12. teacher functioned as a genuine member of the learning group. However,
maintains position of respect and authority. (Must be involved with
learning activity.)

J.

PUPIL CLIMATE

The pupils:

Positive

1. response in verbal discussion was relevant, positive and constant.
2. solved problems or studied with little sign of attention wandering..
3. were prompt in taking part in new activities

4. paid close attention to teacher and/or other pupils.

5. made courteous remarks.

6. received suggestions and constructive criticism well.

7. seemed to display self confidence in the learning activity

by active participation

Negative

The teacher:

Negative

The teacher:

(Teacher

1. were restless, gazed about, day dreamed (were bored).
2. were slow in reacting to the new learning situation.
request, did not volunteer, reluctant to recite, etc.)
3. whispered or showed other signs of substitute behavior
4. were quarrelsome, irritable, made rude remarks.

5. appeared insecure in making statements or asking questions.

1:15-Teacher asks class what we were talking about yesterday. Teacher holds up chart displaying money. Teacher and class count aloud number of pennies make a dime. Teacher questions, pupil answers. Teacher structures class. Teacher points to various coins and class tell what it is. Teacher has table with items to sell. Toy doll, 10, buttons, 1e, box, 14¢. As Teacher holds up item class tells how much it costs. 1:17-Boy acting as storekeeper. Girl goes to store and buys item and makes right change. Teacher comments on items, various ones will buy and class laughs.

1:20-Class continues to go to store to buy items from storekeeper. This continues. Teacher assists various pupils to make right change in money. Teacher asks pupil to help a boy buy pig and wolf at store. Class enjoy this means of teaching money and value. Boys go to store with money and buy items at store. Teacher orients class members. Teacher comments about boy having to go home for more money to buy what he wanted. Class laughs. Teacher points to chart on money to explain problem. Pupil acting as storekeeper gives right change back to buyer.

1:25-Class move into new activity. Each table goes to shelf and gets work book. Unit in work is on money. Teacher tells class page number to work on. Teacher moves about assisting individuals. Teacher questions, pupil answers on first picture of money. Class holds up hands to answer. Teacher uses blackboard to write 5 cents to show class how to do work. Teacher questions, pupil answers. Teacher says all right. Right answer on line. Teacher questions, pupil answers. Teacher says "Good". Teacher cautions class not to tell answers aloud unless called on. Teacher questions, pupil answers how many pennies make a real nickel. Teacher shows real nickel. Teacher shows one nickel and three pennies. Calls for someone to give right answer. this. This continues.

1:30-Teacher calls for answer.

Pupil does

Teacher questions,
Teacher question,

Class gives answer aloud. pupil answers. Pupil raises hand to answer. This continues. pupil answers. Pupil says yes. 1:31-Teacher has class change activity and put work book away. Teacher hands out paper to group leaders of each table. Teacher moves table out of way. Teacher structures class on next assignment. Teacher asks class to put papers and pencils down. Teacher says "We are waiting for everyone."

1:33-Teacher structures class. Teacher orients class.

Teacher asks what is
Has orange beak.

a penguin. Pupil says it is white and black, has beak, etc. Teacher continues to have class tell all they know about penguins. Teacher questions, pupil answers. Discussion continues.

1:35-Teacher and class continue to discuss about penguins. Teacher compares penguins to size of little girl. Class laughs about penguins waddling when they walk. Teacher asks class to get ready to write.

West Hartford

West Hartford has made a great effort to provide an objective, statistical measurement of teaching behavior. A summary of the West Hartford merit appraisal program was presented to the 1962 meeting of the American Education Research Association by the West Hartford superintendent of schools. This summary included the following material:

Safeguards

To insure the greatest possible degree of accuracy in appraisals, a number of special features were built into the new plan.

First, the items selected for use were those on which 400 teachers and adminis trators showed a high degree of agreement as to relative importance. Vis a modification of Thurstone's equal-appearing-interval rating procedure, 60 items out of an original list of 140 were retained.

Second, three alternate forms, 20 items each, were prepared. These are to be rotated in use yearly, but any teacher may request a second appraisal by a second appraiser on either one of the two non-currently used alternate forms.

Third, each appraiser must discuss results with the teacher before submitting the form for scoring. Further, he must secure signature from the teacher to show that such conference was held. Neither the teacher nor the appraiser has knowledge of the item values (even though these were assigned, in the first instance, on the basis of teacher and administrative opinion).

Fourth, appraisals for all teachers are made annually. This insures the collection of the necessary norms and lets all teachers, once a year at least, know where they stand.

Fifth, item ratings are adjusted for differences in rater discriminability. To each item any one of five responses may be given. One principal may see many differences among teachers. Another may see few. To make final appraisal results independent of differences in rater discriminability, each appraiser's item ratings are transformed to a distribution with a predetermined common mean, standard deviation and variance.

Sixth, teaching merit is determined by the extent to which each item response differs from the mean item response for all teachers in an appropriate experience reference group. Teachers are divided into four experience groups: (1) 0-2 years; (2) 3-7 years; (3) 8-11 years; (4) 12 years and over. The West Hartford teacher salary plan assumes gradual increase in teaching effectiveness with experience.

On a preliminary (and anonymous) trial of the appraisal forms, teachers with greater experience did, in general, receive the higher ratings. Adjustment for this fact was made in a manner analogous to that used in developing the StanfordBinet intelligence test. Item weights are adjusted so that a teacher's performance is compared only with that of other teachers in a comparable experience group. This is done in such manner, however, that the final appraisal score can be co-mingled, for comparative purposes, with scores of all other teachers regardless of experience. This adjustment, which is one of the two most distinctive features of the West Hartford appraisal plan, lies at its very heart or core. The fact that there was a change in proportion of favorable response according to experience, and the fact that this development sequence could be utilized as a basic criterion in terms on which to validate or standardize the appraisal forms is one of the most significant outcomes of our West Hartford studies.

Seventh, the final and effective item weights are those assigned collectively by teachers and administrators. As stated earlier, all appraisal items had to survive a modified equal-appearing-interval sorting procedure. By advance agreement with teachers, the mean item ratings resulting were to become the effective scoring weights. Therefore, once the adjustments for experience had been made, item response variances were multiplied by the agreed-upon effective weights.

This caused each item to contribute to the total appraisal score in accord with its own variance, this variance having been made proportional to the desired effective weight.

Eighth, all appraisal scores were adjusted for variation in rater leniency or severity in rating. West Hartford has, in general, one appraiser per school. On the assumption that schools are staffed equally, the appraisal scores for each school were transformed to a distribution having a predetermined common mean (100) and predetermined common standard deviation (.20).

Ninth, teachers to qualify for merit awards must secure appraisal scores which deviate by stipulated amounts from the mean appraisal score of 100. This is the second of the two most distinctive features of the West Hartford appraisal plan. All teachers with tenure are eligible for one or two merit award increments. The first can be secured at the eighth step or anytime thereafter when earned. The second can be secured at the twelfth step or anytime thereafter when earned, provided that he has previously qualified for the first merit increment. To qualify for the first increment, a teacher must secure an appraisal score 0.75 standard deviation units above the mean appraisal score of 100, i.e., 115. To qualify for the second merit increment, a teacher must secure an appraisal score 1.75 standard deviation units above the mean appraisal score of 100, i.e., 135. When appraisal scores are normally distributed, approximately 23 percent of the teachers can qualify for a first merit increment; about 4 percent for the second. The important feature is that the greater the pressure for high appraisal scores, the greater the leftward (or low-score) skewing of the distribution and the less the proportion of teachers who qualify for merit increments. In most appraisal systems penalties, if any, seem to accrue to teachers with severe appraisers. In the West Hartford appraisal plan penalties, if any, will accrue to teachers with the more lenient appraisers. There is already ample evidence that this device worked as intended. Principals who were over-lenient in 1961 have vowed that they will not make this mistake when preparing their 1962 appraisals.

Tenth, all results are subjected to thorough and continuous analysis. These are reviewed at weekly meetings held by a central committee with teacher representation. This committee invites, receives, and acts on suggestions and makes recommendations whenever appropriate. These are submitted to the Superintendent of Schools for his and, if necessary, for Board of Education approval.

Principles of Merit Salary and Evaluation Programs

Several of these six districts have prepared statements of principles necessary for the establishment and development of a merit program. These statements include:

Ladue

Principles of a Salary Schedule

a. The schedule should be adequate to maintain a professional standard of living. Every teacher needs a salary sufficiently large to provide proper food, attractive clothing, comfortable shelter, and security for the future.