Standardizing teacher evaluations in a state can provide
consistency and tie evaluations to performance goals, according
to a report. Evaluations that define quality and strive to
improve student and teacher performance can be strong reform
tools. Included: A new approach to teacher evaluations. Interest
among state officials and lawmakers in taking a more direct role
in education reform by standardizing teacher evaluations got a
jump start a few years ago from the report Improving Teacher
Evaluation to Improve Teaching Quality, written by members of
theNational Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best
Practices. Teacher evaluations can be effective mechanisms for
increasing student achievement and improving instructional
practices, if the evaluations are connected with academic
standards for students and professional standards for educators,
according to the report. Developing state evaluations ensures
consistency throughout a state and shows if teachers are meeting
state academic goals. Bridget Curran, o