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Buyers Beware: Shopping for Classroom Observation Systems.

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Title: Buyers Beware: Shopping for Classroom Observation Systems.
Authors: BEALL, GRACE L. ghaverst@asu.edu, AMREIN-BEARDSLEY, AUDREY1, GROSS, CATHERINE M.
Source: School Administrator. May2026, Vol. 83 Issue 5, p30-33. 4p. 2 Color Photographs.
Subject Terms: *Teacher evaluation, *Legal liability, *Observation (Educational method), *Test validity, *Educational standards, Statistical bias, Fairness, Statistical reliability
Abstract: The article focuses on guiding school district leaders in selecting reliable and valid classroom observation systems for teacher evaluation, emphasizing the high stakes involved in these decisions. It highlights the legal risks districts face when using observation systems lacking evidence of reliability, validity, fairness, and freedom from bias, citing lawsuits in Florida, Houston, and New Mexico as examples. The article references the 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, which outline key measurement principles—reliability, validity, bias, fairness, and consequences—that should inform the evaluation and adoption of observation tools. It advises district leaders to critically assess evidence supporting observation systems’ claims, scrutinize potential biases, and consider the consequences of their use to ensure fair and defensible personnel decisions. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of School Administrator is the property of American Association of School Administrators and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 193505893
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  Data: Buyers Beware: Shopping for Classroom Observation Systems.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22BEALL%2C+GRACE+L%2E%22">BEALL, GRACE L.</searchLink><i> ghaverst@asu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22AMREIN-BEARDSLEY%2C+AUDREY%22">AMREIN-BEARDSLEY, AUDREY</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22GROSS%2C+CATHERINE+M%2E%22">GROSS, CATHERINE M.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22School+Administrator%22">School Administrator</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 83 Issue 5, p30-33. 4p. 2 Color Photographs.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+evaluation%22">Teacher evaluation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Legal+liability%22">Legal liability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Observation+%28Educational+method%29%22">Observation (Educational method)</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+validity%22">Test validity</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+standards%22">Educational standards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+bias%22">Statistical bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fairness%22">Fairness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+reliability%22">Statistical reliability</searchLink>
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  Data: The article focuses on guiding school district leaders in selecting reliable and valid classroom observation systems for teacher evaluation, emphasizing the high stakes involved in these decisions. It highlights the legal risks districts face when using observation systems lacking evidence of reliability, validity, fairness, and freedom from bias, citing lawsuits in Florida, Houston, and New Mexico as examples. The article references the 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, which outline key measurement principles—reliability, validity, bias, fairness, and consequences—that should inform the evaluation and adoption of observation tools. It advises district leaders to critically assess evidence supporting observation systems’ claims, scrutinize potential biases, and consider the consequences of their use to ensure fair and defensible personnel decisions. [Extracted from the article]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of School Administrator is the property of American Association of School Administrators and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=193505893
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        StartPage: 30
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Legal liability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Observation (Educational method)
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      – SubjectFull: Test validity
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      – SubjectFull: Educational standards
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      – SubjectFull: Statistical bias
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      – SubjectFull: Fairness
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      – SubjectFull: Statistical reliability
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      – TitleFull: Buyers Beware: Shopping for Classroom Observation Systems.
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              Text: May2026
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              Y: 2026
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