether achievement measures, or student progress, impact the evaluations made about teacher effectiveness for music faculty in the higher education context. The author surveyed Chairs of Departments or Directors of Schools of Music (n = 412) listed as…