Measuring Effectiveness:  What Will It Take?

Circe Stumbo and Peter McWalter

Ed Leaderhship December 2010/January 2011

Federal policy now focuses on teacher "effectiveness" rather than teacher "quality" as its central policy concern. Rather than measuring inputs, the new focus looks to measure the outcomes of a teacher's work—that is, the extent to which the educator has met crucial student needs, such as improved student achievement. As states move to take a more active role in teacher evaluation, they face challenges that include overcoming the limits of what student assessment data can say about teacher performance; connecting test scores to teachers who teach untested subjects; ensuring evaluator quality; and promoting team-based, as opposed to individual, accountability. This issue addresses assessment and educational policy.