Declining Morale, Diminishing Autonomy, and Decreasing Value: Principal Reflections on a High-Stakes Teacher Evaluation System

Abstract

Since the adoption of teacher evaluation systems that rely, at least in part, on controversial student achievement measures, little research has been conducted that focuses on stakeholders’ perceptions of systems in practice, specifically the perceptions of school principals. This study was conducted in a large urban school district to better understand principals’ perceptions of evaluating teachers based on professional and instructional practices as well as student achievement (i.e., value-added scores). Principals in this study strongly expressed concerns regarding: (a) the negative impact of the teacher evaluation system on district culture and morale; (b) their lack of autonomy in evaluating teachers and making staffing decisions; and (c) their perceived lack of value as professionals in the district. Examining the implications of teacher evaluation systems, per the experiences of principals as practitioners, is increasingly important if state and local policymakers as well as the general public are to better understand the intended and unintended consequences of these systems in practice.

Examining the demands of teacher evaluation: time use, strain and turnover among Tennessee school administrators

“…Reformed evaluation systems seemingly affect school administrators in many ways beyond their allocation of time and effort on job-related tasks. Prior qualitative accounts suggest that more frequent evaluations are burdensome and can reduce staff morale and autonomy (Paufler, 2018), lead to weariness and exhaustion (Neumerski et al, 2018), and strain relations between administrators and teachers (Grissom et al, 2015;Flores and Derrington, 2017;Neumerski et al, 2018) [1]. Insufficient training and support during early stages of implementation can be particularly dire, as school leaders have reported feeling confused and underprepared to meet the emerging demands of teacher evaluation reforms (Derrington and Campbell, 2015;Kraft and Gilmour, 2016).…”

Educator Perspectives on Data-Based Decision Making in Germany and the United States

“…Comparing the results from micro level I (i.e., classroom) and micro level II (i.e., student), it becomes clear that German participants focused on the student level, while the U.S. educators focused on the classroom of students. One explanation for this could be that in the United States there is a higher level of comparison between classes within a school or district given the emphasis on high-stakes tests in which classroom-level data is reflective of teacher performance; therefore, teachers focus on the groups of students rather than individual students (Gonzalez et al, 2017; Paufler, 2018; Vogler & Burton, 2010). Without such pressures, German educators can focus more on individual students and feel less anxiety about classroom scores representing their teaching performance (Richter et al, 2014).…”

The Need of the Virtual Principal Amid the Pandemic

“…(p. 82) For principals to be effective in solving the problems caused by the pandemic, they must first fully understand the problems and all possible solutions. Unfortunately, many of these solutions are not within a principal' s control due to the lack of autonomy (Dou, Devos, & Valcke, 2017;Paufler, 2018). Furthermore, principals most likely have never faced anything similar to the current experience, so memory-based solutions may not exist.…”