Describes lessons learned from a five-year comprehensive model evaluation program developed by school systems in Minnesota and Iowa. The learner's experience was planned through instructional and curriculum strategies. Performance criteria were established for teachers, and principals and students evaluated classrooms. Pre- and post-testing…

Based on research of teacher effectiveness, the Florida Performance Measurement System features formative and summative evaluation instruments comprised of wide-ranging concepts and indicators. Trained principals and supervisors observe and code behaviors for comparative evaluation. Florida districts and colleges make extensive use of the system…

Interviews an administration department chair at University of Illinois, who is also a staff evaluation consultant and author. Discusses reservations about evaluation rating scales and state-mandated systems. Although broader criteria are needed, linking staff development to evaluation involves teachers in goal setting and promotes understanding…

Pasco, Washington, School District will complete its fourth year using Thomas McGreal's (1983) goal-based teacher evaluation process. Describes the model's progressive phases designed to build teachers' responsibility for their own improvement. The plan invigorated teachers and improved teacher-administrator relationships. (CJH)

Outlines a 10-step model of performance management from corporate and government practices for use in teaching appraisal. Performance management emphasizes each teacher's uniqueness while recognizing the need to support school system goals. Steps include: build rapport, identify key results areas, jointly determine specific objectives, and…

Describes how North Carolina educators cooperated to build a system of teacher-performance appraisal. To build the program, educators derived basic teaching functions from literature and observed teachers to gather performance data. Training is now provided to districts, and information about effective teaching is disseminated throughout the…

Use of multiple data sources in evaluation, or congruence analysis, promotes effective teaching. Data are systematically compared from classroom observation, teacher self-analysis, and student descriptions. A set is produced by scaling data from criteria and source. Diagnoses with suggested action are most useful in improving instruction. (CJH)

An instructional improvement program in Hinsdale School District, Illinois, succeeded by emphasizing formative evaluation, administrator evaluation, and long-range planning. Participants learned that a new program should be consistent with district goals, focus on staff development, and acquire top-level commitment and resources. (CJH)

Calvert County School District, Maryland, has developed a differentiated teacher evaluation system that promotes collaboration among supervisors and administrators in rating teacher performance. Methods involve informal observation, rating observation, and nonrating observation. Implementation is accompanied by extensive formative evaluation by…

Presents common attributes of effective evaluation systems, which are drawn from studies in Arizona, Michigan, and Vermont. Attributes include participant acceptance of validity, participant understanding of system mechanics and rationale, properly trained evaluators, a variety of evaluation methods, and evaluation as a district priority. (CJH)

Discusses evaluation issues that developed during implementation of the nation's first statewide career ladder program in Tennessee. After three years of development major issues have centered around communication, confidentiality, paperwork, career development, multidata source systems, and the evaluation cycle. (CJH)

A "Pay for Performance" program in Fairfax County, Virginia, has gained support from teachers, administrators, and community. Teachers progress along a three-step career ladder based on professional growth. Teachers are involved in the plan through their roles as peer observers, consulting teachers, and staff development instructors. (CJH)

A junior high school principal describes how a small lap-top computer to record teacher and student classroom behavior assists in giving teachers an objective record and analysis. After independently analyzing the transcript, teacher and principal discuss recommendations during a postobservation conference. (CJH)

The understanding of teachers as examples is missing from most attempts to evaluate effective teaching, yet teachers value this intangible aspect above all else. Those who are good examples are still learning how to teach, deal with people one at a time, and see value in the work of everyone. (CJH)

Discusses issues involved in disseminating accurate information about AIDS. Public fears derive from misinformation that the disease is transmitted by casual contact. The older student population will become proportionately more affected, and this is the group educators should assist. Includes a bibliography for educators. (CJH)