Two-year timeline for developing a rigorous evaluation system
DRAFT
The key to implementing an effective evaluation
process is to have a well-functioning district that works
systemically – one in which the focus is already on improving
the quality of instruction and raising student achievement.
Districts that have an aligned curriculum, a culture of
instructional feedback, effective principals, and a human
capital management system focused on improving teacher
quality can move from concept to implementation in one year.
Many districts will need at least three years to be in a
position to implement an effective teacher evaluation system.
The Matrix for Improving Schools at Attachment A outlines
some of the key actions districts should take to lay a strong
foundation for tying teacher evaluations to student
achievement.
Three years of preparation is preferred. However, if districts find that they have to move more quickly (as a result of
legislative requirements or pressures from departments of education for example), they should focus their efforts first on
building the foundation for improving the quality of instruction and aligning the district system in a way that will support
teachers and principals and increase their capacity to achieve specific performance metrics.
The outline on pages 3 through 6 will help guide the development of a plan to create a fair, accurate, and rigorous
teacher and principal evaluation system in two years. Except where noted, the actions in the “Teacher Evaluation” column
should be conducted by the principal and other building leaders, under the guidance and with the support of the District. The
District should complete the actions in the “Principal Evaluation” column.
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
Page 1
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
Page 2
June - August 2012
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
 Review seven considerations of effective
evaluation systems
 Review seven considerations of effective
evaluation systems
 Establish the purpose and guiding
principles of the new evaluation system
 Establish the purpose and guiding
principles of the new evaluation system
 [District] Get approval from the Board of
Education to proceed in concept
 Create a Teacher Evaluation Focus Group
 Get approval from the Board of Education
to proceed in concept
 Create a Principal Evaluation Focus Group
 [District] Adopt an effective teacher
performance evaluation rubric
 Adopt an effective principal evaluation
rubric
 Align the curriculum1
 Develop an Action Plan that includes the
implementation of a teacher evaluation
system and create an aligned staff
development plan
1
 Conduct Action Plan training
 Review and assess Action Plans
 Develop plan to support principals and train
evaluators
Details/ Notes
 What does a great school look like?
 What do effective teachers and principals do?
 How will teacher and principal effectiveness be
monitored?
 Is there a process in place for developing the capacity of
teachers and principals?
 Will the evaluation system align with the District’s
Core Beliefs?
 How is accountability defined?
 What is the capacity of the evaluators?
 A small core team should outline the purpose and
guiding principles; get input from teacher leaders and
principals
 Include principals or assistant principals in the teacher
eval focus group
 Include principal supervisors/ evaluators in the principal
evaluation focus group
 Use focus groups to get input on a model the
instructional Core Team selects
 Develop curricula in each grade and subject
 Map the curriculum – identify which objectives will be
assessed each quarter
 If possible, do this in April and May of 2012
 Use Action Plan rubric
 Conduct extensive training of principal evaluators and
restructure central office if necessary
 Conduct training of principals on teacher evaluation and
the creation of a staff development plan
Curriculum is a list of what students are supposed to learn, and those learning objectives should be tied to the new national standards.
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
Page 3
September – December 2012
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
 Begin initial media and information
campaign
 [District] Outline the framework and key
aspects of the teacher evaluation system
 Train teachers on curriculum alignment and
begin using curriculum maps
 Begin using the new teacher evaluation
instrument (performance rubric)
 Conduct intensive professional
development on lesson objectives;
purposeful, aligned instruction; and
multiple response strategies
 Begin development of assessments in the
core areas
 Outline the framework and key aspects of
the principal evaluation system
 Train building leaders on curriculum
alignment and begin using curriculum maps
 Begin using the new principal evaluation
instrument (performance rubric)
 Establish progress-monitoring metrics;
outline mid-year review process
 Begin intensive professional development
of principals to make them effective
instructional leaders
 Help principals begin regular and consistent
instructional walkthroughs or spot
observations
 Begin development of assessments in the
non-core areas
 Conduct school climate survey
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
Details/ Notes
 Build internal and external support for the concept of
tying teacher and principal evaluations to student
achievement results
 The draft should be done by the end of October
 Publish and disseminate concept paper by December
 Conduct numerous training sessions to explain the
rubrics and to calibrate with evaluators
 Include job-embedded professional development
 Focus on instructional feedback, curriculum alignment,
and leadership
 Conduct intensive professional development on the
importance of instructional feedback and building a
culture of feedback
 Identify key instructional practices and develop a spot
observation form
 Focus on lesson objectives; purposeful, aligned
instruction; and multiple response strategies
 Continue development of assessments in the non-core
areas the entire year
 Conduct a relatively simple survey with approximately
15 questions (see mid-year review survey questions);
this survey will help establish a baseline
Page 4
January – May 2013
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
 Begin to record data from the walkthroughs
 Conduct mid-year review (Jan)
 Pilot district assessments in the core areas
 [District] Finalize Version One of the
teacher evaluation system; get Board
approval
 Develop 2013-2014 Action Plan; focus on
effective implementation of the teacher
evaluation system and aligned professional
development
 Pilot district assessments in the core areas
 Develop data platform to record and keep
track of teacher and school achievement
data
 Conduct system review
Details/ Notes
 Rate each area as overall exemplary, proficient,
progressing, or unsatisfactory so as to get teachers used
to specific feedback and performance measurements
 Use this review as a practice run for progress on action
plan, instructional feedback, curriculum alignment
rubric, and climate survey
 Use this first system review as a practice run for the
system reviews that will occur in subsequent years
 Finalize Version One of the principal
evaluation system; get Board approval
 Develop District 2013-2014 Action Plan
 Review Schools’ 2013-2014 Action Plans
June – August 2013
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
Details/ Notes
 Revise curriculum as needed
 Revise assessments as necessary
 Use teacher focus groups and get input on alignment
issues
 Continue development of core and non-core
assessments
 Continue media and information campaign
 Use teacher focus groups and get input on assessment
concerns
 Continue to build internal and external support for the
concept of tying teacher and principal evaluations to
student achievement results
Page 5
September – December 2013
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
 Conduct professional development similar
to the year before; add PD on
demonstrations of learning
 Administer assessments in the non-core
area
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
 Conduct professional development similar
to the year before; add PD on
demonstrations of learning
 Administer assessments in the non-core
area
 Run data using the evaluation criteria
 Conduct mid-year reviews
Details/ Notes
 Review teacher and principal evaluation system and
metrics
 These assessments should be scored, but the results
should not be included in the evaluation for 2012-2013
 Use data the rest of the year; compile trial data for the
2012-2013 school year
 Conduct the mid-year reviews in December and January
January – June 2014
Teacher Evaluation
(Principal/ school actions)
Principal Evaluation
(District actions)
 Establish initial cut points for performance
and achievement metrics
 Establish initial cut points for performance
and achievement metrics
 Create testing and scoring schedule for the
2014-2015 school year
 Update data platform to keep track of
performance and achievement data
 Conduct systems review
 Finalize first-year evaluation of teachers
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
 Run data using the evaluation criteria
 Finalize first-year evaluation of principals
Details/ Notes
 For teachers, establish target distribution and initial
cutpoints and finish drafts of achievement templates
 Use systems review rubric; an analysis of the review
results will help determine if the District is ready to
implement fully
 Revise cutpoints as necessary
 Revise cutpoints as necessary
 For principals, first year evaluation score and second
year score are averaged to get first “effectiveness level”
Page 6
Attachment A -- Matrix for Improving Schools
Key Areas
Curriculum
Alignment
Quality Instruction
Year Two
Year Three
Year Four
 Reinforce
 Reinforce
 Reinforce
 Use DOLs (demonstrations of learning)
 Tie instruction to
aligned common
assessments
 Administer core
common assess.
 Begin development of
non-core assess.
 Develop model lessons,
using effective
strategies – train
teachers
 Use performance eval.
rubric
 Implement PLCs
 Train on model lessons
 Provide coaching and
feedback on instruction
 Ensure vertical
articulation
 Tie instruction to
aligned core and noncore assessments
 Administer non-core
common assessments
 Add core progressmonitoring assessments
 Develop more model
lessons – train teachers
 Reinforce
 Select and explain
student achievement
measurements – create
achievement templates
 Begin peer spot
observations
 Tie student
achievement to teacher
evals
Instructional
Feedback
 Establish/ communicate
Core Beliefs
 Use instructional
calendars
 Post lesson objectives
 Backward plan
 Teach the aligned curr.
 Analyze the data
already being collected
 Begin development of
core common assess.
 Teach the aligned curr.
 Strengthen engagement
– multiple response
strategies
 Develop teacher
performance rubric
 Train teachers on
effective PLCs
 Begin spot observations
(after principal cert.)
Principal
Development and
Evaluation
 Develop principal
performance rubric
 Train and certify
principals on delivering
instructional feedback
 Use principal eval.
rubric
 Conduct purposeful
principal training
 Provide job-embedded
prof. devel.
 Conduct academies
 Expand opportunities
 Outline distinguished
teacher criteria
 Change recruitment
paradigm
 Refine principal eval.
rubric
 Conduct purposeful
principal training
 Provide job-embedded
prof. devel.
 Conduct academies
 Expand opportunities
 Identify distinguished
teachers
 Change recruitment
paradigm
 Tie student
achievement results
and teacher
effectiveness results to
principal evals
Core Beliefs
Leadership
Year One
Classroom Curr.
Alignment
Assessments/ Use of
data
Quality Instruction
Teacher Development
and Evaluation
Leadership Capacity
Recruitment
F. Mike Miles, 26 Feb 2012
 Define what leadership
looks like
 Include leadership
criteria in eval. rubrics
 Conduct performance
interviews
 Reinforce
 Train teachers to
differentiate instruction
 Provide coaching and
feedback on instruction
 Include leadership in
higher levels of teacher
eval
 Change recruitment
paradigm
Page 7