Connecticut Teacher's Effectiveness: A Case Study

PURPOSE Though there is much research relating to teacher evaluation, there is little research looking specifically at using SLOs to evaluate a teacher’s effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to take a closer look at what measures are being used by Connecticut teachers to measure student achievement which will then, in turn, measure a teacher’s effectiveness. A study conducted in Arizona and Utah did look specifically at using SLOs as part of the teacher evaluation model (Makkonen, et al, 2015). Similarly, this study will look at SLOs and IAGDs developed by teachers in Connecticut schools. The NEAG study performed on the SEED pilot in 2013 noted that the time needed to implement the new model increased significantly. That being said, this current study will ask both teachers and administrators if the process has had an overall positive impact on teaching and learning. Focus questions for this research will be: 1. What assessments did Connecticut teachers use as the

Creswell (2013, p. 469) defines a case study as an “in-depth exploration of a bounded system based on extensive data collection.” More specifically, it will be a collective case study. Stake !995) as quoted by Creswell (2015, p. 469) states that a collective case study looks at multiple cases and are described and compared to provide insight into an issue. Teacher evaluation is a systemic procedure at both the district and state level. The main goal of the revised teacher evaluation model, in the state of Connecticut is to improve teaching, which in turn, will improve learning. The SLO process asks teachers to establish expectations for their students’ learning, therefor impacting teaching practices. Finally, student growth and learning are the measures used to evaluate a teacher’s effectiveness. The results of this study will provide insight to Connecticut’s use of SLOs in the teacher evaluation