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Principal and Teacher Perceptions of Implementation of Multiple-Measure Teacher Evaluation Systems in Arizona

by Stephen Ruffini, Reino Makkonen, Jaclyn Tejwani and Marycruz Diaz

This study describes how multiple-measure teacher evaluations were put into practice in a set of ten volunteering local education agencies (LEAs) in Arizona. After a key shift in state policy, five "pilot" LEAs implemented the new Arizona Department of Education teacher evaluation model in the 2012/13 school year, while five other "partner" school districts developed their own local models aligned with the new state requirements. Secondary analyses of survey and focus group data from the pilot and partner LEAs indicated that teachers and principals tended to more favorably view performance assessments (observations of teachers) that have traditionally comprised evaluations, and were more skeptical about incorporating results from student assessments and stakeholder surveys. Study participants had mixed perceptions about the new evaluations' initial outcomes, and raised concerns about the time burden involved, inter-rater reliability, and the need for ongoing training and support. The following are appended: (1) Research questions, data collection, and analysis; (2) Detailed responses to the teacher survey from pilot districts; and (3) Significant differences by subgroups in teacher survey results from pilot districts.

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