Art of Appraisal

The Art of Appraisal saves time and boosts performance with effective tools and a streamlined process. With a few detailed comments, an appraisal can correct weak habits, boost midlevel professionals, and launch excellent teachers into greatness. The Art of Appraisal allows administrators to reap the greatest benefits by creating clarity and efficiency in the process. First, a binary feedback structure ruled by four performance tiers is described. Then, ten key areas of teacher responsibility are defined. Each task is further parsed into four subcategories. Evaluations become faster and easier, and the feedback becomes exponentially more profound. Rich with real-world examples and comments about different performance ratings, The Art of Appraisal clarifies and distills the evaluation process. Supplemental chapters are packed with practical comments that can be pasted into evaluations. This structured, step-by-step system was developed by Dr. Culp, an educational professional with over forty years of experience. An invaluable tool for administrators and the teachers they evaluate, The Art of Appraisal allows a school’s most effective tool to be used in the most efficient manner.

The book by Dr. Barbara Culp is a phenomenal recipe book for new principals, veteran principals, and principals who are still practicing. She has accomplished a feat that others wish they could have done and I am one of those persons. Dr. Culp has been an inspiration for me to write “my story” and one day soon, I will. We served together as principals during our tenure together and still share memories. Her book on “The Art of Appraisal” is on point and provides clear guidelines for others to follow regarding how to effectively evaluate teachers without bias and unfairness., “Art of Appraisal” is an excellent tool for new administrators as well as for “seasoned” ones. It takes the terror out of the process of teacher evaluations and serves as a blueprint for the administrator as she/he works toward the achievement of excellence among both teachers and students. In her book, Dr. Culp clearly points to the fact that most teachers fall into what she calls the “top tier” and that the purpose of teacher evaluations is to improve instruction. Her book, if followed as suggested, will most assuredly lead one down that pathway. I particularly liked her emphasis on feedback for all teachers – those whose instructional delivery is considered excellent as well as those whose delivery is substandard. Of particular value are the tables contained in Chapter 14. By utilizing them, the administrator can streamline the process of providing feedback to teachers, which can be extremely time-consuming. “Looking Back” was an ingenious way of getting the book started. It contains a myriad of interesting historical facts explaining the evolution of appraisals in the educational arena and setting the stage for what is to come. I wholeheartedly endorse this book and suggest it be required reading for all new administrators as they embark on their first series of teacher appraisals. As a former principal/supervisor, my only regret is that it was not in print during my tenure., This finely crafted book, The Art of Appraisal: Effective Tools and Streamlined Process to Boost Teacher Performance, is an absolute necessity for all principals desiring to effectively diagnose and assess the strengths and weaknesses of their teachers’ performance. The key performance indicators in this book address the heart of teaching duties and teacher success. Kudos to Dr. Culp for writing such a guide to take the drudgery out of the appraisal process. It should be required reading for all leadership training and/or preparation programs., There is a wealth of ideas presented in The Art of Appraisal that will enhance the performance of teachers and those who have accepted the responsibility of assisting them in order to make their goal of excellence a reality.  I highly recommend this book for every instructional supervisor, and those who strive to achieve the responsibility of that role.

Barbara D. Culp, M.A.Ed., Ed.D. has dedicated forty-three years of her life to education as a teacher, principal, and clinical supervisor, and graduated from the rigorous, two-year Georgia Superintendent Professional Development Program. She recently founded a tutorial service for public, private, charter and parochial schools, and offers workshops and training programs on classroom management and differentiated instruction.