Teacher Evaluation: The Relationship Between Performance Evaluation Ratings and Student Achievement

The Performance Evaluation Reform Act established new policies for teacher evaluation ratings, the inclusion of student growth, the acquisition of tenure, and the dismissal process in Illinois. As a result, standards-based performance ratings and student achievement are factored into summative evaluation ratings. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between performance evaluation ratings and student achievement to contribute to the current body of research. Participants in the study were drawn from a sample population of fifth grade students (n=317) and teachers (n=19) in elementary schools (n=7) from a school district located in a western suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. Student achievement was measured by the 2015-2016 Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in math and reading. The performance evaluation ratings in this study were based on the Framework for Teaching, designed by Charlotte Danielson. Archived data from the 2015-2016 school year was collected from the assistant superintendent and an online database. A Pearson correlation test was conducted to analyze the strength of the relationship between performance evaluation ratings and student achievement in math and reading. The analysis did not provide evidence of a significant relationship between performance evaluation ratings and math or reading. Recommendations for future research include replicating this study with other grade levels, subject areas, and school districts to determine generalizations to other settings