Your Monthly News and Updates, May 2017
This month, Dr. Steve Lee shares findings and implications from his research on Maryland’s new teacher and principal evaluation system. CNA Education is also pleased to introduce a new member of our team!
Assessing the Maryland Teacher and Principal Evaluation System
Research shows that teacher effectiveness is the most important in-school factor affecting student learning. In 2013 the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) established a new evaluation system to measure teachers and principal effectiveness. MSDE then wanted to know whether its new evaluation system was accurately measuring effectiveness. CNA Education is conducting a three-phase study to find out. So far the study has found that effectiveness scores correlate with student achievement and growth in particular ways. The findings hold implications not only for Maryland’s evaluation methods but for those of other states as well.
STEMwire Live Episode 6: Assessing the Maryland Teacher and Principal Evaluation System

In this latest edition of STEMwire Live, CNA Education research analyst Dr. Steve Lee shares insights on what is and isn’t working in Maryland’s teacher and principal evaluation system. He discusses progress to date on his study, national implications of the study findings, and potential next steps for MSDE.

An Interview with Dr. Steve Lee, Research Analyst
Dr. Steve Lee is a quantitative analyst who studies college readiness, teacher evaluation, and career and technical education programs. He is currently a lead researcher assessing the validity of MSDE’s teacher and principal evaluation system. In this interview, he shares the surprising findings from his evaluations of various programs to help underprepared students.
Welcome, Dr. Cunningham!
CNA Education is thrilled to welcome Dr. Brittany Cunningham to the team! Brittany joined the team in May, and she will lead CNA Education’s work on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and minority student achievement. Brittany has expertise in study design and implementation, data analysis, and program evaluation, with an emphasis on education. Be on the lookout for new articles and reports from Brittany!

Brittany holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, with a specialization in research and evaluation. She also earned an M.S. in communication from Spalding University in Kentucky and a B.A. in communication from Bellarmine University in Kentucky.
In case you missed it: Article examines how magnet schools function today
Magnet schools were established 50 years ago as an option for integrating schools, but are they doing today the job they were originally intended to accomplish? CNA Education magnet and charter school expert Dr. Julie Harris explores this question in a new article. Using data from a large urban school district, Harris examines individual participation in magnet school choice, what student and school characteristics are associated with choosing a magnet school, and how school and district composition change as students leave traditional public schools for magnet schools.
CNA Education | 703-824-2000 | CNAEducation@cna.org | www.cna.org/education