Featured research and evaluation project
Research has demonstrated that some teachers are dramatically more effective than others, and further, that these differences influence rates of student learning. Accordingly, over the last several decades, shifts in policy have resulted in the development and refinement of new teacher appraisal systems across the country. Delaware has been at the forefront of this movement, revising its system in 2000 through Senate Bill 260 and then again in 2010 through Senate Bill 263. In 2013, the Delaware Department of Education also began approving alternative evaluation systems that could be tailored to specific school and district contexts.
To understand educators’ perceptions of DPAS-II, The Delaware Performance Appraisal System, the Delaware Department of Education has engaged independent organizations to evaluate the system since 2007. Each of these evaluations has included a statewide survey administered to all teachers, specialists, and administrators in the state to document their views of the performance appraisal process. ImpactED served as the external evaluator for the Department in the 2018-2019 school year. The evaluation investigated educators’ overall perceptions of DPAS-II and how those perceptions have changed over time.
The findings discuss educators’ perceptions of DPAS-II’s design and implementation, and professional development and resources. Overall, the evaluation team found that while average perceptions of the appraisal process have improved slightly over the past few years, educators’ perspectives on the purpose and value of the system vary.
For more details about the project, see the Final Report.
