NJEA continues to offer leadership in the area of professional evaluation by presenting guidelines for action to its affiliates. Also lists 33 specific guidelines for local teacher evaluation procedures. (Editor/RK)

Cites court decisions which point out the need for fair evaluation systems if personnel are to enjoy due process and school boards are to be less vulnerable to attacks in courts of law. (Author/MF)

The concept of "tenure," with all its clumsy and confusing burden of historic and current misinterpretation, will probably soon disappear. However, what tenure laws intended, and have failed to do, will almost surely be preserved in other forms of administrative procedure. To be effective, administrative procedures must be (1) clear and detailed,…

This article presents a documentation system that principals can use in the teacher evaluation process to help improve a teacher's performance or, if necessary, to present at a hearing to support a recommendation for termination. The documentation involves the use of several types of memoranda: (1) memoranda to the principal's file (for less…

This speech first presents an overview of the problems in and the promises of teacher and administrator job performance evaluation. The author contends that a lack of attention to the evaluation process, faulty instruments, poorly defined performance criteria, and the lack of participation involvement present the major difficulties in evaluation…

Discusses how legal issues impinge upon teacher competency testing, describing key legal provisions (antitrust protection, due process, equal protection, substantial adverse impact, and business necessity), and examining each one's impact on testing and teacher certification. Recommendations to help teacher educators ensure legal, credible, and…

Although the main purpose of a school district's evaluation system is to improve employees' performance, the evaluation procedures and the supporting documentation must also serve as evidence in the termination hearings of an unsatisfactory employee. Accordingly, this chapter provides practical advice to school administrators concerning…

The process of performance evaluation of teachers and other school personnel should be conducted with their full knowledge and involvement. Due process procedures require that a teacher be fully informed of any negative appraisals by a superior, have an opportunity to discuss the problems, and receive guidance toward solutions. The following steps…

Chapter 14 in a book on school law concerns the legal aspects of evaluating teacher performance. Careful analysis of recent decisions makes it clear the courts will compel uniform standards and unprecedented rigor in teacher evaluation practices. Particularly in the consideration of equitable standards, state and federal courts are relying on…

To guarantee an efficient educational system, effective evaluation and supervision of teacher performance are necessary. However, the evaluation of teacher performance presents two major problems: first, no clear definition or measure of effective teaching exists, and second, evaluation is perceived to have conflicting purposes, either as a…

This monograph offers practical suggestions on how to develop and implement an effective and legally viable system of teacher evaluation. Part 1, "The Legal Arena," discusses current trends in school employee litigation, suggesting that an effective evaluation process can be one of the greatest deterrents to successful employee first amendment…

This short monograph details a simple system of documentation that can be used with any school district's personnel evaluation process. The goal of the monograph is to help supervisors, especially principals, accord fair treatment to employees who are systematically evaluated. The documentation system is founded on the concept of communication.…