Since 2001-2002, standards-based accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have shaped the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. This book sheds light on how accountability policies have been translated into actions at the district, school, and classroom levels in three states.

For any school undertaking an inclusion program, here's an opportunity to find out what works and explore a 10-step plan that can achieve positive academic and social outcomes for all students -- with and without disabilities.

This book discusses four approaches to incorporating student achievement in teacher evaluation. Seven chapters discuss: (1) "Teacher Evaluation and Student Achievement: An Introduction to the Issues"; (2) "What is the Relationship between Teaching and Learning?" (e.g., whether teachers are responsible for student learning and how to measure student learning); (3) "Assessing Teacher Performance through Comparative Student Growth: The Dallas Value-Added Accountability System"; (4) "Assessing Teacher Performance through Repeated Measures of Student Gains: The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System"; (5) "Assessing Teacher Performance with Student Work: The Oregon Teacher Work Sample Methodology"; (6) "Assessing Teacher Performance in a Standards-Based Environment: The Thompson, Colorado, School District"; and (7) Teacher Evaluation and Student Achievement: What are the Lessons Learned and Where Do We Go from Here?" (e.g., basic requirements of fair testing programs that are to be used to inform teacher evaluation). Chapters 3-6 include information on the purposes of the accountability system and how it was developed; student assessment strategies; how the accountability system works; how the accountability system relates to teacher evaluation; the advantages and disadvantages of the accountability system for teacher evaluation; and results of implementation. (Contains 66 references.) (SM)

Improve teacher retention by understanding and supporting the work of special education teachers! Are you concerned about special education teacher attrition? Do you wonder about how to meet the demand for highly qualified special educators? This book highlights the problems that drive many special educators out of teaching and outlines practical recommendations that leaders can use to increase retention. Drawing on field experience as well as research findings, Billingsley provides a comprehensive framework for supporting special educators. Cultivating and Keeping Committed Special Education Teachers provides effective ways to: Recruit and hire qualified special educators Provide responsive induction programs for new teachers Design effective professional development opportunities Create inclusive and collaborative schools Provide reasonable work assignments and reduce paperwork Promote wellness by reducing stress This book emphasizes the important role that principals play in supporting special educators and how they can make a difference in what special educators accomplish in their schools. Numerous assessments, tools, and resources are included to help leaders, mentors, and teachers improve the conditions of special education teaching.

This guide, written for teachers and administrators wishing to introduce evaluation systems that promote continued teacher growth and enhance school effectiveness, suggests that meaningful change requires a clear understanding of what is already in operation, substantial skill development, and adequate resources for the duration of the change cycle. Rather than prescribing a single route to success, the guide offers examples of different evaluation experiences, describes possible evaluation courses, and, in separate chapters, offers five keys to effective evaluation: teachers, evaluators, performance data, feedback, and context. A subsequent chapter examines the important attributes of these keys in more detail. The guide concludes by offering two scenarios for success and a discussion on evaluating existing evaluation procedures, improving the teacher evaluation environment, and upgrading evaluation skills. An appendix includes a teacher evaluation experience questionnaire and a questionnaire for evaluators' self-examination. (IW)

Teacher Evaluation: Guide to Professional Practice is organized around four dominant, interrelated core issues: professional standards, a guide to applying the Joint Committee's Standards, ten alternative models for the evaluation of teacher performance, and an analysis of these selected models. The book draws heavily on research and development conducted by the Federally funded national Center for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation (CREATE). The reader will come to grasp the essence of sound teacher evaluation and will be able to apply its principles, facts, ideas, processes, and procedures. Finally, the book invites and assists school professionals and other readers to examine the latest developments in teacher evaluation.