Two years ago, the Cincinnati Public Schools launched a teacher evaluation system in which teachers were measured against 17 standards, with the results to be linked to compensation and career advancement for individual teachers. Last week, the district announced that teachers who rated the highest under the evaluation system also produced the greatest gains in student achievement. The evaluation system rates teachers based on whether they meet standards like giving tests aligned with the district's standards and using content-specific instructional strategies. For the study, the district looked at individual student scores on achievement tests and compared student improvement rates to teachers' evaluation ratings, according to an article by reporter Jennifer Mrozowski in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "The study found the basic design of the teacher evaluation system is sound and worth continuing," said Jack Lewis, the district's director of research and evaluation. For details see "Study links teacher quality and student progress," by Jennifer Mrozowski, Cincinnati Enquirer, February 21, 2002.
