Getting Teacher Evaluation Right

Linda Darling-Hammond is the 2023 National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Policy Leader of the Year

Teacher evaluation systems are being overhauled by states and districts across the United States. And, while intentions are admirable, the result for many new systems is that good—often excellent—teachers are lost in the process. In the end, students are the losers. In her new book, Linda Darling-Hammond makes a compelling case for a research-based approach to teacher evaluation that supports collaborative models of teacher planning and learning. She outlines the most current research informing evaluation of teaching practice that incorporates evidence of what teachers do and what their students learn. In addition, she examines the harmful consequences of using any single student test as a basis for evaluating individual teachers. Finally, Darling-Hammond offers a vision of teacher evaluation as part of a teaching and learning system that supports continuous improvement, both for individual teachers and for the profession as a whole.

This groundbreaking book:

• Presents a comprehensive teacher evaluation system based on research and best practices.
• Describes a variety of models from across the United States that base evaluations on an assessment of classroom practice in light of professional standards, an array of student work, and active participation in the professional community.
• Explains how teacher peers become part of the evaluation and support system.
• Demonstrates how to create a fair and substantiated process for removal of teachers who can’t improve.

Darling-Hammond is the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University. Her books include The Flat World and Education which won the 2012 Grawemeyer Award in Education. She received the 2022 Yidan Prize for Education Research. She received the 2023 AERA Distinguished Public Service Award. She received the 2023 National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Policy Leader of the Year.

“Darling-Hammond has given us a practical roadmap to success based on research and best practice.”
—Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers

“Finally, a book that captures what educators have been saying. Linda Darling-Hammond skillfully portrays the complexity of reforming an education system. This book is a must-read for those interested in building a world-class education system!”
—Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association (NEA)

“Darling-Hammond knows that we must ‘get teacher evaluation right’ and her book is as clear a guide for doing that as we will ever see.”
—Ronald Thorpe, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

“If anybody knows how to get teacher evaluation right, it is Linda Darling-Hammond. In her new book, she presents a system that includes development and support in addition to teacher assessment and promotes teaching as a collegial activity rather than reinforcing isolation and competitiveness as many other systems do.”
—Dan Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators (AASA)

“This stimulating and provocative book outlines a comprehensive system for the development, support, and assessment of teaching. This is a must-read for educational leaders and policymakers at all levels who should pay heed to Darling-Hammond’s sensible, practical plan of action for Getting Teacher Evaluation Right.”
—Gail Connelly, Executive Director, National Association of Elementary School Principals

2014 Educators Award, The Delta Kappan Gamma Society International, Honorable Mention