Measuring Teachers' Contributions to Student Learning Growth for Nontested Grades and Subjects. Research & Policy Brief

The growing need for more information about measuring teachers' contributions to student learning growth, particularly in nontested subjects and grades, is the impetus for this Research & Policy Brief. Although the research base in this area is disappointingly limited, the brief includes considerations and suggestions based on current models and experiences from the field. Although the brief is intended for use by states in developing statewide systems and providing guidance to districts, it also may be helpful to districts charged with designing and implementing evaluation models that fit within state and federal guidelines. This Research & Policy Brief provides information about options for states to explore as well as factors to consider when identifying and implementing measures. The brief also focuses specifically on federal priorities to help ensure that evaluation systems meet the high expectations set for teacher evaluation. Finally, the brief emphasizes the importance of fairly measuring "all" teachers, including them in the evaluation process, and ensuring validity in measurement. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)