Teacher evaluations can be used by states and districts to support and develop an exceptional workforce. Accurate evaluations based on quality data can help differentiate teacher performance, inform feedback, improve professional development, provide opportunities for pay increases and advancement, and provide rationale for teacher dismissals. Yet…

In response to research demonstrating that Tennessee Extension agents desired a performance appraisal system that better reflected their jobs and provided for appraisers' professional development, a committee of University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University personnel undertook a 2-year initiative to revise the performance appraisal…

For over two decades, NIET has been dedicated to building educator excellence to enhance student success by supporting states, districts, schools, and educator preparation programs in recruiting, developing, and retaining educators. The first section of the 2023-24 NIET Research Summary presents highlights from five recent studies that align with…

Federal legislation has demanded increased accountability requirements for teacher excellence. Teachers and school leaders in the local schools are impacted tremendously by this decision. The necessity to provide students with high performing teachers is a priority of all stakeholders. The need to comply with federal grant requirements has added…

The recent turn toward core practices and practice-based teacher education has been accompanied by a growing literature on the definitions, pedagogies to teach, and assessments of core practices. Despite these developments, the field lacks core practices performance assessments designed to be used across course sections, courses, and subjects.…

This research examines how public school principals in seven U.S. states perceive the proficiency exam they must take and pass in order to evaluate their teachers. The test is centered on the states' primary teaching evaluation system, which is based on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. An online survey was developed and 832 out of…

This research examines how public school principals in eight U.S. states perceive their teacher evaluation systems, which are based on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching (FfT). States were selected to represent high, middle, and low scorers in the annual "Education Week" "Quality Counts" report (Education Week, 2016).…

A study was conducted to investigate the perceived relevance of using a teacher evaluation rubric with performance indicators specific to special education services in place of the standard rubric for teachers used in the State of Arkansas Teacher Excellence Support System (TESS). Through a multi-method approach, the perceptions of special…

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in Arkansas teachers' and building-level administrators' perceptions regarding the purpose of the Arkansas TESS teacher evaluation system, whether TESS authentically assesses teacher effectiveness, how teacher evaluation data are used, and how the TESS process supports learner-centered…

This report offers state leaders key areas for action to continue progress in implementing evaluation systems, even as federal policies on teacher evaluation relax state requirements. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) offers its current best thinking for how state agencies can make the smartest use of funds, time and partners to refine…

Teacher-education programs are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of their graduates at a time in which many states have adopted a new generation of formal teacher-evaluation systems. Despite the current emphasis on the evaluation of teacher proficiency, the opportunity to reflect upon practice remains a vital aspect of…

One of the greatest challenges faced by school leaders across the United States is the recruitment of high-quality educators, and many programs have been developed to address this problem. This study evaluates one such program. We evaluate the Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC), an alternative teacher certification program that places teachers in…

Limited research has been done to examine teacher evaluation in rural schools. This article presents an analysis of legislation and regulation of teacher evaluation in selected rural states, highlights their commonalities and differences, reports their litigation, and speculates on potential problems that can result in rural schools. It ends with…

The field of education has been marked by change initiatives, especially since 2002 and the implementation of No Child Left Behind. Teacher evaluation is a major area of concern in many of these initiatives and the implementation of the Race to the Top in 2009 has place even greater emphasis on Teacher Evaluation. Thirty-seven states made…

This February 2015 report presents an analysis of classroom observation policies and progress in implementation in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states. It offers a closer look at how states are framing observations, training observers, ensuring observation quality and building a culture of educator support. The report outlines…