Teacher Evaluation and the ‘Hand of History’

Abstract

Using content analysis, the authors examine the purposes of teacher evaluation in relation to the content items on which teachers are assessed and engage in a comparative analysis of teacher evaluation practices in the U.S.A. from three points in time. The overall findings suggest a disparity between the philosophy of teacher evaluation as a mechanism for improving teaching and the practice of teacher evaluation as a tool for administrative decision making, a disparity heavily weighted in favour of the latter. The authors provide evidence that this disparity is historically rooted and likely to endure.

The Effectiveness of a Teacher Evaluation Process as Perceived by Teachers and Building-level Administrators

“…Dull's comparative research (1981) into school district collective bargaining contracts shows that of the contracts reviewed, most school systems state that classroom visitations should be to improve instruction, improve teacher effectiveness, inspire professional growth, and to shape a teacher's successful career in education. Wood and Pohland (1983) found that, based upon the responses from 363 school district superintendents, the four most frequently mentioned purposes of teacher evaluation are: 1) to help teachers improve their teaching performance (349 responses): 2) to decide on renewed appointment of probationary teachers (328 responses): 3) to recommend probationary teachers for tenure or continuing contract status (326 responses): and 4) to recommend dismissal of unsatisfactory tenured or continuing contract teachers (317 responses). One can see that the most frequently mentioned purpose of teacher evaluation in Wood and Pohland's work is considerably different from the other three mentioned purposes.…”

“…Of particular interest is the research of Wood and pohland (1983) in reviewing historical changes in evaluative criteria. Using the work of Boyce (1915), Davis (1964), Reavis and Cooper (1945), and Wood and Pohland (1978) to compare changes that have occurred in the selection of evaluative criteria over time, Wood and Pohland find that the importance originally placed upon the evaluation of teacher personal characteristics has persisted and increased over time.…”

“…Using the work of Boyce (1915), Davis (1964), Reavis and Cooper (1945), and Wood and Pohland (1978) to compare changes that have occurred in the selection of evaluative criteria over time, Wood and Pohland find that the importance originally placed upon the evaluation of teacher personal characteristics has persisted and increased over time. Only in a single instrument analyzed by Wood and Pohland (1983) is the percent of items assessing the instructional role greater than that assessing personal characteristics. Wood and Pohland also found that the emphasis given to the instructional role of the teacher has remained relatively constant.…”

Teacher appraisal: Back to the future

“…Briefly, these schemes developed out of attempts to make a summative, one-off judgement on teacher-effectiveness a basis for initial certification, contract renewal or dismissal. A survey by Wood & Pohland (1983) found that three out of four purposes of appraisal were concerned with such questions, although a more recent survey of South Eastern States found increasing signs of "sensitivity to ownership" and to "legal considerations" (French et al, 1990). Downloaded by [University of Tasmania] at 14:39 13 October 2014 In Australia teacher appraisal is accepted almost universally as common practice, although its purposes are somewhat limited.…”