Using Teacher Surveys to Validate the Tripod 7Cs

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: Various Approaches to Identifying Successful Instruction

Abstract

Student perceptions of teaching effectiveness increasingly are being incorporated into teacher accountability systems, yet educators often express skepticism and resistance to their use. In light of educator concerns, this study evaluates the validity of the Tripod 7Cs by examining the relationship between 7Cs results and teacher self-reported behavior. Results indicate that teachers with strong 7Cs results self-report behaviors consistent with the literature on effective teaching. The relationship between the 7Cs and a composite measure of teacher-reported behavior is roughly equivalent to the relationship previously reported between the 7Cs and value-added and observational measures of teaching effectiveness. Findings validate accountability results using the 7Cs, demonstrating that student perceptions of teaching effectiveness are much more than a “popularity contest.”

Authors

• Sarah Phillips, Tripod Education Partners

• Ronald F. Ferguson, Harvard University

• Jacob Rowley, Tripod Education Partners