Can Principals Identify Value-Adding Teachers? Can Principals Accurately Identify Effective Teachers as Measured by Value-Added Analysis?
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: In a true experiment with random assignment of subjects to three treatment conditions, this study examined the accuracy of principals' judgment in identifying effective teachers.Principals (chosen from all K-12 levels) were randomly assigned to watch one of three 20-minute videos of a middle-school math teacher teaching math.Each treatment group served as the control for the others.The three groups featured: (1) a "below" teacher, (2) a "NDD" teacher, and (3) an "Above" (i.e., a teacher representing each of the three categories of value-added rating in force in Ohio at the time of the study).After completing demographic items and then viewing the video, principals completed a single item to record their judgment of the value-adding designation to which the teacher in the video belonged.Four demographic variables established the comparability of treatment groups: gender, education level, years of teaching experience and years of administrative experience.Findings showed that within a reasonable margin of error, principals were able to identify middle-school math teachers judged in Ohio to be "value-adding".They were not able, however, accurately to identify middle-school math teachers with valueadded designations of "no discernible difference" or "not value-adding."The study interprets the results and concludes with recommendations for practice and research.
Author: Kathryne L. McFarland
Institution: Ohio University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: U.S. Department of Education
OpenAlex ID: W2520125677