Study On American Tennessee Teacher Evaluation Policies

Effective teaching is the essential factor to improve students’ achievement. The quality of teachers has been the focus of educational reforms in recent years. Through the evaluation of teachers to promote teacher quality becomes an important measure. The federal government launched the Race To The Top program to offer capital for the educational reform, which received a positive response of the states.Tennessee is one of the two winners of first round competition of the Race To The Top program.Because of its First to the Top Act, the federal government awarded the $501000000 grant for teaching reform. Based on the application commitment, Tennessee education department has been revised the Framework for Evaluation and Professional Growth, and established the comprehensive evaluation system of teachers, and issued a series of teacher evaluation policies. Tennessee education department also established a supervision mechanism to implementing policies, and improving the quality of teachers.,so as to let the students prepare for college and career. Through the research on the Tennessee teacher evaluation policies, the paper analyzes the specific information of teacher evaluation policies. This paper aims to add some new elements to teacher evaluation reform in our country.This thesis includes five parts: introduction and four chapters. The introduction part explains the significance of this research, and also includes literature review, core concepts definition, the research frame, methods, features and innovations. The first chapter discusses the background of Tennessee teacher evaluation policy reform. The second chapter analyzes the Tennessee teacher evaluation policy content,including Tennessee new teacher evaluation system specific information: evaluation criteria, evaluation tools, implementation, student achievement and progress and the data source systems, evaluation of personnel training etc.The third chapter is effects and characteristics of the implementation of Tennessee teacher evaluation policies. The fourth chapter is an enlightenment of the development of teacher evaluation in our country.