Evaluating Teachers

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Volume 6, Number 1

Evaluating Teach
Lloyd P. Campbell

>-"---'-I-cCOrding to a recent survey,*

, principals say that the single most important aspect of their job is teacher evaluation. That being so, it is not surprising that a large body of knowledge has been accumulated regarding teacher ap praisal. However, differences con tinue to exist among leading au thorities as to various possible strategies and approaches. What fol lows is an attempt to synthesize and highlight the major tenents of the evaluative process, with an emphasis on the most practical aspects.

An appraisal of strengths and weaknesses. Feedback in this area
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would likely concentrate on such areas as (1) classroom management and organization, (2) instructional strategies, (3) presentation of subject matter, and (4) learning environment, with each of these domains being considered in appropriate breadth and depth.
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Establishment onr:>alT6llJ'J. communication between principal and the teacher. There should be a
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Just about everyone agrees that the primary purposes for evaluating teacher performance continue to be to seek to improve instruction and to establish a basis for personnel deci sions. The latter, in the harshest as pects becomes a question of reten tion or dismissal, and for purposes of defense against possible litigation, it is imperative that the teacher be so informed. Within the primary purposes of teacher evaluation, the evaluation should at a minimum provide' the following:

An Overview

verbal and nonverbal communication from the principal should convey constructive remarks intended to be informational, directional, and motivational. Any hope for improved performance hinges upon how con structively the principal is able to de liver the message and how positively it is received by the teacher.

Communication that encour ages improved performance. Both

A basis for administrative deci sions. In time, every principal is called
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free exchange of ideas between the principal and the teacher, with the appraisal conference serving as one means of validating that the principal is a straightforward, available, ac ceptant, and caring person. To create such a perception is to enhance teacher morale and to assure a posi tive evaluation experience.

Identification of inservice train ing, staff development, and other pro fessional growth activities needed to overcome identified deficiences. Far
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upon to make decisions regarding re tention and dismissal. So critical a decision regarding a person's profes sional career deserves careful, delib erate consideration and is a subject addressed at length in many books, monographs, and professional journals.

too often in evaluative sessions, prin cipals may identify deficiencies in one skill or another but suggest no specific remediation or other assis tance. For improved job performance to occur, the principal must be able to point to specific, available help, and then leave no stone unturned in see ing to it that the teacher actually re ceives this help.

Four rather distinct steps are a part of the teacher performance eval uation cycle. Each plays a vital role, and none may be skipped over lightly. They are: 1. Establishing the rules. It is ab solutely essential that the building principal carefully plan all the details
Lloyd P. Campbell is a professor in North Texas State University's graduate school of education.

The Evaluation Cycle

∑See "What Makes a Principal Tick?" by Jim Sweeney and Bob Vittengl in Principal, January 1987.

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that will be involved in evaluating each individual teacher. As with a well-designed lesson plan, the princi pal must clearly address the objec tives to be achieved, the activities that will assure the accomplishment of those objectives, the materials needed to complement and enhance the activities, and a method or proce dure by which the teacher evaluation process itself can be evaluated. Establishing the rules for teacher evaluation includes determining who will do the classroom evaluation (principal, assistant principal, etc.), the purpose of the classroom visits, the number of classroom visits to be expected, whether visits are planned, unannounced, or on invitation, and whether there will be a follow-up con -ference or only written feedback. In some districts, many of these deci sions have been taken out of the principal's hands by state-mandated legislation. A case in point is the state of Texas, where legislation clearly spells out who is to evaluate, the number of formal classroom visits to be made, the nature of the conferenc ing process, etc. In other places, local districts have established guidelines to which the principal is expected to adhere. It is of course essential that the principal become thoroughly in formed about such limitations-state and local-and the procedures and standards they call for.

example, on a grade level basis. The basic concept is to reduce the number of participants to a point that permits an open, free discussion, thus assuring that every teacher has the opportunity for two-way communica tion with the building principal before the evaluative process begins. Undergirding the verbal orienta-

Write things down: It is important to have a full record of what was said.
tion process should be written com munication. While verbal orientation is both necessary and desirable, the spoken word is often quickly forgot ten. It is thus important to have hand outs that highlight the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the overall evaluation process as con ducted at that school. In addition, in the unhappy event that litigation were to occur, written documents are far better evidence than one's recollec tion of what was allegedly explained.

2. Orienting the teacher. The es sence of all effective human relations is clear communication, and clear communication is nowhere more im portant in teacher-principal relation ships than in orienting teachers to the mechanics of the process of teacher evaluation. A typical approach is to do so in a general faculty meeting at the beginning of the academic year. If an inordinately large faculty is involved, with the possibility that the message will get lost or be diluted, many prin cipals have found it more desirable and effective to meet with smaller groups-to set up sessions, for

3. Formative evaluation (data gathering). The third step in the

teacher performance evaluation cycle is the actual classroom visitation. A number of crucial questions must be answered in the planning stage, long before the principal steps into the classroom for the first formal visit. Even if the number of classroom visi tations has been mandated by legisla tion or district policy, the wise princi pal recognizes the importance of building in some flexibility. It is far bet ter to inform the general faculty that

there will be one to three formal visits per faculty member and then find that time constraints prevent such an ob jective from being accomplished. In actuality, teachers are much like their own students; that is, some need more attention and instruction than others. Therefore, the astute principal will maximize his visits to those need ing the most help, and minimize his visits to the strongest teachers. In any case, it is most important to under stand that every teacher (including the most outstanding) should be, and deserves to be, visited and formally evaluated at least once a year. Even positive value judgments about a teacher's instruction made by a prin cipal who did not feel it necessary to visit is still likely to elicit a response such as, "How does he know? He didn't see me teach." Negative at titudes often develop when teachers receive the idea that they are not worthy of even a single classroom visit during the school year. Teacher morale is at stake throughout the en tire evaluation process and should be continuously addressed. A second part of the data gather. ing is to determine the exact purpose for visiting the classroom, thereby de termining the length of time neces sary to be in the classroom. For example, informal observation or a previous visit may have established that a particular teacher's problems occur at the beginning of the class period. The teacher has had difficulty in getting students on task and the principal wants to observe whether the teacher has made any progress in solving this problem. In another case a teacher had difficulty in bringing off closure and then a smooth transition to new ideas, concepts, or materials. In still a third case, a teacher seems unable to bring the class period to a clear, definite end. Drop-in visitations to these three teachers obviously should be made at different parts of the class period. In short, the purpose for being in the classroom largely dic tates the time to arrive and the

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amount of time to be spent there. . A third factor in classroom visita tions is knowing what to observe. It is essential that principals have with them a checklist that reflects items that are relevant to the evaluation of the particular teacher involved. A basic list might well include classroom management and organization, in structional strategies, presentation of subject matter, and the learning envi ronment that has been created. It is further necessary that notes be taken and recorded during the ob servation phase at exactly that mo ment. Principals who have attempted to. "remember" what they saw and heard and "write the evaluation when they get back to the office" have jeopardized both reliability and va lidity. Realistically, the chances of principals going directly to their office to record their observations are poor, given the multitude of interruptions that mark a typical day. A final important part of the formal classroom visitation process for the principal is to determine if such visits should be planned in advance with the teacher or unannounced. While there may be some dissenters, au thorities in teacher evaluation en dorse both kinds of visits, particularly for probationary teachers. One school of thought regarding the planned visit is what one would expect-principals should see teachers at their best. Ob viously, most teachers can be ex pected to try to put their best foot for ward in such instances. And it makes infinite sense to most principals that they see the very best teaching the teacher is capable of offering. The planned visit should insure that. On the other hand, since planned visits could result in a contrived, artifi cial classroom performance, other au thorities feel the unannounced visit would provide the prinCipal a more valid experience--:-an insight into a more typical, everyday classroom per formance. And still other authorities suggest both scheduled and unan nounced formal visits.
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states where legislation mandates matters that are to be considered in evaluating teachers, the feedback from classroom visitations is some times delivered in a form to be com pleted by the principal. Forms can be useful, but normally they are not

4. Summative evaluation (judgmental in nature). Particularly in

In giving feedback, the spoken word has far more impact then the written word.
enough; they lack impact. A far more impressive means of communicating feedback is the principal/teacher con ference. In this kind of professional re lationship, the spoken word has far greater force than the written word, and in any case a conference provides the opportunity for construc tive give and take and for the principal to make sure that the teacher is not confused or has questions. The goal of the session should be both to give information and get in formation, as one means of building a cooperative attitude on the part of the teacher. Note that while the principal may have the most information to im part, it is important that the teacher be given ample opportunity to convey facts and express opinions. There may be significant variables that in fluenced the teacher's performance during the visitation-matters of which the principal may have been completely unaware: some personal problems, perhaps, or possibly some especially difficult students in this par ticular class.

The principal should be sure that the conference takes place as soon as possible after the classroom visit, preferably within 72 hours. Teachers are often anxious about such confer ences, and besides alleviating anxi ety, a prompt follow-up assures that the recall level of both participants has not begun to fade. Additionally, it is essential that the counseling session be private and free of interruptions. Nothing can cast a pall over the conference more quickly than for the principal to inter rupt the session to accept telephone calls or take time out to confer with someone or give instructions to the secretary. Such interruptions convey a message that the principal feels that the conference, and the teacher, are not really important. The more carefully the confer ence/counseling session has been planned, the more effective it is likely to be. Presumably the plan will cover such matters as the following: 1. Basic information, including the teacher's name and the class being observed, plus relevant personal data about the teacher (background, years taught, etc.). 2. Objectives, including particular skills and strategies to be alert to. 3. Timing, including making sure the teacher has been notified, and de termining what written materials or in formation the principal or the teacher should bring to the conference. 4. Opening the conference: Put ting the teacher at ease, summarizing the nature and purposes of the con ference, noting any questions that need to be cleared up before the con ference swings into gear. 5. Action: Give and take between teacher and principal on the latter's observations; suggestions by the principal; agreement on procedures or techniques by which the teacher will seek to improve performance. 6. Closing: Summary of what has been discussed; reiteration of next steps.

Such planning not only ensures that the conference will stay on track

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and respond to the teacher's needs, but also gives the principal confi dence and assurance by providing the session with a clear structure and purpose. A synthesis of the findings of re search on conducing teacher evalu ations and conferences would sug gest the following ten commandments: 1. Plan for the counseling session. 2. Conduct the session in a quiet, private place. 3. Make use of all pertinent facts. 4. Usten to the teacher. 5. Remain calm regardless of the teacher's attitude. 6. Fit all comments and sug gestions to the specific needs of this particular teacher. Focus on actions-do not appear

to be attacking the teacher personally. 8. Offer encouragement. 9. Leave the teacher anxious to improve. 10. Plan for any needed follow-up interviews. Summing up, evaluating teacher performance remains one of the most difficult tasks that building principals encounter. Drawing upon the major theory and research in vogue today, it is first of all clear that the evaluation cycle has four cornerstones-estab lishing roles, orienting the teacher, making a formative evaluation, and offering a summative evaluation. Each is critically important. Indeed, the goals of teacher evaluation-to improve teaching effectiveness and make personal decisions-are de pendent on those four variables. A fifth and final variable that needs to be understood by all principals is that teacher response to an evaluation of their instruction will be directly related to their perceived relationship with the person conducting the observation e.g., the principal. In short, the princi pal's professional and personal rap port with the teacher will be of crucial importance in influencing the teacher toward behavioral changes necessary

to improve instruction. Teachers are not likely to respond favorably to sug gestions for change that emanate from someone they do not respect. Such teacher reactions and at titudes demonstrate how clearly profi ciency in human relations relates to being a proficient principal. In fact, teacher evaluation represents one of the most rigid tests of a principal's ability to relate to others. As research has long since demonstrated, effec tive schools come about through the leadership of effective principals leadership based on the establish ment of a positive relationship with the school's staff. In no aspect of the principal's job is a positive relation ship important than in teacher evaluation.

Streamlined Seminar is issued as a service
to members. Copies may be purchased from the National Association of Elementary School Principals, 1615 Duke Street, Alexan dria, Virginia 22314. One copy $2.50; 2-9 copies $2.00 each; 10 or more copies $1.50 each. Virginia residents should add 4.5% sales tax. Please specify the date and title of the particular Streamlined Seminar you are ordering. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER.

(ISSN 0735-0023)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 1615 Duke Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Evaluating Teachers Volume 6, Number 1, September 1987

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