A comparison of classification issues across teacher effectiveness measures

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Jon Brasfield (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Terry Ackerman

Abstract: In an educational landscape where teacher evaluation methods are increasingly discussed and scrutinized in research offices, legislatures, and school buildings, the differences in policy and instrumentation among states and school districts can paint a confusing picture of these varying methods and their impacts. To help assess the picture in North Carolina, this project examined teacher effectiveness data on 147 teachers from 16 schools in a large urban school district. Three measures of teacher effectiveness (a value-added measure of student growth, a third-party observation score, and state-mandated principal evaluations) were examined with a particular focus on how teachers were classified via the different methods. The first research question examined the similarities and differences in classification across the measures. Correlational and cross-tabular results suggested that the value-added measure and the third-party observational measure were not independent. It was also found that principal ratings do little to differentiate between teachers. The second question examined the relationships of the variables that determine teacher pay with the effectiveness measures. It was found that no substantive relationships exist, suggesting that the teacher evaluation measures in this sample do not exhibit bias based on experience, advanced degrees, or National Board status. The third question examined relationships between overall school effectiveness measures and school demographic variables. The third-party observation measure tended to be moderately associated with school-level demographics, a finding which may call into question the ability to compare teachers across schools.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2014
Keywords
Teacher effectiveness, Value-added
Subjects
Education $z North Carolina $x Evaluation
Teacher effectiveness $z North Carolina

Email this document to