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Enhanced teacher evaluation systems can be a catalyst for both school and classroom improvement. Although there is a growing consensus that a comprehensive system of teacher evaluation should be based on multiple measures of performance, including both inputs (what teachers do) and outputs (how much students learn), this page will focus primarily on the input side of teacher evaluation. Specifically, it will provide information as to how teachers can be evaluated through observation and performance rubrics. Individual case study pages offer examples of these principles in practice. To learn how student learning results could be incorporated into a teacher evaluation system, see the Choosing a Value-Added Model page.
There is considerable support at both the policy and classroom level for reforming teacher evaluation systems. Typical systems consist primarily of what are referred to as “drive-by evaluations,” where administrators make judgments on teacher effectiveness based on limited time spent in teachers’ classrooms. These systems fail to successfully assess teacher effectiveness. In fact, the National Council on Teacher Quality’s 2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook found that most states (1) grant teachers tenure without considering whether they are effective, (2) are not doing enough to help districts identify effective teachers, and (3) are complicit in keeping ineffective teachers in the classroom.
Improving teacher evaluation would confer the following benefits:
- Quality assurance. Rigorous teacher evaluation systems identify teachers of various levels of effectiveness and ensure that only competent teachers remain in classrooms.
- Professional growth. Evaluations can serve as the basis of professional growth plans, which drive improvements in instructional practice.
- Alignment. Agreeing on a definition of effective teaching helps policy makers create a powerful vision of reform. All initiatives in a district can then be aligned with this understanding of high-quality practice.
- Professionalization of the teaching force. Rigorous teacher performance standards help to build the image of teaching as a profession.
Many states and districts have begun to rethink their teacher evaluation systems and experiment with new approaches. The following recommendations are based on current research and publications. For additional resources, see the websites and tools section.
- Define effective teaching. A teacher evaluation system should begin with a clear definition of effective instructional practice. These standards should explicitly define teacher competencies and describe what teachers should know and be able to do at various stages in their careers. Levels of performance should be established so that the evaluation system accurately differentiates teachers based on their effectiveness. See the books section to access useful guides for defining effective teaching.
- Develop a standards-driven, reliable process of evaluation. For systems to be trusted, evaluation processes must yield reliable information. This means that evaluations should be based on multiple measures that provide a complete picture of teacher performance. Additionally, the instruments used to make judgments about teacher effectiveness should meet certain tests of validity.
- Provide sufficient training and engage stakeholders. Evaluators must be provided with sufficient training to ensure that their judgments reveal consistent information about teacher performance. Trainings should build evaluators’ skills in identifying evidence of effective teaching and providing constructive feedback. All relevant stakeholders – teachers, principals, parents – should be engaged in the process to ensure its long-term sustainability.
- Modify systems to meet local needs. Comprehensive evaluation systems can be very costly to implement. These include monetary, as well as human capital, costs. As such, districts must consider how teacher evaluation should be modified to meet the needs in their local context. Since implementation research shows that the success of an initiative depends on how local educators actually make sense of policy, it is essential that these considerations be incorporated into the design of local evaluation systems.
To see how these recommendations have been implemented, refer to the case study pages.
This comprehensive annotated bibliography documents current research and policy briefs examining teacher evaluation. An extended summary provides key points from and recommendations provided by each of the citations. Several of these sources are highlighted in more detail below.
- Implementing Teacher Evaluation Systems: How Principals Make Sense of Complex Artifacts to Shape Local Instructional Practice
(Richard Halverson, Carolyn Kelley, and Steven Kimball, Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 2003)
This Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) study examines how local leaders implement standards-based teacher evaluation policies. Though most evaluation systems provide a common framework, implementation can look very different based on local conditions. The authors explore how district and school leaders negotiate the implementation process and how certain choices affect the success of various programs. For additional research on Teacher Evaluation by CPRE, see CPRE’s resource page on Teacher Evaluation - Improving Teacher Evaluation to Improve Teacher Quality
(Liam Goldrick, National Governors Association for Best Practices, 2002)
To improve teacher evaluation, this National Governors Association brief recommends that governors and other state policy makers should (1) define teaching quality, (2) focus evaluation policy on improving teaching practice, (3) incorporate student learning into teacher evaluation, (4) create professional accountability, (5) rigorously train evaluators, and (6) broaden participation in evaluation design. The author includes examples of how various states have implemented these recommendations. - Methods of Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness
(Laura Goe and Andrew Croft, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, March 2009)
This National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality brief compares two methods for evaluating teacher performance – value-added measures and classroom observations – and discusses the advantages and drawbacks associated with each method. The authors provide the following recommendations for creating a strong evaluation system – (1) involving teachers in developing the system, (2) considering different teaching contexts, (3) starting with an instrument that is already reliable and valid, (4) using multiple indicators, (5) setting aside sufficient funds for training, (6) measuring what matters most to stakeholders, (7) giving teachers the opportunity to improve, (8) differentiating the system, (9) using multiple observations, and (1) ensuring adequate data systems. - Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation in Public Education
(Thomas Toch and Robert Rothman, Education Sector, January 2008)
This Education Sector report discusses the current state of teacher evaluation across the country and presents several initiatives that have been implemented in various districts in an effort to improve the current situation. Some of the featured initiatives include teacher evaluation standards and rubrics by Charlotte Danielson, overviews of new teacher assessment initiatives, such as BEST or Praxis III, standards-based evaluations such as The Toledo Plan and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and incentive plans, such as TAP and ProComp. - State Policies on Teacher Evaluation Practices in the Midwest Region
(Chris Brandt, Julia Thomas, and Matt Burke, Midwest Regional Educational Laboratory, July 2008)
This Regional Educational Laboratory technical brief describes state-level policies and procedural requirements for guiding teacher evaluation practices at the district level in the seven states served by the Midwest Regional Educational Laboratory: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The authors demonstrate how teacher evaluation practices are addressed by state policies and other state-level initiatives that include teacher evaluation features. - The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness
(Daniel Weisberg, et al., The New Teacher Project, 2009)
The New Teacher Project report studies teacher evaluation and dismissal in four states and 12 diverse districts, ranging from 4,000 to 400,000 students in enrollment. The authors found significant shortcomings in the current evaluation systems which rated virtually all teachers good or great, failed to recognize excellence or address poor performance, and neglected to provide sufficient professional development, particularly for novice teachers. The report closes by recommending that districts (1) adopt a comprehensive performance evaluation system, (2) train administrators and other evaluators, (3) integrate the performance evaluation system with human capital policies, and (4) address consistently ineffective teaching through lower stakes dismissal policies that are fair and efficient. Read the Executive Summary or see the website for more detail.
The following resources contain additional ideas and information about how teachers can be evaluated through observation and performance rubrics. More specific tools are available on the case study pages.
- In the 2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, The National Council on Teacher Quality documents the policies of all fifty states as they relate to three areas of teacher quality – identifying effective teaching, retaining effective teachers, and exiting ineffective teachers. These online reports provide valuable information on the systems each state has in place to evaluate teachers.
- The Leadership and Learning Center provides consulting services to districts interested in developing more effective teacher evaluation systems. They have designed the iObservation system, a comprehensive approach for (1) conducting short, frequent, formative classroom walk-throughs, (2) assisting administers in conducting effective and efficient teacher observations that comply with district and state regulations, and (3) organizing comprehensive professional development for administers, principals, and teachers.
- Dr. Robert Marzano’s Suite is a comprehensive approach designed to help school districts support the development of highly effective teachers in every classroom. The Suite, powered by iObservation is designed as an integrated and powerful set of tools for districts to systematically evaluate and develop the skills of all their teachers.
- Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) was developed by researchers at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia as a tool to evaluate teachers of students in pre-k and lower elementary grades. It includes observations by trained evaluators who assess performance in three areas: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. The site provides a manual for evaluating pre-k teachers, elementary teachers, and secondary teachers. Extensive research has been done to validate the CLASS instruments.
- Teacher Evaluation: New Directions and Practices provides an array of resources, including an overview of practices to improve the evaluation role of principals, forms and procedures for using multiple data sources in teacher evaluation, guiding principles, and a bibliography of teacher evaluation articles, books, and documents.
- Green Dot New York Charter School has developed a two-track teacher evaluation system that is focused on developing effective teachers. Track I is for newer teachers to the profession who need to focus on the Green Dot Standards for the Teaching Profession (GDSTPs) and Track II is for more experienced teachers who will focus more on professional growth. The evaluations are intended to assess teachers’ current level of performance, track progress made since the last review, and establish goals for the next observation. This document provides an overview of Green Dot New York Charter School’s Teacher Evaluation system along with the forms and tools needed to conduct the evaluations.
- Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
(Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, ASCD, 2001)
In Classroom Instruction That Works, Marzano, et al., identify nine instructional strategies that research shows can lead to improved student learning: (1) identifying similarities and differences, (2) summarizing and note-taking, (3) reinforcing effort and providing recognition, (4) homework and practice, (5) representing knowledge, (6) learning groups, (7) setting objectives and providing feedback, (8) generating and testing hypotheses, and (9) cues, questions, and advanced organizers. - The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice: Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School
(Charlotte Danielson, ASCD, 2008)
The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice offers practitioners the tools they need to successfully apply the framework for teaching in different contexts – teacher preparation, teacher recruitment and hiring, teacher mentoring and peer coaching, self-directed professional inquiry, professional development, and teacher evaluation. The ready-to-use instruments, protocols, and recommendations provided in this handbook were developed based on the collective insight of practitioners across the country. - Handbook for Qualities of Effective Teachers
(James H. Stronge, Pamela D. Tucker, and Jennifer L. Hindman, ASCD, 2004)
In the Handbook for Qualities of Effective Teachers, Stronge, Tucker, and Hindman synthesize the research on what it means to be an effective teacher and divide these qualities into the following categories: (1) pre-requisites of effective teaching, (2) the teacher as a person, (3) classroom management and organization, (4) organizing for instruction, (5) implementing instruction, and (6) monitoring student progress and potential. - Teacher Evaluation to Enhance Professional Practice
(Charlotte Danielson and Thomas McGreal, ASCD, 2000)
In Teacher Evaluation to Enhance Professional Practice, Charlotte Danielson and Thomas McGreal present a clear road map for designing a teacher evaluation system and provide concrete examples, useful forms, and assessment tools for (1) setting standards for acceptable performance, (2) developing techniques and procedures for assessing all aspects of teaching, (3) determining guidelines for making consistent judgments about performance, and (4) differentiating processes based on teachers’ needs.