This study looked at what it is like for teachers and principals to participate in the teacher evaluation process. These teachers and principals, in four different school systems in Massachusetts and Connecticut, shared their perspectives through a series of in-depth interviews. Teachers believed that evaluations should provide feedback, offer positive reinforcement, and foster pedagogical growth. Teachers also expressed more confidence in the evaluation process when evaluated by principals they respect and by a process that is credible. Although the teachers generally felt positive about the teacher evaluation process, all experienced some negative situations that were the result of careless, weak, perfunctory, and manipulative evaluations. Principals expressed that the lack of time and adequate training hindered their ability to properly perform evaluations along with all the other required tasks. They also indicated they experienced a trend of evaluations evolving from checklists into other formats, and they voiced preferences for ideal evaluation formats which they would like to use. As a result, this study recommends at the district level that superintendents and school boards need to: (1) determine the level of priority of teacher evaluations, (2) provide the necessary time and training to accomplish evaluation tasks, (3) facilitate the evaluation evolution rather than impede its progress. At the building level, the study recommends that principals: (1) clearly communicate organizational details and contractual obligations associated with the teacher evaluation format, (2) offer additional services for upcoming observations or evaluations, (3) provide both compliments on good teaching and suggestions for improvement, (4) avoid manipulative situations in the teacher evaluation process. The study also suggests that future research explore the perspectives of both school boards and superintendents on the issues surrounding the teacher evaluation process.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-8916 |
| Date | 01 January 1994 |
| Creators | Cokkinias, James J |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
| Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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