Measuring and Improving the Effectiveness of High School Teachers

Most education reformers agree that effective teaching is defined by improving student learning, but they disagree on how to measure teacher effectiveness and how to use those measurements to improve teaching. Thus far, most of the policy debate on teacher effectiveness has focused on using test scores to implement merit pay or to fire teachers, but those strategies alone will not lift teacher performance on a large scale. The best way to improve teacher effectiveness is to provide teachers with support and guidance that are grounded in effectiveness—that is, which uses effectiveness data to enhance professional development and teacher education, strengthen evaluations and career development, and revamp accountability policies to reward and encourage student learning. Only then can staffing, pay, or any other high school reform effort advance the primary goal of improving student achievement for college and work readiness.