Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking: Teacher Evaluation

Posted on October 12, 2012 by coreeducation

The first in a new series of two-page briefs summarizing the state of education policy research offers suggestions for policymakers designing teacher evaluation systems. The first paper, Teacher Evaluation, is written by Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, housed at the University of Colorado’s Boulder School of Education. Mathis summarizes Read more about Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking: Teacher Evaluation[…]

The Hangover: Thinking About the Unintended Consequences of the Nation’s Teacher Evaluation Binge

Posted on October 3, 2012February 5, 2013 by coreeducation

Last week, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) released a new paper focused on the “teacher evaluation binge” that has swept the country. The paper, authored by Sara Meade, Andrew Rotherham, and Rachael Brown, argues that “there are pitfalls in states’ rush to legislate new systems, and there are real tensions and trade-offs in their design.” Read more about The Hangover: Thinking About the Unintended Consequences of the Nation’s Teacher Evaluation Binge[…]

Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations

Posted on September 21, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) has released a paper that explores the growth models available for school and teacher evaluations. The specifics of how growth models should be constructed and used to evaluate schools and teachers is a topic of lively policy debate in states and school districts Read more about Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations[…]

Does evaluation make teachers more effective?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by coreeducation

In Cincinnati, newly released research finds that teacher participation in a teacher evaluation system that includes highly structured classroom observations increases student performance. Released in the Fall 2012 edition of Education Next, the study looks at practice-based teacher assessment that relies on multiple, highly structured classroom observations conducted by experienced peer teachers and administrators. Researchers Read more about Does evaluation make teachers more effective?[…]

The Missing Piece in Teacher Evaluation Laws: Empowering Principals

Posted on September 11, 2012 by coreeducation

Sara Mead of Bellwether Education recently wrote in an Education Week blog about her investigation into teacher evaluation legislation in 21 states that have passed laws in the last three years requiring teacher evaluations based in part on student achievement. Bellwether’s study finds that 12 states’ laws link tenure to teacher effectiveness, 16 explicitly give Read more about The Missing Piece in Teacher Evaluation Laws: Empowering Principals[…]

Hope Street Group Launches the Teacher Evaluation Playbook

Posted on August 20, 2012 by coreeducation

The Hope Street Group, a national, nonpartisan non-profit organization that focuses on bringing together political leadership with non-governmental innovators in business, nonprofit organizations, etc. to develop creative solutions for America’s current economic problems, has launched a new website—The Teacher Evaluation Playbook. The site serves as a guide for implementing strategies around teacher evaluation systems with Read more about Hope Street Group Launches the Teacher Evaluation Playbook[…]

Georgia Still in Hot Water Over Race to the Top

Posted on August 14, 2012 by coreeducation

The U.S. Department of Education has not been swayed by Georgia’s passionate defense of its teacher-evaluation plans, which are somewhat in conflict with what the state promised to do when it won a coveted Race to the Top grant. In a new letter to the state, the federal department’s Race to the Top implementer-in-chief Ann Read more about Georgia Still in Hot Water Over Race to the Top[…]

How to Build a Better Teacher

Posted on August 7, 2012 by coreeducation

In a recent article for Slate, Ryan Fisman reflects on the current emphasis on teacher effectiveness. Is firing bad instructors the only way to improve schools? According to new research, maybe not. Few districts have the “luxury” of being able to fire low-performing teachers and replacing them with more effective ones. This being the case, Read more about How to Build a Better Teacher[…]

Teachers “Trending Toward Reform”

Posted on July 18, 2012July 18, 2012 by coreeducation

Over the past decade, teachers have seen changes in both their conditions of employment-from pay to retirement benefits-and their practice. Far too often, these policies have been made by people who talk about teachers, rather than talking to them. Last fall, Education Sector surveyed a nationally representative random sample of more than 1,100 K-12 public Read more about Teachers “Trending Toward Reform”[…]

Supporting Effective Instruction in Tennessee

Posted on June 21, 2012 by coreeducation

The State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE, has released a new report, “Supporting Effective Instruction in Tennessee,” focused on the state’s teacher evaluation system. The report follows a five-month listening and feedback process SCORE led on the evaluation system to identify what is working well, gather input on challenges and concerns, and report back Read more about Supporting Effective Instruction in Tennessee[…]

Green Dot Announces Pay-for-Performance Agreement

Posted on June 20, 2012 by coreeducation

Green Dot Public Schools (GDPS), a charter school network operating in inner urban Los Angeles, announced earlier this month the approval of a contract with its teachers that includes a pay-for-performance evaluation tool. Though the agreement does not “make the critical link between teacher compensation and student performance,” it does position the charter group to Read more about Green Dot Announces Pay-for-Performance Agreement[…]

Creating a Comprehensive System for Evaluating and Supporting Effective Teaching

Posted on June 19, 2012 by coreeducation

A new report on teacher evaluation systems, authored by Linda Darling-Hammond, was released by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (or SCOPE) last week. The report, Creating a Comprehensive System for Evaluating and Supporting Effective Teaching, outlines an integrated approach that connects the goals of teacher preparation and development to “a teaching-career continuum Read more about Creating a Comprehensive System for Evaluating and Supporting Effective Teaching[…]

Teacher Effectiveness: A “Look Under the Hood”

Posted on June 11, 2012 by coreeducation

The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, or ConnCAN, recently published a new report on teacher effectiveness and evaluation that looks at key components of 10 teacher evaluation models. Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: A Look “Under the Hood” of Teacher Evaluation in 10 Sites, was conducted in partnership with Public Impact. The study was conducted in several Read more about Teacher Effectiveness: A “Look Under the Hood”[…]

Aligning Teacher Evaluation with Professional Learning

Posted on June 8, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (or TQ Center) has released new resources focused on how “meaningful professional learning” into the design and implementation of teacher evaluation systems. These resources include: Aligning Teacher Evaluation with Professional Learning, an infographic showing the relationship between the two. Generating Teaching Effectiveness: The Role of Job-Embedded Professional Development, Read more about Aligning Teacher Evaluation with Professional Learning[…]

“Deeper Learning” for College and Career Readiness

Posted on May 24, 2012 by coreeducation

State applications for waivers under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act vary in the degree to which “deeper learning” skills are reflected in the standards, accountability systems, professional development, and teacher evaluations proposed by states, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education (“the Alliance”). The report, Providing Greater Opportunities for Read more about “Deeper Learning” for College and Career Readiness[…]

Tag: teacher evaluation