Innovative Educator Evaluations: Bridging Policy and Practice

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 23

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Interests: practices and policies concerning educator evaluation and observation; instructional coaching for school improvement; measurement properties of observations; education policy; instructional leadership; human-AI partnerships; evidence use
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Traditional educator evaluation systems worldwide face mounting pressures to evolve toward approaches that genuinely support professional growth and student learning. This Special Issue addresses the persistent gap between evaluation policy intentions and implementation realities by showcasing innovative practices that successfully bridge this divide.

We seek contributions examining cutting-edge evaluation approaches for K-12 teachers, principals, and educational leaders across international contexts. Of particular interest are studies that explore the following: technology-enhanced evaluation systems, including AI-powered observation tools and learning analytics; multi-dimensional frameworks that integrate multiple stakeholder perspectives; growth-oriented models emphasizing professional development over summative ratings; and implementation science approaches that address the mutual adaptation needed between standardized policies and local contexts.

The Special Issue welcomes diverse methodological approaches—from theory-based inquiries to econometric analyses, qualitative studies of implementation processes, design-based research on innovation development, and comparative international studies. We particularly encourage submissions that examine how cultural, geographic, and resource contexts shape evaluation, design, and effectiveness. Collaborative submissions between scholars and educational leaders, district administrators, policymakers, or evaluation practitioners are especially valued.

Ultimately, this collection aims to provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners seeking to develop evaluation systems that authentically serve both educator growth and student learning outcomes.

Dr. Seth B. Hunter
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • observation
  • evaluation
  • development
  • educator effectiveness
  • artificial intelligence
  • implementation
  • econometric
  • regression
  • machine learning
  • qualitative
  • school effectiveness

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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