Steel-Curtain

Sam Henkel
Danielle Guirgis
Abigail Wilkins
Kayla Gallico
Stephen Koch

Performance Appraisal: Professor Evaluation

Instruction Guide for Teaching Evaluation (What is the process?)

1. How often will the job be evaluated?

Teachers will be evaluated quarterly; once halfway through each semester and again at the end
of the semester. Two evaluations each semester is helpful in determining the professor is
continuously performing their duties to an acceptable standard while also controlling for serial
position errors in ratings.

2. Should the rater collect performance information formally throughout the appraisal period?

Raters should collect performance information formally throughout the appraisal period to
eliminate day-by-day changes.

3. What behaviors are most relevant for evaluation?

Behaviors most relevant for evaluation include communication, preparedness, enthusiasm,

knowledge, fairness, respect, accessibility, and intellectual stimulation.

4. What scales are being used and why?

A combination of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) and behavioral observation scales
(BOS) will be used in the professor evaluation. Both behaviorally anchored and observation
rating scales will allow the rating of professors to be tailored specifically to that job title. Specific
anchor points allow students to better comprehend what behaviors fall under each rating
criteria, allowing precise, objective ratings to be made.

5. Describe the type of training you will use for raters. Why will you use that type?

Rater error training to improve the accuracy of ratings by decreasing distributional errors.
Specific to our evaluation we will use Frame-of-Reference training. This type of training
involves providing raters with common reference standards to evaluate performance. This
begins with showing raters examples of poor, good, and excellent performance to set a uniform
 standard. We think this type of training will be the best because it ensures that raters are not
under-weighing or over-weighing certain aspects of the job.

6. How should the rater guard against biases in ratings?

In order to guard against biases in ratings, raters should carefully read each behavioral
example per each rating criteria and to choose the rating matches the majority of the behaviors
conducted by the professor. The use of behavioral anchors will allow raters to make objective
ratings rather than subjective ratings based on ones personal opinions or biases. Other ways to
ensure raters are guarded against biases are to make sure the scales (are):

- Standardized and uniform for all employees within a job group

- Formal
- Performance deficiencies and opportunities to correct them
- Allow employees to review results
- Formal appeals to allow for employee input
- Multiple, diverse, unbiased raters
- Written instructions for training raters
- Thorough and consistent documentation across raters that includes specific examples of
performance based on personal knowledge
- Detect discriminatory effect/abuses of the system overall

Teaching Evaluation

To evaluate professors, students will be provided with a behaviorally anchored rating

scale so that they can accurately rate their professor on a number of dimensions. They will be
provided with examples (critical incidents) of excellent, average, and poor performance in order
to provide students with an easy-to-use, behaviorally based reference to which they will
compare their current professors.
We addressed content-related recommendations when creating this performance
appraisal. Our appraisal criteria is based on behaviors rather than traits and is certainly based
on job analysis because our criteria are also KSAOs for personnel selection. Further, the
behaviors are in control of the ratee because they are behaviors that can be improved or
worked on.
The criteria we will include on the performance appraisal and examples of performance
on each criterion are as follows:

1. Oral Communication: the instructor organizes and expresses ideas in a clear manner, efficiently
responds to students questions, delivers valuable feedback, uses appropriate terminology,
grammar, and utilizes non-verbal communication to complement verbal communication.
Rating Behavioral Examples
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation Always speaks clearly and steadily
Uses appropriate gestures and makes
eye contact with students often
Ensures that students are keeping up with

Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
2. Preparedness: the instructor is punctual and on-time to class each day, has materials or
presentations prepared, explains course topics and syllabus at the beginning of the semester,
and ready to answer questions.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
3. Enthusiasm: instructor demonstrates enthusiasm about teaching, appears motivated to
teach, encourages students to learn and to ask questions, and communicates using an excited
tone of voice and body language.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
pace throughout lecture
No grammar or vocabulary errors
Speaks clearly and steadily most of the
time
Uses appropriate gestures and
sometimes makes eye contact with
students
Checks in with students throughout
lectures sometimes
Some grammar or vocabulary errors
Speaks too softly or too fast
Does not use appropriate gestures and
rarely makes eye contact with students
Does not check in with students
throughout lecture
Noticeable amount of grammar or
vocabulary errors
Behavioral Examples
On-time or early to each class meeting
Slides or materials are always ready as
class begins
Answers students questions easily and
effectively
Explains course syllabus thoroughly at the
beginning of the semester
On-time to most class meetings
Slides and materials are sometimes ready
as class begins
Sometimes answers students questions
effectively
Explains course syllabus to some extent
at the beginning of the semester
Rarely on-time to class meetings
Materials are rarely ready as class begins
Rarely answers students questions
effectively
Barely explains course syllabus at the
beginning of the semester
Behavioral Examples
Always speaks with an excited, varied
tone
Often smiles when teaching and
interacting with students
Adds humor to the classroom when
appropriate
Appears to enjoy teaching and coming to

Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
4. Knowledge: the instructor exhibits adequate competency in the course content, is able to
provide appropriate real-life examples to further explain a topic, and effectively explains material
in a variety of ways in order to convey the information.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
5. Fairness: the instructor grades class assignments and exams fairly and objectively, avoids
favoritism, and clearly develops classroom expectations and rules.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
class each day
Is noticeably excited when students
contribute to class discussion
Sometimes speaks with an excited, varied
tone
Sometimes smiles when interacting with
students
Sometimes adds humor to the classroom
conversation
Appears to enjoy teaching and coming to
class some days
Is somewhat excited when students
contribute to class discussion
Never/rarely speaks with an excited,
varied tone
Never/rarely smiles when interacting with
students
Never/rarely adds humor to the classroom
conversation, or adds humor when
inappropriate
Is never/rarely excited when students
contribute to class discussion
Behavioral Examples
Is always able to answer course-related
questions
Demonstrates exceptional knowledge of
course topic
Often provides real-life examples to
expand on a topic
Often explains material in a variety of
ways
Is often able to answer course-related
questions
Demonstrates adequate knowledge of
course topic
Sometimes provides real-life examples to
expand on a topic
Sometimes re-words or rephrases
material
Is frequently unable to answer course-
related questions
Demonstrates vague knowledge of course
topic
Rarely/never provides real-life examples
to expand on a topic
Explains material once without rephrasing
or rewording
Behavioral Examples
Always grades class assignments and

Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
6. Respect: the instructor shows respect for the students and for the institution, acts
professionally and appropriately in an academic environment
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
7. Accessibility: the instructor is accessible in person or virtually via email, offers office hours or
other scheduled meeting times, and is willing to advise students and elaborate on class
material.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
exams in accordance with rubrics or
guidelines
Never demonstrates favoritism or
preference to students
Enforces classroom rules when
necessary
Always adheres to the syllabus
Often grades class assignments and
exams in accordance with rubrics or
guidelines
Rarely demonstrates favoritism or
preference to students
Often enforces classroom rules when
necessary
Often adheres to the syllabus
Rarely/never grades class assignments
and exams in accordance with rubrics or
guidelines
Sometimes/often demonstrates favoritism
or preference to students
Rarely/never enforces classroom rules
Rarely/never adheres to the syllabus
Behavioral Examples
Actively listens and makes eye contact
when student is speaking
Asks students for feedback on what is
confusing or concerning about the topic
Makes a successful attempt to learn
students names
When student is speaking, listens actively
most of the time
May ask students for feedback once
throughout the semester
Makes an attempt to learn students
names
When student is speaking, seems to be
bored or listening passively
Fails to ask students for feedback
Does not attempt to learn students
names
Behavioral Examples
Promptly responds to all student emails or
phone calls
Clearly reports office hours and is
available for meetings outside of those
times

Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
8. Class difficulty/intellectual stimulation: instructor makes the class intellectually stimulating with
an appropriate level of difficulty, encourages questions, discussions, and critical thinking.
Rating
Excellent/Exceeds Expectation
Average/Meets Expectation
Poor/Does Not Meet Expectation
Explanation of Performance Appraisal
What PA type did you use?
BARS - Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale
BOS - Behavioral Observation Scale
Why did you choose that one?
Demonstrates willingness to elaborate on
class material with students if necessary
Appears available to students overall
Takes a day or two to respond to student
emails or phone calls
Clearly reports office hours and is
available for meetings outside of those
times
Demonstrates a willingness to meet with
students to elaborate on class material
Appears somewhat available to students
overall
Takes a few days to respond to student
emails or phone calls
May not adhere to office hours reported
on class syllabus or seem unavailable to
students
Behavioral Examples
Creates opportunities for me to actively
engage with the material
Encourages questions and discussions
The texts/readings are of an appropriate
caliber of difficulty
Overall, I am encouraged to think critically
to be successful in this class
I sometimes found the material to be
engaging
There was some discussion in the class
The texts/readings are appropriate for this
class
I sometimes think critically in this class
The material is rarely/never engaging
There is no or little discussion
The texts/readings are too easy or
unrelated to the class
I rarely/never think critically in this class
These scales were used to identify aspects of performance based on each individuals behavior.
Each behavior is rated based on how well and how often they perform the behavior. Criteria are
a mix of objective and subjective criteria. Assessing the professors knowledge of the subject
and preparedness can be measured objectively based on how much the professor knows and
whether or not they have organized notes and a lesson plan. Subjective criteria includes
whether the class was intellectually stimulating. Each student may find different levels of
challenge to be intellectually stimulating. These scale can discriminate between good and bad
performance based on if the professor performs the behavior or not, and if their performance is
sufficient for students learning.