| The purpose of this embedded, mixed methods, research study was to acquire knowledge regarding the Pennsylvania Educator Effectiveness system while connecting teacher effectiveness with student achievement. The sample size consisted of five administrators and 18 public school teachers. The teachers taught mathematics in grades 4 through 8 at a rural southwestern Pennsylvania public school district. Due to the federal accountability requirements of Race to the Top, the Pennsylvania Educator Effectiveness system was created in 2010 as a pilot study with two phases. The new teacher evaluation system was to use multiple measures to identify effective teachers against a standards-based evaluation rubric, the Danielson Framework for Teaching, and value-added measures (PVAAS).;Using the independent samples t-test for this study, a comparison of the administrators' teacher ratings and the teachers' self-ratings, using the Framework for Teaching (2011) rubric, was conducted. The results of the independent samples t-test did not indicate a statistical significant difference. An independent samples t-test was utilized for the comparison of the administrators' assigned teachers' overall rating and the teachers' PVAAS score; and the teachers' overall self-rating and the teachers' PVAAS scores. However due to the fact that there were no teachers rated as unsatisfactory the t-test analysis was not possible, nor was it possible to calculate a coefficient of correlation. Further, an analysis of the qualitative data was conducted for the teacher evaluation ratings and the teachers' PVAAS data. Overall, the results indicated: (1) the administrators' and teachers' ratings were similar, and (2) the PVAAS scores could not indicate effective teachers. |
