ABSTRACT
Teacher evaluation is often approached as a discrete, isolated activity that is disconnected from the central purposes and personnel activities of a school system; and yet, performance evaluation achieves relevance only by becoming an integral component of other system-level initiatives. The more closely evaluators adhere to all procedural safeguards embedded in teacher evaluation statutes and policies, the more proper and justifiable will be the implementation of the teacher evaluation process and results. Teacher evaluation has been slow to change, like many other aspects of schools, but concerned educators everywhere are trying new strategies to enhance existing systems. Innovative evaluation systems are being developed that differentiate approaches for accountability and professional development. Evaluation is shifting from an activity that is perpetrated on teachers to something that is conducted with teachers. A quality performance evaluation system, alone, can't transform a school—or even a single employee unless that person chooses to change.
