Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify, using a Delphi Technique, the techniques that personnel administrators and personnel attorney experts believe need to be incorporated into an administrative training program in the next five to ten years, for K-12 site principals. This training will provide principals with techniques to use while using the teacher evaluation process that will enhance teacher performance and affect student achievement by 2014. Methodology. This Delphi study included a three round process to identify techniques that twenty six experts believed would support principals to utilize the teacher evaluation process to improve teachers' instructional performance and enhance student achievement by 2014. Round One asked experts to generate techniques. Round Two elicited information to determine the importance that each technique will have in the teacher evaluation process and determine the likelihood of implementation of these techniques by 2014. Round Three allowed the experts to reconsider their ratings from Round Two, and to re-rank the techniques as it relates to improving teachers' instructional performance and enhancing student achievement by 2014. Findings. Examination of quantitative data from the responses from the twenty-six experts indicated that there are several techniques available to principals for use with the teacher evaluation process. The techniques that were ranked as being most important and most likely to be implemented by 2014 had consensus from both expert groups. The data reflected that personnel administrator experts were more optimistic than personnel attorney experts on the use of these techniques during the teacher evaluation process. Conclusions. The study data support that there are several techniques that are available for principals to use with the teacher evaluation process. Principals do not feel well trained, confident, and supported by district administration to use the process effectively. Ongoing and sustained training is needed along with collaboration from district office administration. Recommendations. Further research is advised: descriptive-correlational studies using different expert groups, i.e., veteran principals vs. new principals or high school vs. elementary principals and their perceptions. Also, it is recommended that the study be replicated to get input from teachers, parents, and the teachers union on what techniques they perceive to be helpful with the teacher evaluation process in order to enhance student achievement.