Accountable Teacher Evaluation! Toward Highly Qualified and Competent Teachers

Community College Enterprise, The, Fall 2004 by Thomson, Alexander

Accountable Teacher Evaluation! Toward Highly Qualified and Competent Teachers by Hans A. Andrews Stillwater, Oklahoma: New Forums Press, 2004. xxi, 426 pages. ISBN: 158107087X. Paper, $24.95USD.

Citing a growing desire on the part of the public, students, administrators, and faculty to see more meaningful and productive teacher evaluations put into place, Hans Andrews provides a detailed look at the components and processes involved in creating such faculty evaluation systems. While the topic may be of interest to students and the general public, the book's message is directed primarily to the administrators and faculty of K-12 institutions and community colleges. Avoiding the pitfall of simply talking about K-H education, Andrews acknowledges and thoughtfully addresses the environment and needs of both institutional groups. Where appropriate, Andrews deals in generalities that are applicable to all institutions, but he does not hesitate to detail his analysis when a topic requires education level specific comments. For example, while he acknowledges that at all levels, "defining and knowing quality teaching is the first step in the appraisal process of teachers" (73), he thoughtfully articulates an individual set of criteria for effective teachers at the elementary, middle school, high school and community college levels.

Significant attention is given to the current body of research on teaching and evaluation. Refreshingly, the information is not simply presented as a lengthy literature review, but is seamlessly integrated with tangible examples and practical applications. Meticulously, Andrews identifies the various problems and challenges facing those attempting to construct a significant teaching evaluation system. Throughout the book he provides relatively clear and articulate definitions for the terms he uses, thus allowing the reader to consider his arguments in a meaningful way without the message being lost in a stream of jargon. The result is a book organized around three major concentrations (a) justifying accountable evaluation systems, (b) establishing teaching and evaluation systems, and (c) implementing accountable outcomes.

Chapters 1 through 4 examine current developments in the evaluation movement and place these recent trends in the larger historical context. Andrews also confronts the dilemma of "developing faculty and union support for administrative evaluation." He argues that teachers will support the evaluation programs if key elements are present:

* Trust between faculty and administrators

* Faculty involvement in development of the evaluation system

* Oral and written feedback from supervisors with a chance to respond

* Due process procedures and adequate time to allow one to remediate defects and deficiencies. (48)

Building upon the support of faculty, Andrews deals with the issues surrounding student ratings. Finally, he makes the case for having high standards and developing working guidelines for identifying effective teachers.

The middle chapters of the book guide the reader through the process of developing teaching and evaluation standards for an institution. Andrews makes a strong case for the central role that recognition plays in motivating faculty and encouraging improvement. For him, most recognition programs are too narrowly focused upon a handful of recipients to be truly effective, and he presents several different possible ways to recognize excellence.

The final chapters consider the issues associated with the actual implementation of a developed evaluation plan. In contrast to the previous focus on recognition, much of this section is devoted to the termination of faculty who are ineffective teachers. Governing boards are charged with creating policies that foster excellent instruction, and they also must make the tough decisions to assure that there is "quality instruction in every classroom" (262). Terminating faculty, especially in a tenure-based system, will naturally result in claims that the dismissals are inappropriate and even create the potential for lawsuits. The appendix highlights 17 different areas of legal challenges dealing with termination. While the cases are fascinating, the topics covered are too broad to be adequately dealt with by citing a few anecdotal examples. This section may serve as a good starting point for further discussion or research, but unlike other sections of the book it is not one that could be used in practical policy development.

Andrews brings a wealth of knowledge and research to bear on the topic of faculty evaluation and is determined to use the resources to create better evaluation practices. Each chapter ends with a set of practical questions and exercises that challenges readers to think critically about their own understandings of evaluation. Accountable Teacher Evaluation! is an excellent resource for faculty and administrators working to construct meaningful teaching evaluations, highlighting both remediation needs and excellent practices. It is well organized, carefully researched, and highly recommended.