Current Issues on Evaluation for Professional Development and Evaluation for Performance-Based Pay and Their Prospects :
Comparative Study in Case of Tokyo and Kentucky
1998 Volume 7 Pages 98-113
Details
1998 Volume 7 Pages 98-113
The purpose of this study is to have a grasp of principle of teacher evaluation through comparing Japanese teacher evaluation system with those of United States. In Tokyo, principal and vice principal evaluation system for adjustment their bonus has been adopted since 1994. Each principal and vice principal are ranked into five groups. Those who are ranked into the bottom are cut off five percent of their bonus. Principals work as evaluators of vice principals, local boards of education work as evaluators of principals, and the Superintendent of Tokyo metropolitan adjusts finally. But it is impossible for the Superintendent to meet with all principals and vice principals and check their work.
On the other hand, in Kentucky, there are dual teacher evaluation system. The one is teacher evaluation for their professional development, the other is school incentive (performance-based bonus) to compensate for excellent school. They use students test score to measure school performance. In the professional development system, each teacher and evaluator meet several times a year to communicate together and to share the results of evaluation. These meeting make the evaluation system reliable and accelerate professional development.
Through this comparison, we can find that suggests that Japanese teacher evaluation system has two serious problems.
The one is purpose of evaluation. There are two purpose in Kentucky teacher evaluation system, compensation and professional development. Tokyo teacher evaluation system is just for compensation.
The other is practical principle. Tokyo teacher evaluation system lacks communication between teacher and evaluator. As the basis of final decision is not clear, Tokyo teacher evaluation system would lack fairness and would work just for arbitrary personnel management.
Teacher professional development system need to be set into the process of teacher evaluation. It is the most important task in teacher evaluation policy.
