Evaluating Teachers in the Big Easy: How Organizational Context Shapes Policy Responses in New Orleans

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Marsh ◽  
Susan Bush-Mecenas ◽  
Katharine O. Strunk ◽  
Jane Arnold Lincove ◽  
Alice Huguet
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Evaluation ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
The United States ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Policy ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Systems ◽  
Context Shapes

Although multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems have gained popularity in the United States, few studies have examined their implementation or how they are shaped by organizational context. New Orleans provides a strategic case to examine the enactment of a state teacher evaluation policy in a highly decentralized setting with variation in organizational context. Utilizing a multiple case study approach, we analyzed documents and interviews in eight case study schools. We found that schools varied in their responses to teacher evaluation—in ways that were reflective, compliant, and/or distortive—and that the type of response was not associated with governance model, school authorizer, or level of autonomy. Instead, shared instructional leadership and structures for frequent collaboration appeared to facilitate more reflective responses.

scholarly journals AN EXAMINATION OF ONE FACTOR IN SCHOOL REFORM: INCREASED TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY IN TWO URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (27) ◽  
pp. 329-344
Author(s):  
Nadine Bonda
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Reform ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Study Approach

Beginning in 2009, and with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, school districts across the United States began to be held to higher standards and their progress publicly reported.  Student achievement began to be measured by standardized testing and great efforts were being made to reduce the achievement gap. This paper is based on a five-year study of teacher evaluation in two urban districts in Massachusetts where improving teacher practice was seen as an important factor in raising student achievement. This research studied efforts to address those teachers who were identified as underperforming and were supported through individual improvement plans.  This paper used a case study approach to show what the practices of a sampling of these teachers looked like, teachers’ reactions to being rated unsatisfactory, and teachers’ reactions to the improvement planning process.

Should knowledge management in organizations be rebranded?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Nakash ◽  
Dan Bouhnik
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Strategic Perspective ◽  
First Time

Purpose This study aims to examine the relevance of the term “knowledge management” (KM) in the organizational context, and deliberates whether there is a need for rebranding of this field. It also enriches the understanding regarding the appropriateness of the term “KM,” which was chosen to represent the discipline. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative research methodology, and a case study approach was followed by conducting 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews with international KM experts working in a global consulting firm. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis method based on the grounded theory approach. Findings The findings provide empirical evidence that attempts are being made to move away from the label “KM” in certain knowledge-intensive organizations. This study sheds light on the challenges associated with this term, which leads some to believe that the name of the discipline needs to change. Originality/value The present pioneering research contributes to empirical knowledge through investigation of an unexplored scientific field. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, its uniqueness can be established by the fact that the opinions of KM professionals are being heard regarding the “KM” label, as well as the need for a rebranding of this discipline in the organizational context. From a practical and strategic perspective, this study suggests that the research community and practitioners pay attention to attempts to shift away from the existing title identified in organizational practice.

The Paradox Resolved: A Different Case Study and the Argument Summarized

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel J. G. van Eeten ◽  
Emery Roe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
The United States ◽  
Service Reliability ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Study Approach

From the outset, the book’s chief policy question has resolved around the problem of how to manage. As this was addressed in the preceding chapters, a new question arises: what are the implications for policies governing the meeting of the twofold management goal of restoring ecosystems while maintaining service reliability? This chapter provides our answer to that question by means of a new case study. It sums up the book’s argument and recasts ecosystem management and policy for ecologists, engineers, and other stakeholders. The best way to draw out the policy-relevant ramifications of our framework and the preceding management insights is to apply them to a different ecosystem. The case-study approach has served us well in contextualizing management recommendations without, we believe, compromising their more general application to ecosystem management. Our analysis of the major land-use planning controversy in the Netherlands underscores the wider applicability of this book’s arguments for both management and policy. What follows is put more briefly because it builds on the analysis of and recommendations for the Columbia River Basin, San Francisco Bay-Delta, and the Everglades. Why the Netherlands? There are human-dominated ecosystems substantially different from those found in the United States, many of which are more densely populated. They have nothing remotely like “wilderness,” but instead long histories of constructing and managing “nature.” The Netherlands is one such landscape. Not only is the landscape different, it is also important to note that the context for ecosystem management is set by different political, social, and cultural values. Sustainability is a much more dominant value in the European context than currently in the United States. Case-by-case management, while also appropriate for zones of conflict outside the United States, now has to deal with the fact that there is a tension between its call for case-specific indicators and the use of more general sustainability indicators in Europe. In die Netherlands, for example, sustainable housing projects are designed and assessed not only in terms of specific indicators but also in light of the “factor 20 increase in environmental efficiency” needed to achieve sustainability.

Student Voice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Astor ◽  
Rami Benbenishty
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Evaluation ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
The United States ◽  
New Teacher ◽  
Achievement Gains ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Systems ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
New Teacher Evaluation

Even those who agree with the idea of creating a monitoring system might still need to be convinced that what students have to say should be considered valuable input in the effort to improve schools, whether it pertains to raising academic performance or to safety, security, and behavior. Some argue that students are so disinterested in surveys that they answer randomly or give the first answer that comes to mind. Others are concerned that students respond deliberately in ways intended to harm staff members they do not like. Still others are not sure that students really understand the true meaning of the questions and, therefore, that their answers are not usable. Students, however, are often the best sources of providing detailed information on what is happening in schools and may even provide realistic suggestions on how adults can intervene. Looking at the ways students’ perceptions are already being used in schools can help policymakers and educators see how they can be part of improving school climate. This issue, for example, has been debated in recent years as some states and school districts have moved to include students’ opinions on their experiences in the classroom as one component of new teacher evaluation systems. For example, the Tripod survey,1 developed by Harvard University’s Ron Ferguson, asks students how much they agree with statements such as “My teacher explains diffcult things clearly” and “Our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time.” The Tripod was used as part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Measures of Effective Teaching project and is being used in districts across the United States, in Canada, and in China. In a 2013 report, Hanover Research reviewed the literature on using student perception surveys in teacher evaluation and professional development: “Given the consistent findings of the research reviewed for this report, it is reasonable to conclude that student perception surveys can provide accurate measures of teacher effectiveness,” they write. “When the proper instrument, or survey, is utilized, student feedback can be more accurate than alternative, more widely- used instruments at predicting achievement gains.

Writing for Love and Money on Three Continents

2019 ◽  
pp. 33-48
Author(s):  
Kate Vieira
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Transnational Families ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Political Borders

This chapter tells the story of the research. It first lays out the research question: How do transnational families’ experiences with migration-driven literacy learning shift across their lifespans in relation to changing political borders, economic circumstances, and technologies? It then describes the field sites in which the question was addressed: Latvia, Brazil, and the United States. Next, it outlines the reasoning behind the author’s methodological choices. Specifically, it elaborates on the author’s use of a comparative case study approach to develop the book’s central concept, “migration-driven literacy learning.” In doing so, the chapter describes how the project entailed both “reasearching across lives” and “researching across continents.” Finally, it offers a brief overview of the rest of the book.

Teacher Evaluation

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-28
Author(s):  
Cara Faith Bernard ◽  
Joseph Michael Abramo
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Evaluation ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
State Education ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Systems ◽  
Laws And Policies

This chapter provides a background on laws and policies related to teacher evaluation in the United States. This background might help music teachers navigate teacher evaluation systems and avoid misunderstanding evaluators’ motivations and pressures. First, the chapter provides a brief history of federal and state education law and education policy. This history is presented as a series of four phases, each aimed to standardize public education. These phases move from evaluating standards through student performance and standardized tests to teacher performance and quality through instructional practice. Second, there is an investigation of how history and policy have led to tensions, disagreements, and contradictions within teacher evaluation processes and policies. Finally, the chapter describes how these tensions have resulted in the common characteristics of teacher evaluation systems found throughout the country. By understanding this background and history, music teachers may begin to actively and constructively participate in teacher evaluation.

A Critical Analysis of Teacher Evaluation Policy Trends

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne A. Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Evaluation ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
New Teacher ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
System Reform ◽  
Evaluation Policy ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Policy ◽  
Policies And Programs

Modernising the teaching profession has become one of the main goals of contemporary educational system reform. The evaluation of teachers has been integral to the new teacher quality policies and programs. This article provides a comparative and critical analysis of the evaluations that teachers now confront during their professional careers. Examples of teacher evaluation practices and processes from Australia, Canada, the United States, and England are described and analysed.

Keeping Great Teachers: A Case Study on the Impact and Implementation of a Pilot Teacher Evaluation System

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Robertson-Kraft ◽  
Rosaline S. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Evaluation ◽  
Teacher Retention ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
School Level ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Teacher Survey ◽  
Teacher Evaluation Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

A growing body of research examines the impact of recent teacher evaluation systems; however, we have limited knowledge on how these systems influence teacher retention. This study uses a mixed-methods design to examine teacher retention patterns during the pilot year of an evaluation system in an urban school district in Texas. We used difference-in-differences analysis to examine the impact of the new system on school-level teacher turnover and administered a teacher survey ( N = 1,301) to investigate individual and school-level factors influencing retention. This quantitative analysis was supplemented with interview data from two case study schools. Results suggest that, overall, the new evaluation system did not have a significant effect on teacher retention, but there was significant variation at the individual and school level. This study has important implications for policymakers developing new evaluation systems and researchers interested in evaluating their impact on retention.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Athletic Identity: A Case Study of a Niche Club Sport

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Traugutt ◽  
Jacob Augustin ◽  
Rammi Hazzaa
Keyword(s):  
Sport Participation ◽  
Athletic Identity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Harry Potter ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Club Sport

Research on athletic identity has been robust, however, there remains a gap in the literature regarding its perceived impact among collegiate club sport athletes. The subject of the present study was the niche sport of quidditch, a co-ed contact sport that is currently being played at over 200 colleges and universities across the United States. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of athletic identity among quidditch participants. In addition, it was also of interest to understand the degree to which spectators perceive the athletic identity of the participants and the game of quidditch in general. A two-phase, case study approach was utilized which featured both club quidditch team members and spectators at a regional club tournament as participants. Results from our thematic analysis yielded four primary themes; quidditch as a sport, participation for sport, participation for social interaction, and the Harry Potter effect. Concurrently, many spectators identified the quidditch participants as athletes although they were not as defiant in their identification of quidditch as a sport. These findings have notable implications for college students seeking to continue their athletic endeavors via an alternative sport experience and administrators who are seeking to expand their sport offerings.

scholarly journals In Education and in Work: The Globalized Community College

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-77
Author(s):  
John S. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Work Behaviors ◽  
Educational Programming ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Multiple Case

This is a multiple case study of seven colleges using field methods research to examine institutional life and organizational context. This study determines that community colleges in both Canada and the United States exhibited educational and work behaviors in the 1990s consistent with the globalization process. Education was oriented to the marketplace, and the needs of business and industry received high priority in educational programming. Work within these institutions was valued for and carried out with economic ends: to realize productivity and efficiency.

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