The Daily Missoulian., 1914-06-15
'THE RATING OF TEACHERS
FEATURE LECTURE OF WEEK

the differences in the relative value
placed upon the various items pre-
sumed to constitute teaching eff
cheney and, (3o by differences in the
ability of those who do the rating to
distinguish between these items.
Letters in my possession confirm the
impression that many supervisors
doubt the value of such a. tool, even
II it can be constructed. These let
ters also contain an enumeration OF
the items superintendents consider in
forming lump judgments of their
teachers. This list would be interest
ing but of no scientific value. In some
cities score cards Of a definite char
acter are i'm current use. A few SUI
perintendents rate their teachers ac-
cording to the percent of pupils who
pass the terms work. The teacher
with the highest percent of promotions
Is rated the best teacher. the teacher
with the next highest percent of pro-
motions is rated the second best, and
so on. 1t is clear that teacher would
improve wonderfully under such sys-
tenn Another prevailing tendency is
to rate teachers according to an ex-
animation given the pupils. Valuable
as this is as a supervisory device it
nevertheless may have the lamentable
effect of making the successful passing
of an examination the sole aim of in
struction.
From recent correspondence I am
convinced that there are two common
and almost universal fallacies relating
to the rating of teachers One is the
naive assumption that teachers are
rated when the range of their ratings
ON a percentile basis is between 80 and
100 per cent. Generally speaking, when
one discovers such distribution
and they are numerous-he may be
reasonably certain that considerations
apart from general merit determined
it. The general effect of a minimEn1
wage law on salary schedule based
upon success grades. is to raise the
grades of all teachers, the mediocre
ones relatively more than the best
ones. Under dr>ch a condition teachers
are really not rated; human sympathy
due to a consciousness of the made
quacy of teachers salaries has blinded
the critic.
The second fallacy is the assumption
that teachers are promoted when their
salaries are increased or when they
are advanced a grade. teacher is
not promoted because her salary is in
creased; promotion means a change
of station, q higher rank. If a teacher
remains in a certain grade throughout
her entire career but is given higher
rankings from time to time, because of
increased merit, she may in all justice
be said to be promoted. If she remains
continuously in the same grade with
out receiving better rating, although
her salary may be increased, she is
not promoted. 1t is not uncommon to
hear of teacher being promoted up
through the grades" This is q false
Interpretation of the term and is likely
to lead to vicious results, because it
places undue emphasis upon the inn
portance of certain grades One grade
should not be regarded as better than
another, ornas higher than another, so
far as teaching is concerned. A teach
er who is shifted from a third to a
fourth grade is not promoted, nor is
a teacher who is shifted from a fifth
grade to a fourth grade denoted.
They are simply assigned to other
grades.
Seventeen of the largest cities in
the United States state definitely
that they have no special scheme for
the grading and promotion of teach
ers. The general practice in these
cities as well as in many others is to
advance the salaries of teachers in ac-
.,;f on, ca1arV
schedule. The operation Of this
schedule depends almost entirely upon
the term of service. A few cities like
Boston and Baltimore hold promotional
examinations. Others like Fall River
Milwaukee and Providence make pro-
bationary appointments. Others pay
their teachers according to the grades
! they teach, the average number OF
pupils belonging in the grade OF
building the previous year, or the per-
.centage promoted. Apparently every
Imaginable kind of device is in use
somewhere.
A number of random attempts have
been made in recent years to investi-
gate these chaotic conditions and t6
arrive, ii possible, at more adequate
description and placing of the factors
that contribute to teaching efficiency
One Of these earlier investigations
consisted of the opinions of grade
children as to the most desirable
/ qualities in teachers. In the lower
grades those teachers who "helpec
most in the studies" are regarded BY
the children as being the best teach
ers. AS the children advance in grade
and age this factor decreases in i'm
portance. Such qualities as persona