Using time-series design in the assessment of teaching effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and validity of us ing time-series design in the assessment of teaching effectiveness. One out standing beginning chemistry teacher, one experienced chemistry teacher, an d two classes of students taught by the two teachers participated in the st udy. Despite the constraints inherent in the design, the results indicate t hat time-series procedures are effective for monitoring student learning an d assessing teaching effectiveness. The time-series data reveal a sharp dri ft of the learning curve in the "treatment" stage. Additionally, the data s how high correlations with established tests and discrimination between hig h and low achievers. Furthermore, the results of the time-series methodolog y reported here were corroborated by analyses of videotapes of the classroo m teaching. Although the theoretical validity of the time-series approach h as been confirmed, further studies should be undertaken to demonstrate its practical utility. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.