Learning on the Job: How Evaluation Systems Can Support Teacher Growth

Most education decision-makers agree that effective teacher evaluation can cultivate genuine improvements in the teaching force and improved student outcomes. The central issue is how to have effective evaluation. This paper draws upon educators from multiple states to respond to this question. The authors find that feedback from rigorous evaluations can encourage self-reflection and meaningful conversations focused on classroom practice among educators. Moreover, the data suggest that educators are open to such evaluations when certain key conditions are met in schools.