Symposium: Teacher Effectiveness: The Role of Context

In 2012, the Harvard Educational Review (HER) asked some important questions about teacher effectiveness in its symposium titled “By What Measure?” These questions included: Who defines effectiveness and how can it be measured? And what effect does the language around teacher effectiveness have on policies and systems such as teacher certification, evaluation, and professional learning? Now as then, the journal seeks to remain at the forefront of this important debate. As teacher evaluation policies are hotly debated, adopted, and implemented around the country, HER builds on its earlier work to highlight the crucial role of context in the teacher effectiveness conversation.