The Enduring Tension Between the Professional Growth and Accountability Purposes of Teacher Evaluation: A Ten-Year Review

Teacher evaluation has evolved over time from focusing on the moral values of a teacher in the early 1900s to standards-based evaluation models today. In contemporary terms, teacher evaluation systems often seek to serve two needs: accountability and improvement. While multiple reform efforts across the world have focused on these dual purposes of teacher evaluation, professional growth and accountability, they continue to be debated. In recent years, the focus shifted from the inputs of teaching (teacher quality) to the outcomes of teaching (teacher effectiveness) and, more recently, to a balance of inputs and outcomes to support teacher improvement and student success. This literature review focuses on the most recent ten years of empirical studies and conceptual/theoretical papers to examine the continued evolution of thinking related to these dual purposes of teacher evaluation systems. Of the 79 articles we examined, three key themes emerged: (1) a focus on what drives improvement in teacher practice; (2) the consequences of an accountability-oriented teacher evaluation system; and (3) validity, context, and authenticity concerns. From these themes, we discuss the need for reconsidering the dual purposes of evaluation, re-centering teacher feedback and professional dialogue to reflect a balanced approach to evaluation that reflects teachers’ voices.