Linking Teacher Evaluation & Student Learning

Teacher evaluation is always a sensitive subject among professional education circles. Calls for teacher accountability and improved student test scores have been the battle cry for politicians and educational bureaucrats for more than a decade. No Child Left Behind legislation proposed to increase student learning while holding teachers accountable.

Significance

Teacher evaluation takes place through administrative observation of the teacher's performance. In the state of California, the Stull Bill is the process by which teachers and administrators agree on objectives for improvement in the teacher's professional practice. The administrator guides the teacher during the year by giving periodic visits and feedback about the progress. The final report at the end of the year declares whether the objectives have been satisfactorily met.

Function

Teacher evaluation is intended to function as an accountability system by which the professional educator can self-assess and be evaluated by a supervisor in the educational setting. Teachers and administrators can discuss what they can do to ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education.

Types

Teacher evaluations can be either formal or informal. An informal evaluation might involve a visit from the administrator or another teacher to the classroom. After the lesson both may discuss what worked and what was not as effective. Sometimes the evaluations are written and stored in the employee's file. Other times mental notes are the only record.

References

• Accountabitlity under the Stull Bill
• New Leaders for New Schools
• No Child Left Behind FAQ