Covert checks of observational methodology reveal declines in reliability of observations. This appears to be particularly true when complex codes are used to track social interaction. The present study was undertaken to see whether reliability could be maintained through a combination of technological advancements and the development of improved…

In this paper on the role of the supervisor in education, the supervisor is delineated as one who facilitates the design and implementation of the curriculum and instruction within an organizational setting. Three models of supervision are reviewed. Nominal supervision is described as existing because those charged with supervision are given only…

A framework for thinking about teacher assessment is provided. Good teaching is characterized and target domains for teacher assessment are identified. A number of challenges to existing assessment practices and plans for future assessment practices are identified. New systems of teacher assessment should be designed to triangulate across domains…

Preschool children were rated in a variety of classroom situations to determine if they displayed consistent behaviors within and across settings. Each assessment was based on a 15-minute observation of the child. Results suggest that enduring response patterns can be identified, but only in relation to particular situations. (Author/CS)

From "Educational Leadership/Research Supplement, v2 n5 May 1969, edited by the Research Council of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (James Raths, Chairman).

A training manual is presented to insure reliable use of the Assessments of Performance in Teaching (APT) observational evaluation instrument. The 24-hour training program's major instructional method requires round-table discussions of observations. Videotaped teacher demonstrations are required for practice and criterion assessments. The…

Arguing that a teacher's theoretical orientation influences instruction, this paper identifies three theoretical orientations typical of reading teachers (phonics, skills, and whole language) and provides examples of typical instructional techniques of each. It next describes an observation instrument designed to help determine the theoretical…

A study of National Technical Institute for the Deaf students who are cross registered into the other colleges of the Rochester Institute of Technology was part of an ongoing research project on mainstreaming. The initial study addressed three issues: the best methodology to employ, the research hypotheses which might be generated from the data…

The debate between proponents of ethnographic and quantitative methodology in classroom observation is reviewed, and the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches are discussed. These methodologies are directly compared in a study that conducted simultaneous ethnographic and quantitative observations on nine classrooms. It is…

The System for Integrated Language Communications Observation (SILCO) was developed to provide descriptive information about integrated language communication instruction. Such instruction is defined as that which interrelates listening, speaking, reading, and writing through developmental sequences of skills resources and activities and provides…

This paper discusses evaluating and observing teacher performance. It consists of three sections. The first section is an introduction, in which it is stated that most observations are used for the following two purposes: (1) the improvement of instruction, and (2) the provision of information to those who make personnel decisions in a school…

The purpose of this research report was to improve the utilization of classroom observation systems in instruction and research by identifying (a) new and unique dimensions of teaching, and (b) the commonalities of several existing observation systems. The design of this study called for the coding of classroom behaviors by individuals highly…

This paper is a review of the methodological problems recently uncovered in studying the nature of teacher effectiveness and evaluating the performance of individual teachers. Four problems encountered in the literature are range of measurements, inconsistent instrumentation across similar studies, lack of a generic framework from which to select…

This report summarizes three recent studies conducted by the Bureau of School Programs Evaluation of the New York State Education Department that sought to identify relationships between various school factors and student performance in reading and mathematics. The studies utilized three different research strategies. The Regression Study…

This report examined the effect of observer presence and absence on teacher behavior in the classroom. The study involved two undergraduate teachers in a preschool classroom serving eight children with special problems. Observations were made during a 45-minute work-play period when one of the teachers was in the play area. One observer recorded…