Post–Every Student Succeeds Act Perspectives on Music Teacher Evaluation Policy and Practice

• In Event: 43.055 - Evaluating Music Teaching and Assessing Music Learning

Abstract

With the passage of ESSA in 2015, states were afforded much greater control of teacher evaluation policy articulation and flexibility in designing and implementing teacher evaluation systems. Our study purpose is to determine how teacher evaluation policies and practices may have changed following the adoption of ESSA. More specifically, we are interested in knowing how music teacher evaluations are being conducted and by whom, using which specific evaluative criteria, and with what consequences. Our purposive sample targets eight states representing different U.S. census regions -- four that continue using value-added measures in their teacher evaluation model and four that do not. We are interviewing arts coordinators and surveying music teacher educators within each state to obtain up-to-date, on-the-ground stakeholder perspectives.

Authors

• James R. Austin, University of Colorado

• Jocelyn W. Armes, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Kate Bertelli-Wilinski, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Seth A. Taft, Limestone College