An Examination of Tenure and Teacher Perceptions of Evaluation: Evidence from Tennessee

Abstract

This study investigates whether tenured teachers exhibit perceptions that reflect disengagement with evaluation and feedback and whether perceptions of evaluation vary based on teachers having received tenure under a reformed system that restricts lifetime protections conditional on continual high evaluation scores. Using statewide administrative and survey data from Tennessee, the study employs propensity score methods to isolate differences in perceptions between comparable groups of tenured and untenured teachers.

Key Findings

1. Tenured teachers report more negative perceptions of evaluation in their district
2. However, this difference is concentrated among those who received permanent tenure status prior to the reformed tenure system.

Suggested Citation