Written in a reader-friendly style for busy faculty members and school administrators with little or no prior knowledge of statistics, this comprehensive model is designed to create fair, valid, and reliable assessments of teacher knowledge and skills. Evaluation experts Judy Wilkerson and Steve Lang provide detailed guidance for the complete five-step assessment process, making this an ideal resource both for preservice and inservice settings, including accreditation reviews and teacher induction programs. Offering worksheets and activities to illustrate every step of the process, this all-inclusive handbook covers: (1) Definitions, contextual factors, and sampling; (2) Aligning performance tasks with standards defined by NCLB, NCATE, INTASC, and other groups; (3) Designing and implementing data tracking and management systems; and (4) Ensuring psychometric integrity. Valid and reliable decisions about teacher competency are based on fair, valid, and reliable assessment systems. "Assessing Teacher Competency" is the book all teacher educators, supervisors, and mentors have been waiting for. Following a "Step-by-Step Guide to the CAATS Model," a foreword by Richard Kunkel, and a preface, this book is divided into 10 sections: (1) Expectations and Options for Accountability and Teacher Assessment; (2) Portfolios--To Be or Not To Be?? That IS the Question!; (3) CAATS Step 1: Assessment Design Inputs; (4) CAATS Step 2: Planning with a Continuing Eye on Valid Assessment Decisions; (5) CAATS Step 3--Writing Tasks Designed to Maximize Validity and Reliability; (6) CAATS Step 4: Decision-Making and Data Management; (7) CAATS Step 5: Credible Data; (8) The Trouble with Tribbles: Standard Setting for Professional Certification; (9) Using Teacher Scores for Continuous Improvement; and (10) Legal Integrity. Appended are: Tasks Developed for Florida Alternative Certification Program. A glossary, list of references, and an index conclude the book.