Existing teacher evaluation procedures are flawed because they are too "global" and fail to recognize differences attributable to content and learner ability. Lee S. Shulman hopes to change this situation through the Teacher Assessment Project, a Carnegie Corporation-sponsored program developing alternative assessment exercises. (MLH)

Two major state-wide programs in Florida have adopted the Florida Performance Measurement System (FPMS) for the formative and/or summative evaluation of instruction--The Beginning Teacher Program and the Master Teacher Program. Since the state is responsible for compiling and reporting scores in a state-wide system, the Teacher Evaluation…

A combination of methods--portfolios, direct observation, assessment centers, and better tests--can compensate for one another's shortcomings and reflect the richness and complexity of teaching. (Author/TE)

Examined the validity and reliability of the Professional Development Inventory, an instrument used in assessment centers of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Results support the ease of use and high degree of validity and reliability of the instrument. (SLD)

Describes the research of Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project which studied alternative modes of performance-based assessments for potential use in licensing and certifying teachers. The article discusses how researchers combined assessment center exercises and portfolio development to create a new form of assessment center…

Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) explored new modes of teacher assessment designed to reflect the richness and complexity of teaching. The article discusses TAP's creation, administration, and evaluation of assessment center exercises based on documents teachers submitted in portfolios that included their plans, activities,…

Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project studied teacher assessment by situating teacher thinking and acting within circumstances attributable to subject matter, grade level, and sociocultural context. The article examines why, if assessments are to improve educational quality in diverse classrooms, they must hold all teachers accountable…

Semistructured interviews may help in assessing teacher knowledge. Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) distinguished exemplary teachers by incorporating semistructured interviews into assessment center exercises. The paper describes TAP's elementary mathematics lesson planning exercise, noting ways that experienced teacher…

The research of the Biology component of the Teacher Assessment Project (BioTAP) of Stanford (California) University is described. BioTAP uses portfolio development as an important aspect of teacher assessment. Advantages and drawbacks of teacher portfolios are discussed, including issues of validity and reliability. (SLD)

The theoretical implications of management assessment centers for evaluating headteachers in Great Britain are examined in this paper. Issues in developing informed, objective management assessment are discussed, which involve the following: the educational system's permeable boundaries; the context in which management assessment and development…

The context and development of the assessment center exercises used in the field of secondary history and social studies under Connecticut's Teacher Assessment Center Program are reviewed. Preliminary findings suggest success in designing an assessment that combines the knowledge from formal instruction with the skills gained through classroom…

Provides personal perspectives from teachers about the prospects and problems illuminated by Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project. Teacher remarks address the portfolio development process, assessment centers, implications for national board certification for teachers, personal thoughts and perspectives on teaching, and the future of…

Describes the Stanford University Teacher Assessment Project (TAP), noting researchers gained insight into the dynamics of teacher assessment and concomitant scoring, the nature of professionalism, and the activity of qualitative research. The article focuses on TAP's 100 Statement Project. (SM)

Performance testing is discussed as a method for teacher evaluation. Although new to teaching, performance assessment has a long history in assessment of other occupations, and much can be learned from this experience. Performance assessments, measuring knowledge and abilities in use, can help sharpen the definition of teacher competence. (SLD)

The CONNTAC program marks an attempt to develop an integrative performance assessment process that will measure knowledge, skills, and instructional repertoire of beginning teachers. The development of assessment center exercises and the critical role that scoring plays in exercise development are described. (SLD)