What matters to principals when they evaluate teachers? Evidence from Cyprus

Abstract

Teacher evaluation conducted by school principals is a common worldwide practice. However, there are many reservations about principals' ability to evaluate teachers reliably. Reservations appearing in the literature include inflated ratings, minimal discrimination of teacher quality, and evaluations influenced by factors irrelevant to teacher effectiveness. This article examines whether principals can distinguish effective and ineffective teachers and whether principals can identify the teacher, principal and school characteristics influencing principals' evaluations of teacher effectiveness. The sample consists of 80 school principals; data were collected from principals and teachers, combined with a database of teachers' academic performance as students in a teacher preparation program. Principals rated teachers on a number of dimensions, and data were analyzed with multiple regression techniques. Results suggest that principal ratings contain enough discriminating ability both within teachers and within dimensions of teacher effectiveness. Factors irrelevant to teacher effectiveness do not influence ratings of teachers. Results also demonstrate greater principal involvement in teacher evaluations, especially in educational systems where their role is limited.

Trends in Teacher Monitoring Methods across Curriculum and Didaktik Traditions: Evidence from three PISA waves

“…The OECD findings have been confirmed by other independent academic research, which has found that teacher evaluation by school principals is one of the most widespread types of teacher evaluation worldwide (Brandt et al, 2007;Orphanos, 2014), but at the same time, the researchers have warned that teacher evaluation by school principals might be inflated or lack accuracy (Orphanos, 2014). The argument regarding school principals' inaccuracy might be further worsened in the PISA data since the data collected on TMMs are reported by school principals, and it can be claimed that if teachers themselves reported the data on how their teaching practices are monitored, different results could be obtained from those reported by principals.…”

Evaluation In Work Of Principals: An Analysis Of The Methodology Approaches

“…What extent the association between principal effectiveness and teacher turnover differs for highperforming and low-performing teachers, and, furthermore, whether these associations vary by different measures of teacher performance?" (Grissom & Bartanen, 2018) ▪ How school principals consider effective and ineffective teachers is dedicated in 7 studies (Donaldson & Mavrogordato, 2018;Harris, Ingle, & Rutledge, 2014;Maharay, 2014;Master, 2014;Orphanos, 2014;Range, Hewitt, & Young, 2014;Wind et al, 2019). There are examples of the following research questions:…”

“…What principal characteristics and practices influence evaluations of teacher effectiveness?" (Orphanos, 2014) ▪ "How school leaders use high-stakes teacher evaluation to improve and, if necessary, remove low-performing teachers in their schools? How cognitive, relational and organizational factors play a role in shaping the way school leaders implement teacher evaluation?"…”

An effective model of teacher appraisal

“…Principals are in a good position to evaluate teachers, because they interact with them on a daily basis and own information on their work (Orphanos, 2014). However, conducting teacher appraisal is not the sole responsibility of school principals and administrators; it is important that teachers and other concerned parties be involved in the development and implementation of teacher appraisal schemes (Peterson, 2000; Robles, 2007; Stiggins and Duke, 1988; Stronge and Tucker, 2003), as this increases all parties’ understanding and ownership of teacher appraisal.…”