What Is Educational Evaluation?

A man is filling out an evaluation form.
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Educational evaluation is an ongoing process involving the gathering and organization of data collected on a teacher's academic activities. Peers, administrators or outside observers conduct the evaluations to gauge a teacher's effectiveness and make recommendations for possible improvements.

1 Evaluation Process

In educational evaluations, activities are observed and evaluated according to specific evaluation guidelines. Educational evaluations look at the entire educational process from different points of view, including the educator and students. The evaluation can be quantitative, such as tests or quizzes, or qualitative, such as observation of group activities. This process looks at the teaching and motivational methods as well as long-term goals of those being evaluated.

2 Evaluation Goals

Educational evaluations aim to improve education and the educational process by giving educators information on the effectiveness of current strategies. The evaluations also provide specific suggestions to help educators improve in areas where they are weak. For example, educational evaluators who observe group activities might provide feedback to teachers on ways to improve participation of students, allowing for better instruction and learning processes.

Katie Duzan is an accomplished writer who lives in Cary, N.C. She has been a writer since 2006. She has published a variety of articles on websites such as Overstock.com. Duzan holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and computer information systems from the University of Arkansas, and currently attends the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she is pursuing her Master of Arts in special education.

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