PROPOSAL FOR STUDY:
EVALUATING AND RETAINING EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
REASON FOR THE STUDY:
There is almost universal agreement that the classroom teacher is the most important factor in the learning
process. It should be a major objective of every school district, therefore, to attract and retain only the best
teachers. As state deficits grow and school budgets shrink, school districts can make no better investment
than to nurture top notch teachers. So why is it that school districts continue to employ teachers who are
widely acknowledged to be incompetent?
Current practices lean heavily toward keeping existing teachers in place. Teachers are compensated based
on their training, postsecondary degrees and years of experience. After several years in a district, teachers
achieve “continuing contract” status, which gives them “full procedural due process rights relating to
employment and dismissal.” In many districts, evaluation procedures are not rigorous or transparent enough
to provide the basis for dismissing ineffective teachers. As an example, in the 2009-2010 school year, of a
total of 43,665 continuing contract teachers in South Carolina, only 114 (<.003%) were judged as not meeting
the state standard. At the same time, approximately one third of students failed to meet the minimum state
standard in English Language Arts or math.
The introduction of “No Child Left Behind” in 2001 signaled a shift in federal policy. Under this law, schools
across the country are ranked by the performance of their students on state-developed standardized
achievement tests. This accelerated a movement to evaluate and compensate teachers based on what the
students in their classroom have learned. The notion of holding teachers accountable for the academic
growth of their students has received mixed reviews from the education community. There are some who
think that “results based” assessment is long overdue. They cite examples of children from low income,
minority, dysfunctional families who make significant academic progress under the direction of an effective
teacher. Others contend that teachers cannot be held to universal standards because children come to school
with different experiences, backgrounds and inherent abilities. They point to obstacles presented by
inadequate resources, lack of support from administration and breakdown of school discipline. At best, they
say, student performance on a single standardized achievement test should be only one component in a more
comprehensive plan of evaluation.
As the controversy swirls, we propose to study the growing movement toward “results based” evaluation
nationally and in South Carolina. We will explore what makes a teacher effective. We will examine “best
practices” in teacher evaluation and compare them with current practices employed by school districts across
our State. And we will look for models of school districts in which rigorous methods of evaluation and
ongoing teacher support are components of a systematic approach to putting an effective teacher in every
classroom.
Throughout the course of the study, we will seek research institutions, faith communities, commercial and
community groups as partners in our study and will engage the public in thinking about the issues.
Based on our findings, we will develop and recommend positions for adoption by LWVSC and local Leagues.
STATE AND NATIONAL POSITIONS THAT SUPPORT THE STUDY:
The League of Women Voters of the United States has long held that governments at all levels are responsible
for providing equality of opportunity for education, employment and housing for all persons regardless of
their race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. The League of Women
Voters of South Carolina and local Leagues currently have active agendas regarding education issues, such as
Study Proposal, p. 1
equitable and adequate funding for public schools, State tax policy as it affects public education, governance
of school districts across the State, legislation to allow school vouchers, early childhood education.
This proposed study about teacher effectiveness will advance existing positions. Assigning an effective
teacher to every classroom will give every child the opportunity for an excellent education and will counter
the historic pattern of inequity among school districts and among schools within each district. With positions
derived from this study, LWVSC will be prepared to advocate on behalf of strategies that lead to attracting
and retaining a cadre of effective teachers.
GOALS OF THE STUDY:
Propose one or more positions for consensus and action.
Raise public interest and knowledge about the issues surrounding teacher effectiveness and evaluation.
Stimulate a dialog across the State among the public and members of the education community, i.e., teachers,
school administrators, school board, SC Department of Education.
ISSUES TO BE STUDIED may include
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How can we define an effective teacher:
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What happens to student achievement when placed with effective teachers?
 Successful models
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Components of a fair and reliable system of evaluation
 Role of the school principal, district administration
 What are the arguments for and against evaluating teachers based on student progress?
 What are reliable measures of student performance? Are standardized test results an
accurate measure of student achievement?
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How do the school districts in South Carolina currently evaluate their teachers?
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How can a school district establish a coherent policy to assure that the school district can retain
effective teachers and eliminate the incompetent ones?
 Evaluation as a component of a comprehensive process
 Successful models of school districts that attract and retain effective teachers
 Impediments to implementation and ways to overcome

Role of the State
 Existing and proposed legislation and regulations regarding teacher assessment
 What guidance and tools does the State provide to school districts?
 What should be done on a state-wide level to help districts: legislation, regulation, technical
assistance.
HOW THE STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED:
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Literature search: theory, case studies, best practices
Interview teachers, school administrators, public officials, stakeholders, legislators
Investigate evaluation policies and practices in SC school districts.
Hold public forums and discussions to raise public interest and encourage public dialog
Enlist partners to:
 Assist in conducting research (Riley Institute plus?)
 Sponsor forums. Partners may include Chamber of Commerce, NAACP, ACLU, and the
professional associations representing teachers, administrators and school boards.
Study Proposal, p. 2
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Community outreach and discussion, Partners may include churches, neighborhood associations,
PTA’s and SIC’s.
Make financial contributions for forum speakers, printing. Partners may include the above listed
organizations plus others.
A study committee, whose members will come from the State Board and local Leagues, will oversee and
coordinate the study.
LWVSC will:
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Seek state-wide partners
Study and disseminate information to local leagues regarding State requirements, regulations and
assistance, best practices.
Track proposed legislation and provide up to date information to local Leagues.
Coordinate the work of the local Leagues and the pace of the study
o Act as clearing house for sharing information among local Leagues
o Compile data gathered by local Leagues about practices in their school districts
Hold one or more public forums
Local Leagues will:
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Seek local partners
Raise public interest. May include activities such as forums, newspaper editorials, fact sheets,
speaking to community and neighborhood organizations
Study evaluation practices in their school district
Provide information to their members and hold consensus meetings.
TIME LINE: two years.
Year One:
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Enlist partners.
Gather information through literature search and interviews.
Community forums
Initiate study of local district evaluation systems and practices.
Hold consensus meetings and adopt position.
Year Two:
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COST:
Compile research findings into informational fact sheets.
State wide report on the practices of local school districts.
Public forum.
Develop and implement action plan.
Forum speakers
Printing
Study Proposal, p. 3
$?
$?