The Teacher Evaluation Handbook

A hands-on guide featuring practical advice on administrating a peer observer system, training evaluators, conferencing and setting performance targets, and more. About This Book.

Chapter 1: Evaluation-- Growth or Harassment?

The Use of Formative and Summative Evaluation.

Mixing Formative and Summative Evaluation.

Eliminating the Problem of Dual Purposes.

Eliminating Confusion.

A Model for Evaluation.

Motivation and Evaluation.

Summary.

Chapter 2: What's Worth Evaluating.

Getting Started.

The Responsibilities of Local Research Units.

Examples of Professional Practices.

Considerations for Evaluation.

Constructing a Summative Instrument.

The Question of Generic or Content.

Examples of Professional Practices.

Summary.

Chapter 3: Peers as Evaluators.

Peer Selection and Turnover.

Should Peers Have Released Time?

Peers and School Reform.

Peer Observers and Teacher Unions.

Peer Observers and the New Teacher.

Summary.

Chapter 4: Training Evaluators.

The Training Focus.

A Method of Training.

Changing Traditional Reality.

Summary.

Chapter 5: The Evaluation Instrument as a Basis for Staff Development.

Curriculum Delivery Systems.

Staff Development and the Broad View.

Making Staff Development Work.

Making Change Permanent.

A Long-term Commitment.

Staff Development and the State.

The Continuing Battle.

Summary.

Chapter 6: Conferencing and Setting Performance Targets.

Determining the Purposes-- A Necessary First Step.

Improve Conference Skills and Improve Evaluation.

The Price of Failure.

Summary.

Chapter 7: Evaluation as a Terminal Activity.

Preparing to Win.

The No-Risk Win.

Suggestions for Documenting.

Helping the Administrator.

Who Are the Incompetent?

Documentation for E.E.O.C. Complaints.

Some Legal Aspects of Termination.

Summary.

Chapter 8: Evaluation as a Basis for Merit Pay.

Understanding Differentiated Pay.

The Problem with Student Achievement.

Initiating Differentiated Pay.

Differentiated Pay-- The Promise.

A Program that Works.

Summary.

Chapter 9: Summative Evaluations.

Identifying Those Who Need Summative Evaluation.

Designing the Summative Instrument.

Who Evaluates Summatively?

Valuing.

Summary.

Chapter 10: Putting It All Together.

What's the Goal (Purpose)?

What to Evaluate.

The Human Element.

Teaching Teachers.

The Central Focus.

Conferencing.

Go for the Long Term.

Summary.

Appendix.

Bibliography.

Index. Renfro C. Manning received his Ed.D. degree from the University of Virginia. Currently, he is superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, Orange, Virginia, and is president of the Virginia Association of School administrators. Dr. Manning has taught various graduate courses covering a broad range of educational topics. He frequently consults for and has published articles on the principal and teacher evaluation and incentive pay for teachers. The Orange County Public School system has one of the nation's exemplary pay-for-performance programs for teachers. Here's a practical handbook that gives you step-by-step guidelines and materials for creating and implementing a teacher evaluation program— and for improving the instructional process...increasing teacher involvement...and significantly enhancing morale in your school. You'll find dozens of ready-to-use methods and techniques to transform evaluation into a creative and dynamic process that promotes individual and professional growth through accurate and equitable performance measurement. The Handbook guides you every step of the way, from developing evaluation criteria and training observers to carrying out successful evaluation conferences. You'll even see how to develop a differentiated pay program that encourages improved performance. Here are just a few of the outstanding features you'll find in the Handbook:

• How to use a step-by-step peer observer system to remove much of the threat traditionally associated with evaluation, making it the focus of an outstanding instructional program.
• How to make staff development an integral part of evaluation— and how to secure teacher support and cooperation in the process.
• A review of teaching competencies from national, state, and local sources which you can use to develop your own customized evaluation system.
• How to develop sensitive, tactful conferencing skills (the primary tool of evaluation) that help you set a relaxed atmosphere, keep the conference on target, protect the ego of the other person, avoid getting sidetracked with unrelated discussion, and accomplish what you set out to do.
• A summary checklist for developing a viable, successful differentiated pay system that encourages growth, effective teaching practice, and creativity.
• How to help teachers who do not meet minimum requirements...how to confront teachers with problems...and how to terminate employment-in the most diplomatic and least painful way possible.

By following the approach outlined in this book you can easily develop and put into practice a system of evaluation that gives teachers a greater sense of involvement, raises morale, and has a positive effect on the entire instructional process. This hands-on guide provides you with dozens of ready-to-use methods and techniques for creating and implementing a successful teacher evaluation program— a program that encourages greater teacher involvement, improves morale, and has a positive impact on the entire instructional process. Designed so it can be easily tailored to meet your school's local goals, this program helps even your best teachers focus in on their weak areas. At the same time, it enables you to recognize areas of performance that are particularly noteworthy. From developing evaluation criteria to carrying out the actual evaluation, this book shows you step-by-step:

• How to use a peer observer system to increase participation and cooperation in the evaluation program.
• How to develop sensitive, tactful conferencing skills that will enable you to accomplish the goals of the evaluation conference in a direct, yet relaxed manner.
• How to develop a successful differentiated pay system, founded on performance, which will encourage growth, creativity, and change.
• How to handle some of the most difficult aspects of evaluation (teacher confrontation, underachiever assistance, and employee termination) in the most diplomatic and pain-free way possible.

You'll find this to be an invaluable guide to developing an evaluation system that helps motivate teachers, improves your staff's performance, and enhances the quality of instruction for your students.