Principals as Evaluators: Limiting Effects on School Reform

Rethinking staff development in Kenya: agenda for the twenty‐first century

“…Such evaluation can be done for the kind of progressive professional development we want for our teachers''. Similarly, Poston and Manatt (1993) stated that evaluation improves teaching, enhances productivity in student learning, and provides the means for professional growth of teachers evaluated. Goldsberry (1997) also suggested that selfevaluation, in particular, is necessary for continued professional development, that good and thorough self-evaluation should include seeking the perceptions of other knowledgeable colleagues, and that formal teacher evaluation procedures should be designed to evoke and abet teacher selfevaluation.…”

“…to increase teacher responsibility and allow time for teachers to work collegially as peer supervisors (Fitzerald and Muth, 1984); and . to provide the means for growth and professional improvement of the teachers evaluated (Poston and Manatt, 1993).…”

“…. establishing effective interpersonal relationships and coaching by head teachers (Poston and Manatt, 1993);…”

Principals’ efficacy beliefs about teacher evaluation

“…Tucker (1997) notes principals' non-responsiveness to incompetence despite the improvement of the technical aspects of the evaluation systems. Poston and Manatt (1993) describe``the crux of the problem'' as being principals' inflated self-ratings of their understanding of teacher evaluation (p. 47). Indeed, much of the published literature on the principal's role in evaluation consists of explanations of procedural and legal aspects of evaluation and calls for better training of principals (e.g.…”