See on Scoop.it – Improving Your Teaching Practice
The conversation about how to improve American education has taken on an increasingly confrontational tone.
The first study cited in this article relies on test scores to evaluate the remediation of bad teachers, which makes it suspect – in my opinion. Using test scores to determine if a teacher is getting better is comparing apples to oranges, even if the data set (the students) are the same.
The second study evaluates the effect of feedback on student performance. In my opinion, it’s common sense that constructive feedback joined with explicitly stated high expectations will serve students better than feedback that is given for its own sake.
The third study uses behaviorist methods (negative reinforcement) to get teachers to work harder at improvement. Yuck.
So… although I’m scooping this, I do so because it starts a good conversation about what not to do to help teachers performing poorly. I even question what the authors mean by performing poorly, considering the data gathered.
See on www.slate.com
heather edick 