Date Awarded

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

Advisor

James H. Stronge

Committee Member

Megan Tscchannen-Moran

Committee Member

Tom Ward, Ph.D

Abstract

Teacher evaluation systems have served to remove ineffective teachers and support teacher professional development. Even with changes in evaluation systems that incorporated student-growth measures, teacher evaluation systems are more likely to serve for teacher development than teacher removal. This qualitative study focused on teacher perceptions of one school’s evaluation components in supporting teacher professional growth and student learning. The study broke the teachers into career level experience groups of novice, early career, and experienced. The required district/state evaluation components of goal conferences, classroom observations, and student-growth measures were selected for the study. The study also looked at the school practice of teacher-reflection in the evaluation system. Twenty-one teachers participated in focus group interviews designed to understand how teachers use goal-setting conferences, classroom observations, student-growth measures, and teacher reflection. Focus groups were designed to protect teacher anonymity and reduce bias in the study. The results revealed differences in how teachers value the evaluation components based on the teacher’s experience level. At times teachers questioned the value of the evaluation system, goal meetings, classroom observations, and student-growth measures, yet teachers understood the need for the components in evaluations. Teachers requested more frequent observations and opportunities to review goals and professional practices. They also wanted fidelity in the evaluator the tools for the evaluation. Perceptual data identified teacher reflection emerged as the most influential component in improving teacher practices.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.21220/m2-xhjh-p728

Rights

© The Author

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