James H. Stronge

What Makes Good Teachers Good? A Cross-Case Analysis of the Connection Between Teacher Effectiveness and Student Achievement

This study examined classroom practices of effective versus less effective teachers (based on student achievement gain scores in reading and mathematics). In Phase I of the study, hierarchical linear modeling was used to assess the teacher effectiveness of 307 fifth-grade teachers in terms of student learning gains. In Phase II, 32 teachers (17 top quartile and 15 bottom quartile) participated in an in-depth cross-case analysis of their instructional and classroom management practices. Classroom observation findings (Phase II) were compared with teacher effectiveness data (Phase I) to determine the impact of selected teacher behaviors on the teachers’ overall effectiveness drawn from a single year of value-added data.

What Are Principals Expected to Do? Congruence Between Principal Evaluation and Performance Standards:

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of content analysis to examine principal evaluation instruments, and state and professional standards for principals in school districts located in a Mid-Atlantic state in the United States. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the degrees of emphasis that are placed on leadership and management behaviors expected of school principals, (b) explore the congruence of principal evaluation instruments to instructional leadership and management attributes, and (c) explore the congruence of principal evaluation instruments with state and professional standards. Findings revealed school districts focused on instructional leadership, organizational management, and community relations as responsibilities for school principals. Principal evaluation instruments reflected common expectations for principals among school districts and state and professional standards.

The Efficacy of Portfolios for Teacher Evaluation and Professional Development: Do They Make a Difference?.

A multiyear study of a small school district introducing the use of portfolios as part of a new evaluation system was conducted to determine the efficacy of portfolios in the evaluation of teacher performance both for accountability and professional development purposes. The portfolio system was found to be particularly useful in documenting teacher performance in the areas of assessment and professionalism—ones not readily observable during classroom visits by administrators. Based on summative evaluation results, the introduction of portfolios assisted administrators in making finer distinctions about the quality of teacher performance. Survey and focus group data indicated that teachers and administrators viewed portfolios as fair and accurate measures of performance but had concerns about their feasibility given the time demands of development. Portfolios were found to clearly support the accountability purposes of teacher evaluation, but further research is needed to delineate the conditions under which portfolios can be used to foster professional development.

What do we expect of school principals? Congruence between principal evaluation and performance standards

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of content analysis to examine principal evaluation instruments and state and professional standards for principals in school districts located in a mid‐Atlantic state in the USA. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the degrees of emphasis that are placed upon leadership and management behaviours expected of school principals, (b) explore the congruence of principal evaluation instruments with instructional leadership and management attributes and (c) explore the congruence of principal evaluation instruments with state and professional standards. Findings revealed that a school district focus on instructional leadership, organisational management and community relations in principal evaluation instruments reflected common expectations of principals among school districts and state and professional standards.

The Politics of Teacher Evaluation: A Case Study of New System Design and Implementation

The purpose of this article is to describe the political aspects of the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system through the means of an observational case study. Designing and implementing a systemwide reform such as that involved in a new teacher evaluation system often is emotionally laden and politically challenging. Technical expertise is required in defining what constitutes good teaching and selecting appropriate methods for collecting accurate data. Equally important, however, is a sophisticated political understanding of how to structure the development and implementation processes to optimize the support of various stakeholders for the new evaluation system. In addition to describing the phenomenon, policy and practice recommendations will be offered to facilitate the negotiation of such a change.

Defining the Principalship: Instructional Leader or Middle Manager

What is the proper role of the princi pal-instructional leader or middle manager? Can these roles be com bined, or are they intrinsically sepa rate and conflicting?

The dynamics of effective performance evaluation systems in education: Conceptual, human relations, and technical domains

SummaryHigh-quality performance evaluation systems in education are fundamental to both individual improvement and organizational effectiveness. The design and implementation of such systems require far more than a casual effort on the part of the decision makers within the organization. If worthwhile performance evaluation systems are to be effectuated, particular attention must be paid to the conceptual, human relations, and technical domains. Indeed, systems that incorporate the relevant issues found in this triad address a fundamental rule of performance evaluation: if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

Homeless students and resilience: Staff perspectives on individual and environmental factors

The resilience paradigm identifies key contributors to childrens competence despite adversity, and offers a theoretical framework for supporting the healthy development of children and youth who are homeless. This study used a resilience framework to gather and analyze the perspectives of staff members about homeless childrens characteristics, needs, and recommended interventions across different types of homeless education programs.

A Performance Evaluation System for Professional Support Personnel

The evaluation of educators has focused historically on classroom teachers, although the last decade brought additional attention to the evaluation of principals and superintendents. This note presents a performance evaluation system designed for evaluating professional support personnel (e.g., counselors, deans, librarians). A conceptual framework for the system is provided, including recommended steps in evaluating support personnel and emphasizing both goal and improvement orientations. Finally, while the evaluation system is designed for professional support personnel, system characteristics that may be generalizable to other education professionals are discussed.

Middle School Climate: The Principal's Role in Influencing Effectiveness

family of schools. While they share a common bond, individual middle schools, nonetheless, offer a broad effectiveness continuum ranging from schools that are characterized by positive, robust learning climates to ones that are apathetic and anemic environments for learning. The purpose of this paper is to explore one key element, the role of principals, in effectuating positive middle school climates.