The Effects of Principal and Teacher Characteristics on Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness

• In Event: Classroom Observation Protocols in Multiple Learning Settings

Abstract

The fairness of teacher evaluations based on classroom observations depends on the degree to which rater judgments are free from errors and systematic biases. Previous studies have identified potential factors that influence these ratings, including demographic characteristics of students in the classrooms being observed. However, these studies have not examined the influence of teachers’ demographic characteristics. Using data from a large-scale teacher evaluation system, we examine whether rater judgments systematically vary across teachers’ demographic characteristics, as well as across shared characteristics of raters and teachers. Results suggest that rater judgments vary by teacher gender and years of experience, but not by shared demographic characteristics between teachers and raters. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Stefanie A. Wind, The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa

• Eli Andrew Jones, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Christi Crosby Bergin, University of Missouri