Browsing by Subject "Teacher evaluation"
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Item Assessing the mindfulness attributes of teaching assistants assigned as discussion facilitators(2013-08) Decker, Mark Lowry; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-This study investigated the relationship between student ratings of teaching and the mindfulness attributes of teaching assistants in freshmen courses consisting mostly of discussion. Regression analyses were run to determine whether teaching assistant data (n = 19), related to their teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns, were predictive of student ratings of teaching assistants' combined scores on three concatenated Likert-scale evaluation items--the teaching assistant is kind and respectful of me, is patient with my questions, and is receptive to my questions. As modeled, there was no significant relationship between these teaching assistant characteristics and the components that were examined. A subset of the population (n = 6), participated in follow-up interviews. A comparative and interpretative analysis of the interview data followed, which examined the teaching assistant narratives using the following variables as filters--teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns--in addition to the metacognitive constructs of Knowledge of Cognition and Regulation of Cognition. Overall, the interview component of the study found that teaching assistants who could better articulate their teaching processes and instructional goals reported purposefully engaging in the internal and external dialogic processes of instruction. Moreover, interview analysis suggests that teaching assistant evaluations were a poor means of assessing instructional skills, aptitude, or performance. In addition, while the tools used in this study, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Mindfulness Process Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion, Scale, the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy, and the Teacher's Concerns Checklist, might reliably assess attributes of good instructors, they do not appear to capture the whole essence of one's instructional narrative. Whether it is through interviews, or intricate scenarios, instructional evaluation, especially when its purpose is to improve instruction, should have a qualitative and reflective component.Item Case study exploring the influence of leadership on a new teacher evaluation framework(2016-05) Padavil, Devin Cyril; Olivarez, Ruben; Sharpe, Edwin Reese; Pazey, Barbara; Einfalt, Lori; San Miguel, TrinidadThere is a need to identify how leadership influences school reform frameworks enhancing teacher resolve needed to address underperforming students (Goddard, LoGerfo, & Hoy, 2004). An issue equally not well understood are perceptions of self-efficacy on the part of teachers and the extent to which this perception is enhanced or constrained by leadership. The new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (TTESS) is a potential framework encompassing these types of needs. While the majority of educators see an effective teacher evaluation tool as necessary, the manner in which school leaders implement TTESS is varied and worthy of study (Vara-Orta, 2013). School leaders are challenged to implement TTESS in a manner that best improves teacher effectiveness and student learning. The literature on leadership efforts connected to teacher evaluation richly describes aspects of self-efficacy implications, time constraints, local decision-making complexity, accountability implications, dismissal recommendations, as well as reflection and growth. However, research lacks an equally comparable study and analysis of the influence of leadership on teacher self-efficacy and perception of teacher evaluation implementation, particularly within the context of this new, detailed, and complex evaluation framework. This study is an analysis of leadership’s influence on teacher evaluation implementation and teacher self-efficacy.Item Effects of observation duration on evaluations of teaching in secondary school band and choir rehearsals(2014-05) Chapman, DaLaine; Duke, Robert A.The purpose of the present study was to determine whether expert evaluators' assessments of teachers vary between observations of rehearsal frames that demonstrate effective student behavior change and observations of full rehearsals. Ten experienced evaluators rated 12 music teachers on 10 criteria. The evaluators first observed brief video recordings of two rehearsal frames (RF) of each teacher and then a recording of a full rehearsal (FV) taught by the same teacher. The evaluators rated the teachers on all 10 criteria following each observation. Evaluators in the present study tended to rate teachers more highly and express greater confidence in their ratings in the FV condition than in the RF condition. These differences indicate that observing brief video episodes of teaching does not lead to the same ratings of teacher effectiveness as does observing video recordings of full rehearsals. The differences between the two conditions were larger in terms of evaluator confidence (29% higher confidence ratings in the FV condition) than in terms of ratings of teacher effectiveness (7% higher ratings in the FV condition). Although all teachers were rated more highly overall in the FV condition than in the RF condition, the differences between the two conditions were small and varied considerably among teachers and among evaluators.Item Investigating the use of value-added models for student achievement : does using multiple value-added measures lead to stronger conclusions about teacher effectiveness?(2012-05) Moore, Nicole Joanne; Osborne, Cynthia Anne, 1969-In the quest to achieve better academic outcomes for all students, the focus in education has shifted to a model of accountability. The most recent trend in the accountability movement is a focus on the effect of teachers in promoting student achievement. Research has found that teachers have the most significant school level impact on student achievement, and increases in teacher effectiveness could have major implications for the learning outcomes of students across the nation. Much of the current focus in teacher evaluation reform centers on methods through which teachers can be more accurately evaluated based on their contributions to student learning. In the push towards greater accountability for teachers, the development of measures that are both fair for teachers and lead to stronger outcomes for students are critical to seeing long-term improvements in the education system. This report explores variability and stability of value-added measures over time by looking in depth at the methods, assumptions, limitations, and implementation of the most commonly used value-added models across the country and the research about the correlations of these measures over time. This research is followed by a case study of a de-identified large urban school district implementing a teacher evaluation system that uses both a commercially produced value-added measure and an alternative student-growth measure to make high stakes decisions about teacher effectiveness. The findings from this case study show correlations that do not differ significantly from the prior research on the year-to-year variability in teacher value-added measures, but urge for continued evaluation of these measures over time, especially in high-stakes decisions. Ultimately, value-added measures are only as useful as their effectiveness in influencing the core outcomes of teaching and learning, and therefore these measures must be carefully integrated into and validated against holistic assessments of teacher effectiveness in order to truly impact student outcomes.Item Measuring teacher effectiveness through meaningful evaluation : how can reform models apply to general education and special education teachers?(2014-12) Sledge, Ann Stewart; Olivárez, RubénWhile teacher quality is recognized as a critical component in school reform, and the pursuit of new teacher evaluation systems has gained national attention, the question of whether proposed teacher assessment models meet the needs of special education teachers has gone largely unnoticed. Current efforts to design teacher evaluation processes that accurately distinguish between effective and ineffective teachers must take into account the difficulties of using new, innovative evaluation systems to appraise teachers who serve students with disabilities. Important differences in the roles, expertise, and circumstances in which special education teachers carry out their responsibilities result in challenges related to the use of observation protocols in evaluating instructional practices, obtaining valid measures of student progress, and understanding the relevance of teacher credentials (i.e., degrees earned and certification) in the special education setting. Through this qualitative research dissertation, the researcher sought to gain insight into the perceptions and experiences of special education teachers and administrators to better understand (a) the relationship between teacher evaluation and teacher effectiveness; (b) the ways in which educators approach the challenges of applying teacher evaluation systems for special education teachers; and (c) the ways in which teacher evaluation processes support the professional growth and development of special education teachers.Item Teacher evaluation and resistance to change : a mixed-methods study of the Peruvian new teacher career law(2013-08) Gastanadui, Lyli Ana; Vasquez Heilig, JulianThis mixed-methods sequential explanatory study explored the causes of teachers' resistance to evaluation reform. Teachers in this study demonstrated both resistant and compliant behaviors in response to a particular evaluation policy, which also started a process for teachers to express concerns over the implementation of a new law governing teachers' careers. This research study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis, including surveys, interviews, and program documents. The responses, insights, and perspectives of 433 public school teachers provided the primary data in this study. The results indicated that the process by which the government of Peru implemented evaluation procedures negatively affected teachers' motivation toward compliance and thus impaired the success of the reform. This study also revealed that although teachers opposed evaluation, they agreed with the idea of an evaluation policy. Further, when given the opportunity to voice their opinions about evaluation procedures and the inclusion of merit pay plans into the career ladder, teachers cited overriding problems with the organizational structures in which they worked. The nullification of teachers' tenure and rights was the most important cause of teachers' resistance to evaluation-based pay plans; responses did not differ greatly between less and more experienced teachers. Finally, throughout this study it was clear that simply mandating change was not enough to successfully and effectively implement it or to achieve advances in teacher quality and student achievement.