Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

6-1988

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

Jerry J. Bellon

Committee Members

Malcom McInnis, Donald Dessart, Clinton B. Allison

Abstract

This study had a threefold purpose. First, the study sought to establish the current status of performance-based pay in the United States. The second purpose of the study was to develop a baseline of current evaluation practices against which to compare the evaluation program for the Tennessee Career Ladder. Finally, the study sought to determine the beliefs of Tennessee teachers and principals pertaining to the evaluation program for the Career Ladder and to possible solutions for perceived problems.

The sample for this study consisted of thirty-six teachers and twelve principals in twelve Tennessee schools. Teachers and principals in four distinct types of schools were included in the sample: rural schools, rural/suburban schools, urban/suburban schools, and urban schools. In each setting teachers and the building principal were interviewed in an elementary, a middle, and a high school. In each school a Level I, II, and III teacher were interviewed.

A qualitative design was used in the study in which a semi-structured interview schedule was developed to generate the data. The interview schedule allowed teachers and principals to express their beliefs regarding the current problems with the evaluation program for the Career Ladder and to express possible remedies for these problems.

Responses to the interview questions were treated by the employment of content analysis. A set of coding categories were developed for each question and then clustered as themes emerged in the data. Further analysis of the data consisted of cross checks against type of certificate and professional teaching assignment.

The findings related to this research are as follows:

1. Sixty-one programs of performance-based pay are in operation in this country. Of these, fifty-four are merit pay programs. Six career ladder plans are in full operation in the United States. Merit pay programs are, with two exceptions, totally funded and operated locally. Career Ladders, on the other hand, are funded and operated by states with the exception of Virginia and Maryland. These two states provide funding for locally developed performance-based pay programs of the districts choosing.

2. Eight generally accepted principles of effective evaluation programs were found in the literature. These include: (1) leadership—both centrally and in depth; (2) clear concise criteria teachers have helped develop and have confidence in; (3) sources of data teachers have confidence will be indicative of the criteria; (4) evaluators teachers trust and who model the desired behaviors from teachers; (5) uses of the data which serve to help teachers improve; (6) a clear link between evaluation and staff development; (7) a high degree of teacher involvement in the entire process; and (8) timely, accurate feedback.

3. The Tennessee Career Ladder evaluation program was found to be lacking in terms of each of the eight principles of effective evaluation programs.

4. No concensus of opinion exists among teachers and principals as to the purposes for the Career Ladder evaluation program. Local evaluations for the Career Ladder were viewed as fair and equitable by the respondents. Influences of the state evaluation program on local evaluation were seen positively by the respondents in the study. State evaluations, even though they employ the same process as local evaluations, were perceived highly negatively by the respondents. Effects of the process on instruction were seen by respondents as having a positive effect on themselves, but a negative effect on other teachers. The affective effects of the process were seen to be highly negative.

Most teachers would choose a local evaluator to perform their Career Ladder evaluations if they were given the choice.

Teachers and principals also predicted that other teachers would choose a local evaluator for these evaluations. Teachers perceive a need for information which will help them to improve their performance. They have a strong desire for evaluation feedback to facilitate this improvement. Teachers also desire planned professional growth complete with support and follow-up from their evaluation data.

Demographic variances in the responses of participants did not result in any significant deviation from the response pattern of the entire sample.

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