Teacher Evaluation System Design and Implementation: Overcoming Barriers and Seizing Opportunities

In adopting new teacher evaluation systems, leaders often treat the implementation of the system as a technical challenge, not an adaptive one. Adaptive challenges require people to change their values, behaviors, and attitudes. In this March 2013 presentation at the REL Appalachia Governing Board Meeting, Matthew Clifford, Ph.D., discusses the barriers and the opportunities in designing and implementing teacher evaluation systems. He notes that teacher evaluation systems have the potential to improve the quality of teaching, increase student achievement, address public concerns about accountability, and improve the talent management process. The presentation also indicates the challenges that states face, such as the following:

  • Stakeholder engagement and buy-in
  • Communication
  • Knowledge management
  • Training
  • Creating professional growth systems
  • Using evaluation data
  • Alignment and integration
  • Adapting to changes in context
  • Scaling up
  • Sustainability