Secondary School Administrators’ Perceptions of Louisiana’s Compass System as a Framework for Teacher Evaluation

Louisiana’s relatively new Compass teacher observation and evaluation system is used to evaluate teacher quality or effectiveness in P-12 public schools. Secondary school administrators in one district were interviewed about their perceptions of the system and, especially, an iteration of the Danielson rubric used for teacher evaluation. Findings reveal that administrators’ perceptions of the Compass system as an effective framework for teacher evaluations are mixed. While the administrators support some requirements of the system, concerns exist over the system’s capability to reflect overall teacher performance. Given that teacher salary and sustained employment are based on results of this system, the stakes are high. This study examines the Compass system and its implementation through the perspective of secondary school administrators. Conclusions identify strengths, challenges, and considerations for the system’s implementation.