Rating Teacher Effectiveness: The Function of the Principal

Learning is the main‐stream function in the school. Just as the function of teaching is to facilitate learning, the function of administration is to facilitate teaching. Good administration is concerned with stimulating and motivating good teaching. The term “supervision” is commonly used to denote administration of instruction and instructional personnel. A major facet of supervision is that of teacher evaluation—a complex and difficult process in which the establishment of criteria of effectiveness, the development of valid, reliable instruments and techniques and the assessment of cause and effect is invariably influenced by personal perceptions, biases and interpretations. Research on teacher effectiveness, which includes thousands of studies, has produced few, if any, facts to guide us. It is doubtful that visits by an inspector have had much effect in improving teaching. Perhaps too much of our time and resources arc being applied ineffectually. If formal evaluation or rating of teachers must take place it is best performed by supervisors with skills in particular areas. Certainly we should not thrust the task of teacher evaluation on the principal, for whom the task of organizing and overseeing the operation and development of a school is extensive enough to take all his time, ability and effort.