How do you measure a teacher's effectiveness? Douglass Wood, executive director of the National Academy for Excellent Teaching, thinks it is important to first identify the desired outcome.  ''It goes back to what kind of kid you want to produce. If you want kids to achieve on standardized tests and that's all you want, then you can be very clear about what makes an effective teacher," he said.  "If you also want them to be able to think in creative ways about solving problems, that's not necessarily measured by a test. Then that changes the definition of what constitutes an effective teacher.''

Related research indicates effective teachers commonly exhibit characteristics including content knowledge, pedagogy, and strong relationships with students and parents.

The article, entitled "One True Thing," appeared in the November 7 edition of the New York Times.

Published Monday, Nov. 8, 2004