Teacher Evaluations: Testing the Limits

New requirements for on-the-job evaluations having Tennessee teachers fleeing the classrooms, according to this story from the Tennessean.

I think we can all agree that it's not an unreasonable request to have public employees face some form of professional scrutiny. But teacher evaluations are particularly swampy territory.

A few weeks ago I had an interesting conversation with Dale Ballou, associate professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, where he specializes in the role of regulations and incentives in teacher training and retention. I asked him people were putting too much stock in teacher evaluation models as a means of improving the quality of instruction. Here's what he said:

"You’ve got to recognize these are not flawless instruments. Anytime you try to evaluate an individual based on this kind of data, there’s a possibility you’re going to make a mistake. People are overselling these methods and portraying them as if they represent the answer to all kinds of problems, and that they give you the truth. What do they do give us is an estimate, which is subject to error."

I also asked Ballou about a publication put out by the National Education Association, outlining the union's concerns about teacher evaluation models, In it, the NEA argues that hiring practices and preparation -- steps taken before a teacher even enters a classroom -- are the most productive ways of ensuring instructional quality. Ballou said he disagreed with that argument:

"There just aren’t enough good signals people send prior to the actual experience of becoming a teacher that reliably predict their performance. That goes for teacher education programs, as well. There’s only so much you can do in advance to get people ready for teaching."

He made another important point, noting that "much of becoming an effective teacher is what you start learning when you actually do the job. You’re talking about a career where people don’t have much advance information as to how well they’re going to do. It’s also hard for any third party to identify who is going to be effective. When you have two or three years of classroom performance data, you’re really getting information on who is–and isn’t—having success."

Ballou's comments seem particularly relevant given Education Secretary Arne Duncan's announcement last week that the feds plan a host of new initiatives aimed at improving teacher preparation programs nationally, including giving states incentives to identify (and even shut down) those that are falling short.

Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email me at erichmond@ewa.org. I'm also on Twitter @EWAEmily.