Teacher Evaluation Around the World (eBook)

This book presents some of the leading technical, professional, and political challenges associated with the development and implementation of teacher evaluation systems, along with characterizing some of these systems in different countries around the world. The book promotes a broader comprehension of the complexities associated with this kind of initiatives, which have gained relevance in the last two decades, especially in the context of policies aimed at improving the quality of education.

The first section of the book includes conceptual chapters that will detail some of the central debates around teacher evaluation, such as a) performance evaluation versus teaching effectiveness; b) tensions between formative and summative uses of evaluation; c) relationship between evaluation and teacher professionalization; and d) political tensions around teacher evaluation.

In the second section, the book addresses specific examples of national or state-wide initiatives in the field of teacher evaluation. For this section, the authors have invited contributions that reflect experiences in North America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Latin America. In each chapter, a teacher evaluation system is presented, including their main results and validity evidence, as well as the main challenges associated with its design and implementation.

This wide-ranging presentation of teacher evaluation systems around the world is a valuable reference to understand the diverse challenges for the implementation of teacher evaluation programs. The presence of conceptual chapters with others that illustrate how teacher evaluation has been implemented in different contexts gives the reader a comprehensive view of the complex nature of teacher evaluation, considering their technical and political underpinnings. It is a valuable source for anyone interested in the design, improvement, and implementation of teacher evaluation systems.

Jorge Manzi received Ph.D. in Psychology by the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. He is Full Professor at the School of Psychology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he is also Director of the Measurement Center MIDE UC (one of the leading institutions in the field of educational measurement in Latin America). His academic work concentrates on three areas: educational measurement, social psychology, and political psychology. In the area of educational measurement, during the last two decades, he has contributed to the development, implementation and validation of several national programs in Chile, including the National Assessment of Student Achievement (SIMCE), the University Entrance Examinations (PSU), the National Mandatory Teacher Performance Assessment, and the Certification of Excellence in Teaching. In this field, he has also worked in international programs, such as UNESCO's regional assessment of 3rd- and 6th-grade students (TERCE 2013 and ERCE 2019). He has also participated in national commissions related to education and educational assessment. His academic work in this area is reflected in several research and development projects as well as in books, articles, and papers.

Yulán Sun is Psychologist and Master in Educational Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She was part of the Teacher Professional Development team of the 900 Schools Program (P-900), of the Ministry of Education, and has specialized in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational programs, particularly in teacher assessment. Between 2003 and 2019, Sun directed the 'Docentemas project' in Measurement Center of the Catholic University of Chile (MIDE UC), leading the implementation of the national teacher assessment program in Chile. She has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher in different universities in Chile, and she is a national and international consultant in the area of teacher assessment. Currently, Sun participates as an independent researcher in a research project executed by the Department of Evaluation, Measurement and Educational Registry (DEMRE) of the University of Chile, and she is the academic coordinator of the Center for Professional Teacher Development (CPDP) in Diego Portales University.

María Rosa García is Psychologist and Master of Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She is currently Assistant Professor at the School of Psychology of that same university, and Professional at the MIDE UC Measurement Center UC (one of the leading institutions in the field of educational measurement in Latin America). Here, she has led the area of validation studies of the instruments used in the National Mandatory Teacher Performance Assessment. Also, she has led the area of construction of instruments of the Learning Progress Assessment System, SEPA, and the international area of MIDE UC that carries out various consultancies around educational measurement in different countries, mostly in Latin America. She has done consulting and teaching mainly on topics related to the construction and validation of measuring instruments and the evaluation of learning.