| Abstract: | This article develops a validity argument for the use of the Tripod student survey of instructional practices to assess teacher effectiveness in summative teacher evaluations and professional development decisions. This paper expands upon previous research in three ways: (a) it draws from current validity thinking to examine the evidence for separate summative and formative purposes of the Tripod survey, (b) it takes advantage of a large, multiple measure data set collected by the Measures of Effective Teaching Project, and (c) it accounts for both the multilevel nature of school data and contextual classroom features. Preliminary evidence was found for a two-dimensional structure, representing classroom management (Control) and academic support (Support). The Control and Support Tripod scores are fairly reliable and correlated with classroom observation ratings and teacher value-added scores. However, caution is suggested in interpreting these results as an endorsement for use in high-stakes teacher evaluations. |
