Designing, Implementing, and Validating the Next Generation of Teacher Evaluation Systems

Across the country, the standards-based education movement—spearheaded by reforms such as No Child Left Behind—has led to a new focus on teacher performance evaluation. In this Distinguished Fellowship, Dr. Tyler will observe and participate in the creation of a new state-developed educator evaluation system in Rhode Island. Additionally, he will examine the implementation of new evaluation systems across the state during the 2011–2012 school year through the fall of 2013. By gaining a better understanding of the issues and questions education leaders face in designing a teacher evaluation system, he will be able to tailor his future research to better inform core questions facing education policymakers and practitioners. Through studying the processes involved in implementing a new evaluation system, he will learn about on-the-ground complexities and nuanced factors that will influence his future research on teacher evaluation. He will further his understanding of the logistical, managerial, and political challenges of linking student performance to teacher-level data by working with the Rhode Island Department of Education. Through this work, Dr. Tyler will also be able to strengthen his research relationships with school districts.