abstract: This research was focused on determining the relationship between student achievement, teacher evaluation scores, and performance pay for an Arizona school district. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary teachers' perceptions of administrators' classroom observational feedback and its impact on their instructional practices. This study analyzed interviews of elementary teachers to determine their definition of effective feedback, the role of principal observational feedback, and the extent to which they utilize the principal's feedback to adjust their instructional practices. The research sought to answer the following questions: 1. What do teachers identify as timely, effective feedback? 2. What do teachers indicate is the role or purpose of administrative classroom observational feedback on a teacher's instructional practice? 3. What do teachers indicate is the potential impact of administrative classroom observational feedback on a teacher's instructional practice? 4. What do teachers indicate would compel them to change (or not to change) their instructional practice based on administrative feedback? The participants in this study included nine elementary teachers in one school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Data were collected to determine the teachers' perception of timely, effective feedback; the delivery or communication of the administrative observational feedback; and what factors determine if the teacher changes (or does not change) their instructional practice as a result of the feedback. The intended result of classroom observations is to understand what goes on in the classroom and the links to student achievement as well as to provide feedback for teacher improvement (Martinez, Taut, and Schaaf, 2016; Reform Support Network, 2015). Findings indicated that elementary teachers desired immediate feedback following an observation and dialogue from their administrator within one to two weeks of the observation in the form of a post observation conference to improve their instructional practices. Additionally, teachers desired clarity about the process for evaluations and observations, their feedback, and how to improve their instructional practices from administrators with strong instructional backgrounds and experiences. The participating teachers described the need for more administrators and therefor more administrative support, emphasized the importance of the relationship between the administrator and the teachers, and indicated that three observations, and observations alone, were not enough to adequately assess the quality of their instruction or their effectiveness. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to determine if the feedback that administrators provided elementary teachers following a classroom observation caused them to change the way they instruct their students. This researcher interviewed nine elementary teachers to obtain their definition of effective observation feedback, the role of the principal's observational feedback, and what prompts teachers to utilize the principal's feedback to adjust their instructional practices. The research sought to answer the following questions: 1. What do teachers identify as timely, effective feedback? 2. What do teachers indicate is the role or purpose of administrative classroom observational feedback on a teacher's instructional practice? 3. What do teachers indicate is the potential impact of administrative classroom observational feedback on a teacher's instructional practice? 4. What do teachers indicate would compel them to change (or not to change) their instructional practice based on administrative feedback? Nine elementary teachers from one school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia participated in interviews. The researcher collected the data to determine the teachers' perception of timely, effective feedback; their preferred delivery of the feedback following the observation from a principal; and what caused the teacher to change (or not change) their instructional delivery as a result of the feedback they received. The purpose of classroom observations is to understand what occurs in the classroom, how student achievement increases, and how the observation feedback helps teachers improve (Martinez et al., 2016; Reform Support Network, 2015). The research found that elementary teachers wanted feedback directly following an observation and the ability to participate in a post observation conference with their administrator within one to two weeks following the observation to improve their instruction. Additionally, teachers wanted to clearly understand the process for evaluations and observations, to obtain feedback, and to receive suggestions to improve the art of teaching from administrators. The teachers described the need for support from more administrators, emphasized the importance of their relationship with the administrators, and indicated that three observations, and observations alone, were not enough to adequately assess them.

This study reports on an investigation of the effects of two methods of teacher evaluation on the attitudes of teachers and principals concerning the method of teacher evaluation in which each subject participated. The data indicate several broad implications. Teachers who were evaluated by the CT method had a significantly more positive feeling that teacher evaluation is more likely to be used for the improvement of instruction than teachers who were evaluated by the ADT method. CT teachers also had a more positive attitude toward their evaluation as a professional process. CT teachers had a generally more positive attitude toward evaluation, Department Chairpersons/Lead Teachers, and the principal as an instructional leader than did the ADT teachers. However, these latter differences were not significant and represented only a general attitude. Principals showed no significant difference in their attitudes as affected by the two methods of teacher evaluation. Principals who had used both methods felt that the CT method provided them more opportunity to provide instructional leadership for their teachers. The findings indicate that, although the method of teacher evaluation may have no major impact on teacher attitudes, administrators who believe that teacher evaluation should be used to improve instruction need to consider using a team approach to the establishing of instructional goals for the purpose of evaluating teachers. Administrators who want their teachers to feel that teacher evaluation is a professional process would be better served by the Collegial Technique.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a sustained professional development initiative, Brevard's Peer Coaching Model, on improving teacher performance and student achievement in a large Central Florida school district. The study analyzed professional practices scores and value-added scores for teachers who participated in a minimum of six of nine days of professional learning before the study, after year one of the training, and after year two of the training to evaluate growth in professional practices and student achievement, and also compared the scores of BPCM participants to the scores of teachers who did not participate in the study. The findings of the study replicated those of previous researchers who found that peer coaching generally has a positive impact on improving teacher practice but limited impact on student achievement. Both professional practices scores and value-added results improved over the course of the study, during and after implementation of BPCM. However, the results were not statistically significant when comparing improvements of value-added results for BPCM participants with the VAM scores of the population of Brevard Public Schools teachers who did not participate in the professional development. BPCM participants showed significant growth over the course of the study and demonstrated stronger improvements in observation scores when compared to the non-BPCM teachers. The most significant growth occurred after the first year of the BPCM training, with smaller levels of growth in year two. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research were provided.

This study provides an empirical analysis of the primary assumptions of a newly implemented teacher evaluation system, namely that the specific teaching practices evaluated are related to student achievement, and that teacher-directed professional growth plans effectively shape teacher practices in a particular domain. Results of the study are intended to inform the interpretation and the refinement of the Volusia System for Empowering Teachers (VSET), which aims to build capacity in the Volusia teacher work force and ultimately to improve student performance (School Board of Volusia County Team Volusia, Race to the Top application, 2011). This study focused on 14 pilot schools within one school district that implemented VSET as a new teacher evaluation system. The data used in this study were drawn from a multi-metric teacher assessment used in VSET and measures of student achievement. The VSET evaluation model consists of three metrics that are assigned according to the specific categories of a teacher. Two of the metrics, the professional growth plan rating and the educator observation rating are based on Charlotte Danielson’s “Framework for Teaching” (Danielson, 2007). The third metric, the valued added score is a measure of the teacher’s impact on student learning. The current study focused on determining if there was a correlation between teaching practice and student achievement and to what extent teaching practice was impacted by teacher self-selection of components for professional growth in the teacher evaluation model. The findings suggest that there is not a statistically significant and reliable relationship between the value added score and teacher practices across components, as assessed by VSET evaluators. Follow up analyses did, however, show that higher evaluator observation scores are associated with improved school iv grades, suggesting a relationship between teacher impact on student performance. The results support the assumption that the successful completion of the VSET professional development growth plan is associated with teacher’s instructional practices in the identified component.

The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) has implemented an Educator Evaluation Framework that requires MCAS scores be used as a significant indicator of teacher effectiveness when available. This decision has implications for thousands of Massachusetts public school teachers. To date, DESE has not provided evidence to support the validity of using MCAS scores to make interpretations about teacher effectiveness. A review of the literature reveals much variation in the degree to which teachers use state-adopted content standards to plan instruction. The findings in the literature warrant investigation into teacher practice among Massachusetts public school teachers. The research questions for this study will be: 1.) Are there variations in the degree to which Massachusetts public school teachers use the Curriculum Frameworks to plan Math instruction?; and 2.) Is MCAS as an instrument sensitive enough to reflect variations in teacher practice in the student’s scores? A survey of Massachusetts public school principals and Math teachers, grades three through eight, investigated the research questions. Survey results revealed that Massachusetts teachers use the Curriculum Frameworks to plan instruction to varying degrees. Survey results also suggest a lack of relationship between teacher practice related to the use of the Curriculum Frameworks and student MCAS scores. These findings suggest MCAS scores may not be an appropriate indicator of teacher effectiveness; however, there are limitations to the study that require further investigation into these questions.

Teacher evaluation systems were developed and implemented to increase accountability but also to increase teacher effectiveness. A review of the research and findings of previous teacher evaluation studies demonstrated the need to further examine the feedback in evaluation systems and their role in teacher professional growth. The purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the feedback teachers receive from the teacher evaluation process, how they perceive the impact of feedback on teacher growth, and what professional development has been offered because of the feedback. This descriptive study used qualitative data and quantitative data derived from a modified version of the Teacher Evaluation Profile (TEP) survey. The findings from this study indicated that teachers perceive the quality of feedback they received to be lower than administrators perceived the quality of the feedback they gave, specifically in regards to the frequency of the feedback and quality of the information contained in the feedback. In addition, there was a significant difference in the perceptions of the quality of feedback between elementary teachers and administrators and secondary teachers and administrators. Though teachers and administrators both perceived the working relationships as positive, few teachers reported making adjustments to their teaching practices in response to the feedback received. Teachers did not perceive teacher professional growth from adjustments made in their teaching practice in response to the feedback. Teachers also noted few opportunities for professional development suggested in feedback. As suggested by the findings, professional development needs to be specific in regards to providing effective feedback. Finally, teachers, with the help of administrators, need to focus on creating goals and growth plans with specific professional opportunities to help teachers grow professionally and positively impact student outcomes. / Ed. D.

Teacher evaluations have always been a part of school leaders' jobs (Horng, Klasik, and Loeb, 2010). Teacher evaluation is used as a factor in determining whether or not a teacher receives a continuing contract in Virginia, and it has also been a part of the process in determining if a teacher is labeled as highly effective. In some school divisions, the rating a teacher receives may be tied to their merit-based compensation. In 2012, the Virginia Department of Education released the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Principals, which provides school divisions a structure for their teacher evaluation instrument (Virginia Department of Education [VDOE], 2012). This document requires that Virginia school divisions include a quantifiable measure of student performance as a component of their teacher evaluation instrument. When teachers transfer from one school to another within the same school division many aspects of their job change. For example, the school leader who performs the teacher's evaluation changes and the student population changes as well. The presence of these variables may have an effect on a teacher's evaluation, but they are not controlled by the teacher being evaluated. The purpose of this basic qualitative study is to determine teachers' attitudes toward teacher evaluation when the teacher has transferred schools within the same school division. Eight teachers were interviewed regarding their attitude toward teacher evaluation. The data indicate that the change in evaluator when a teacher transfers work sites has a stronger impact than any other variable in the transfer process. The data also indicate that a change in the context for the teacher being evaluated does not affect their attitude towards evaluation. / Ed. D.

Thesis advisor: Irwin Blumer / This study was conducted within a large urban high school in the northeastern United States. This school resides in a district that utilizes a standards-based system of teacher evaluation. The purpose of the study was to determine teachers' perspectives on the effectiveness of standards-based teacher evaluation systems as a means of improving instruction and student achievement. The question for research, <&ldquo>What are teacher perceptions of evaluation in an urban high school that uses a standards<&ndash>based evaluation system?<&rdquo> served as the framework for development and implementation of this study and for interpretation of the study findings. The body of related literature provided the theoretical rationale for the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Major sections of the literature review included: a historical perspective on performance standards and of teacher evaluation from the mid-nineteenth through the early twenty-first centuries; an examination of contemporary teacher evaluation systems; a review of recent theoretical and empirical research concerning best evaluation practices; and a review of the research regarding teachers' perceptions of supervision and evaluation. Data were gathered from thirty participants through a thirty-one question Likert<&ndash>based attitude scale. Key findings included teachers' perceptions that: they were not familiar with the teaching performance standards used in their district; they did not believe that their evaluations were rooted solely in the these standards; they believed their evaluation conferences with supervisors helped then to improve their practice; their evaluations were not tied to annual goals or individual and school professional development plans; supervisors did not use multiple sources of data as a part of teacher evaluation; supervisors do not spend enough time in classrooms to carry out expectations for effective evaluation; and that peer observation aided teachers in improving their practice. While current research asserts that standards-based teacher evaluation systems coupled with an array of activities that foster teacher ownership for the process can be used as a powerful vehicle for improving student achievement, study findings were inconclusive regarding any perceived association between standards<&ndash>based performance evaluation structures and practices and the improvement of student achievement. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration.

Commonly, teacher evaluations function as summative appraisal mechanisms of teacher performance and effectiveness, as accountability measures and assurances of quality instruction to educational stakeholders. Recently, greater interest in the potential for evaluations to contribute to improvements in teaching and learning has emerged. The use of professional teaching standards and evaluation rubrics represents a significant advance in the design of evaluation tools and procedures. Continuing implementation challenges however, means the potential for evaluations to notably enhance teachers’ professional development is far from realized within many educational contexts. The traditional focus on the individual within evaluations also fails to recognize the collaborative work of teaching teams and to capitalize on the potential of teachers to support improvement in each other’s practice. This inquiry explored the circumstances under which evaluations might promote professional development at the individual level and within teaching teams. The study is located within an international school, which utilizes the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program curriculum. The research question driving the inquiry was; how can teachers and principals within IB PYP schools achieve a focus on professional development and systematic learning within teacher evaluation? An Instructional Rounds protocol was employed to promote a focus on professional development within this qualitative case study. Fullan’s Change Theory guided the implementation and analysis of change in the form and function of evaluations within the school. Findings suggest viable and valuable professional learning can be incorporated into and supported during evaluations. A structured process, incorporating greater frequency of feedback, check-ins, dialogue and collaborative work between supervisors and teachers is needed to produce the monitoring mechanism and sustained gentle pressure necessary to support on-going professional learning. Redefining and broadening concepts of improvement, of involved leadership and professional development is important. Limited focus on specific goals and connecting peers with similar goals encourages commitment to improvement efforts.