Teachers College Press Getting Teacher Evaluation Right: What Really Matters for Effectiveness and Improvement

Linda Darling-Hammond is the 2023 National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Policy Leader of the Year Teacher evaluation systems are being overhauled by states and districts across the United States. And, while intentions are admirable, the result for many new systems is that good—often excellent—teachers are lost in the process. In the end, students are the losers. In her new book, Linda Darling-Hammond makes a compelling case for a research-based approach to teacher evaluation that supports collaborative models of teacher planning and learning. She outlines the most current research informing evaluation of teaching practice that incorporates evidence of what teachers do and what their students learn. In addition, she examines the harmful consequences of using any single student test as a basis for evaluating individual teachers. Finally, Darling-Hammond offers a vision of teacher evaluation as part of a teaching and learning system that supports continuous improvement, both for individual teachers and for the profession as a whole. This groundbreaking book: Presents a comprehensive teacher evaluation system based on research and best practices. Describes a variety of models from across the United States that base evaluations on an assessment of classroom practice in light of professional standards, an array of student work, and active participation in the professional community. Explains how teacher peers become part of the evaluation and support system. Demonstrates how to create a fair and substantiated process for removal of teachers who can’t improve.