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8 Apr 2014
Report

The Mind Shift in Teacher Evaluation: Where We Stand—and Where We Need to Go

Angela Minnici

State teacher evaluation policies have undergone sweeping changes since 2008, spurred forward heavily by federal competitive funding opportunities like Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation. All 49 states and the District of Columbia have changed legislation or regulations to improve the consistency and quality of teacher evaluation. After five years of feverish design and implementation, where do we stand? What have been the successes and what challenges remain to be addressed?

The Mind Shift in Teacher Evaluation takes stock of state efforts to improve teacher evaluation and offers recommendations for moving forward. Despite the technical and practical challenges of evaluation reform, the most important lessons come from the fundamental mind shifts that are the foundation for the effort’s success. These mind shifts include

  • a common understanding about effective practice;
  • the importance of professional conversations for honing practice;
  • better measures that serve multiple purposes; and
  • making sure teachers are included as the experts they are in the design process.

To guide states and districts in designing and implementing effective evaluation systems, the article offers an overview of ten common missteps to avoid and identifies two major challenges that states will need face to keep reforms on track.

PDF icon Mind Shift in Teacher Evaluation_Minnici_April14.pdf

Related Centers

Center

Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders is a national content center funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Center is dedicated to supporting state education leaders in all 50 states in their efforts to grow, respect, and retain great teachers and leaders for all students, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities.

Related Work

9 Mar 2012
News Release

AIR Principal Researcher Angela Minnici Selected by U.S. Education Department to Review Second Round of State Applications for ESEA Waivers

Dr. Angela Minnici, a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to serve as a reviewer for the second round of applications by states seeking exemptions from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – enacted as part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation.

Further Reading

  • What We Think Matters Most in Evaluating Teachers May Not Be So Important: Surprising Lessons from Redesigning an Educator Evaluation System
  • Linking Teacher Evaluation to Professional Development: Focusing on Improving Teaching and Learning
  • Aligning Evaluation: How Much Do Teacher Evaluation Rubrics Emphasize Common Core Instruction?
  • Research, Policy, and Practice Connections: Conversations on Educator Quality
  • AIR Experts to Present at the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures
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Education
Teacher Preparation and Performance

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Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

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