The Way We See It: A Survey of Teacher Evaluation Policies and Practices Operant in the State of Washington

This paper assesses teacher evaluation policies and practices operant in First Class School Districts in the state of Washington. The data, submitted from mailed questionnaires, deal with a district's assessment policy and specifically include concerns relating to evaluative personnel, procedures, and an evaluative instrument or model. Approximately 60 percent of the school districts responded. The following conclusions were made: a) most districts utilized a district-wide evaluation model; b) the purpose of teacher assessment was instructional improvement; c) principals were the primary evaluators, with peer evaluators increasing; d) observation was the most frequent method for evaluation, with the uses of performance objectives and self-evaluation techniques increasing; e) personal characteristics and instructional skills were the criteria used in evaluation; f) the rating instrument and the conference were the most common assessment forms; and g) most districts are now reviewing or revising evaluation programs. Recommendations for improved programs are made. A two-page bibliography is included. (BRB)