Development and Use of a Tool for Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness in Grades K-12

Abstract

In a culture of accountability, reliable and valid tools are needed for assessing the quality of teaching in grades K-12. The results of a seminal series of qualitative studies describing exemplary classrooms were inductively categorized to create such a tool–the Classroom AIMS Instrument–which assesses Atmosphere, Instruction, Management and Student Engagement. The more consistently teachers incorporated practices observed in exemplary classrooms, the more highly and con- sistently engaged were their students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the Management category confirmed a two subcategory model. Results of the CFAs for Atmosphere, Instruction, and Student Engagement suggested moderately good fit after minor modifications to six, five and single factor models, respectively. While initial results are promising, suggestions for additional validation research aremade.