Education Commons^™

Improving Practice In Special Education: The Evaluation Process As A Development Tool, Allison Gilmour, Amanda Sheaffer, Caitlyn E. Majeika

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Throughout the country, schools are using new teacher evaluation systems as a tool for professional development with the goal of improving teaching quality and students’ outcomes. However, not all teacher evaluation rubrics specifically address or encourage evidence-based practices for special education teachers, and many principals report that they are unsure how to evaluate special education teachers. This article provides an overview of teacher evaluation and special education teacher evaluation, and presents a strategy, based on existing research on effective teacher coaching and performance feedback, goal setting, and self-monitoring, to assist special educators in leveraging the evaluation process as a professional …