The paper discusses the process whereby a system of teacher evaluation was established in Chile through a lengthy and complicated process of negotiations between the three main institutions concerned: the Teachers' Union, the Association of Chilean Municipalities (managers of the public school system) and the Ministry of Education. The process is…

This report is part of a study of school districts in British Columbia (Canada), and deals with school district ethos--interest in defined focal areas--both as a measure of school district quality and as a potential predictor of student achievement. The study concentrates on one of these focal areas--holding schools accountable through monitoring.…

A study was conducted to determine the relationship between effective classroom management and the manner in which teachers assign and hold students responsible for written work in junior high schools. Seven more effective and seven less effective teachers were studied, and a summary of each teacher's accountability systems was written. Based on…

This paper relates work in the area of pupil growth measures to administrative tasks and decision-making. The topics synthesized include measurement of pupil growth, accountability and evaluation, and personnel systems management. A critical review, analysis and synthesis of pertinent literature is the major source of information, although…

This document is a general introduction to the nature, purposes, and potential uses of a critique series that deals with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal…

State legislative action to control and reward teaching quality has resulted in the coming of age of systematic teacher performance evaluation for certification, merit pay, or career ladder advancement decisions. This article overviews issues of credibility and practicality--including test design, validity, and reliability--which arise when…

Discusses management by objectives (MBO) as a sound organizational process that has great potential as an administrative tool in education systems. Provides definitions, stresses the participative nature of the process, cites successful examples of MBO in schools, and describes six conditions for the successful implementation of MBO. (JHZ)

The importance of alignment amongst standards in teacher education is vital for transforming preservice teacher education, continuing professional development, and teacher evaluation. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) can shape and inform practice, and a dean of a school of education might face challenges in grounding…

Reviews educational reforms of the past 10 years as they relate to visual arts education. Finds that progress has been made in the development of theoretical rationales for art education and in assessing teacher performance. Also finds that little progress has been made in evaluating student learning and performance. (CFR)

Discusses how legal issues impinge upon teacher competency testing, describing key legal provisions (antitrust protection, due process, equal protection, substantial adverse impact, and business necessity), and examining each one's impact on testing and teacher certification. Recommendations to help teacher educators ensure legal, credible, and…

The 2009 edition of the "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) third annual review of state laws, rules and regulations that govern the teaching profession. This year's report is a comprehensive analysis of the full range of each state's teacher policies, measured against a realistic…

The Idaho edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

Accountability is important in today's education. Teachers are expected to maintain high standards of excellence for themselves and their students and to demonstrate professional growth. Though expectations for teachers are usually very similar, expectations of teachers vary enormously. The article highlights certain differences by looking at four…

Merit pay for teachers is often proposed as a compensation system that will enable public schools to motivate teachers to pursue organizational goals. Yet the promise of merit pay is dimmed by knowledge of its history: most attempts to implement merit pay for public school teachers over the last 75 years have failed. The first part of this paper…

Although the main purpose of a school district's evaluation system is to improve employees' performance, the evaluation procedures and the supporting documentation must also serve as evidence in the termination hearings of an unsatisfactory employee. Accordingly, this chapter provides practical advice to school administrators concerning…