Most evaluations of teacher performance are brief, superficial, pro forma affairs involving a few moments of classroom observation every year or two followed by the completion of required evaluation forms. Not surprisingly, much of what has been written about teacher evaluation over the past decade reflects the dissatisfaction of teachers, the frustration of administrators, and the confusion of all parties as to the proper purposes for and methods of teacher evaluation. In this long-awaited book, Richard J. Stiggins and Daniel L. Duke approach teacher evaluation from a positive perspective. They present the results of three unique studies from over a three-year period, designed to uncover the inherent problems in current evaluation practices and find potential solutions to those problems.

Relying on ethnographic case study methodology, Study One focuses on the procedures and concerns in the teacher evaluation systems of four school districts, uncovering barriers to teacher growth. Study Two also relies on case study methodology to highlight the keys to success for a few teachers who experienced significant professional growth as a result of a good-quality evaluation event. Study Three uses an instrument—the Teacher Evaluation Profile—to explore and analyze the evaluation experiences of over 400 teachers. The result is a book that gives a clear insight into the important attributes of positive growth-producing evaluation events. Implications of these studies for future teacher evaluation programs in terms of research, policy, and practice are also included in this valuable resource book.

The topic is very timely. The significance if this work is that the effort begins linking staff development participation to teacher evaluation.