Students should play a role in teacher evaluations Accelerated Learning Resources

Students should play a role in teacher evaluations

As the debate continues over the use of “value-added” measures to evaluate teachers, a new study has emerged which compares the results of value added measures of teachers to student surveys about teachers. The N.Y. Times published some of the findings and some of the questions posed to students.

According to the report, teachers rated high by student surveys also showed the most student growth as based on standardized test scores. And guess what? These same teachers did not teach to the test. The report showed that teachers “who incessantly drill their students to prepare for standardized tests tend to have lower value-added learning gains than those who simply work their way methodically through the key concepts of literacy and mathematics.”

The report urges educators to use the experiences of students as they try to locate teacher effectiveness. Teacher evaluations done by students, which in my experience have been given only at the discretion of individual teachers, should be a major tool used to provide valuable feedback for teachers and their evaluating administrators.

Of course, as with any survey, the types of questions asked are key. Teachers should look at the survey questions used in the report, and for now, incorporate them into their own student surveys. Eventually they should be used by evaluating administrators as well.

Accelerated Learning Resources