Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Crawford, Jon G.

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

LCSH

Educational evaluation; Educational leadership; Educational administration; Education policy; Education and state--Illinois; Public schools--Government policy--Illinois; Teachers--Rating of--Illinois; Teacher effectiveness--Government policy--Illinois

Abstract

This study examines the ever-expanding role of the federal government's involvement in the American public education system to put the 2010 Illinois Performance Evaluation Act (PERA) into context. Understanding the history of federal education policy and the federal government's involvement in public education (historically the domain of the states) helps illuminate the current situation in Illinois. The 2010 Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) changed the method of evaluating the performance of public school teachers. This alteration incorporated student academic growth data into the evaluation calculation. This is the first time Illinois teacher performance evaluations will be based in part on how well students learn.;Illinois is one of many states that has, or is in the process of, changing the teacher evaluation system to include student academic growth data. This is primarily the result of the federal Race to the Top campaign that rewarded states with federal funds if they increased the rigor of their teacher evaluation process. This focus on the teacher evaluation process is but one piece of the current teacher accountability movement.;A second purpose of this study is to explain the changes to the Illinois teacher performance evaluation and tenured teacher dismissal process resulting from the Performance Evaluation Reform Act. The changes to Article 24A of the Illinois School Code, the section of the code dealing with teacher performance evaluation, will also be analyzed and discussed.;This study also attempts to analyze Illinois tenured teacher dismissal cases, both pre and post PERA, to ascertain what practical lessons Illinois school officials can learn, as they attempt to dismiss ineffective but tenured teachers. One main lesson is clear: adherence to the procedures outlined in Article 24A is crucial. Illinois' 2010 Performance Evaluation Reform Act sought to increase student academic achievement by enhancing teacher effectiveness. This goal was to be accomplished by revamping the teacher evaluation process. By streamlining the process to cull ineffective, tenured teachers, PERA has the potential to affect many positive changes on Illinois' public education system.

Comments

Advisors: Jon G. Crawford.||Committee members: Christine Kiracofe; Kelly Summers.

Extent

225 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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