Work

The Effect of Evaluation on Performance: Evidence from Longitudinal Student Achievement Data of Mid-career Teachers

Year: 2011

Type: report

Abstract: The effect of evaluation on employee performance is traditionally studied in the context of the principal-agent problem.Evaluation can, however, also be characterized as an investment in the evaluated employee's human capital.We study a sample of mid-career public school teachers where we can consider these two types of evaluation effect separately.Employee evaluation is a particularly salient topic in public schools where teacher effectiveness varies substantially and where teacher evaluation itself is increasingly a focus of public policy proposals.We find evidence that a quality classroom-observation-based evaluation and performance measures can improve mid-career teacher performance both during the period of evaluation, consistent with the traditional predictions; and in subsequent years, consistent with human capital investment.However the estimated improvements during evaluation are less precise.Additionally, the effects sizes represent a substantial gain in welfare given the program's costs.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w16877

Authors: Eric Taylor, John Tyler

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, Wellesley College, Brown University, Stanford University

Language: English

Topic: School Choice and Performance

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Department of Education, Joyce Foundation, Harvard University, Institute of Education Sciences