The concept of accountability, or fixing responsibility for outcomes in education, is not new. As far back as 1912, administrators were responding enthusiastically to the idea of assessing teacher performance by objective criteria. Currently, the focus of the accountability movement is on evaluation. An evaluation procedure that would assist in…

The Kalamazoo school system has developed for its instructional staff a series of accountability schemes collectively referred to as the Instructional Staff Performance Profiles (ISPP). They presently include performance profiles for teachers, secondary instructional specialists, secondary academic specialists, elementary instructional…

A discussion of performance contracting, defined as an agreement between a group offering instruction and a school needing the services, is presented. Four major hazards to direct measurement of specific learning are considered: poor statement of objectives; selection of the wrong tests; misinterpretation of test scores; and depersonalization of…

Traditional methods of paying and evaluating teachers in the United States are longstanding, but discussions about changing these systems to support teacher quality and student achievement goals are becoming more common. Efforts to make significant changes to these programs can be difficult and take many years to design, gain approval, and…

Widely endorsed national reports on educational reform have proposed career ladders and merit pay to raise the quality of the teaching force, and hence contribute to educational excellence. This report contends that careful analysis of proposed changes of teacher reward systems has been omitted. The issues requiring attention involve incentive…

The contents of this guide, adopted for a one-year pilot study, include: standard operating procedures for the faculty development/effectiveness document (performance and evaluation contract); instructions and forms for evaluating effectiveness in teaching, administrative duties, and professional activities; and a faculty…

In Part I of this report, educational accountability is viewed as being composed of three types. They are: goal, program, and outcome accountability. In addition, three accountability schemes which are considered exemplary of the kinds of proposals presently made and which cover a broad range of accountability types are also discussed. The schemes…

This Personalized Activity Kit focuses on one aspect of management by objectives--procedures for developing a plan that will help the participant meet his staff objectives. One way to report progress to one's superior is also suggested. Staff objectives state who, by job title, will do what. The plan sheet is made up of hows with deadline dates.…

The central assumption in domain-referenced testing (DRT), as presented in this book, is that a domain may be determined which adequately represents a particular universe of knowledge. After a domain has been established, the technological and practical problem of using domain-referenced testing must be solved. This book contains a collection of…