Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter
June 2015
Inside this Issue














Implementation Spotlight
New Resources
Recognizing Teachers
Approaches to Student Learning
Spring Convening
Aligning Prep Programs
Study on Ed Eval Framework
MCAS-Alt
Upcoming PD Resources
Upcoming Ed Eval Resources
Upcoming Video Library
Advisory Cabinet Applications
Teacher Leadership Website
Mark Your Calendar
Implementation Spotlight: Reflecting on Goals to
Inform Next Year’s Self-Assessment
New Resources
As we celebrate the end of one year and
look ahead to 2015-16, many educators are
already thinking about their next SelfAssessment. As Step 1 of the 5-Step Cycle,
Self-Assessment empowers educators to
shape their evaluation by reflecting on
strengths and accomplishments, areas on
which they might want to focus, and
supports they will need to accomplish their
goals. Using the prior summative evaluation
as a jumping off point, Self-Assessment
often starts at the end of one year as
educators reflect on their practice, and
continues into the beginning of the next
year as educators analyze data for their
new students. Educators are then poised to
propose at least two goals for their
upcoming evaluation cycle.

This month’s Spotlight profiles two
educators from Revere Public Schools: ELA
middle school teacher Shauntelle McKain
and 3rd grade teacher Brian Stanley, as they
reflect on their progress this year and begin
their self-assessments for 2015-16.
Shauntelle McKain. The first thing I do
when I approach my self-assessment is
think about how I feel about my practice as
a whole. That could include my instruction,
the classroom environment, and parent
involvement—basically the various
Page 1
essentials to my practice. Based on these, I
think about a professional practice goal for
next year. For example, my professional
practice goal this year was about peer
observations with a focus on differentiated
instruction. I wanted to see how my peers
differentiated their instruction in order to
increase student understanding and
content rigor. This could shape my goal for
next year, as I think about how to enact
differentiation strategies based on what I
learned from colleagues. I am also reflecting
on what I’ve accomplished with my
students this year to inform my student
learning goal for next year. I am looking at
data from District-Determined Measures,
ANET assessments, essays, class
discussions, formative assessments, and
classwork. All of this information helps me
figure out where to focus for next year.
This year, for example, my student learning
goal was for my students to improve in their
analytical writing. Considering the ongoing
importance of this skill in the MA
Curriculum Frameworks, I may focus next
year’s goal on helping students gain the
skills for code switching amongst the
various forms of analytical writing according
to the purpose. Whether they are writing a
college essay or on a state exam, this skill is
certainly important.
Continued on page 2

Rubric Resource for Speech
and Language Pathologists
2015 Guidelines for Induction
and Mentoring Programs,
including a draft version of the
annual report districts will
submit to ESE in July 2016,
district examples, and a
resource for collecting
stakeholder feedback.
Apply for the Teacher or
Principal Advisory
Cabinets! Application
deadline: July 27th
Teachers' Top 3
Every other week, we send an
email highlighting resources and
information relevant to teachers.
We'll keep it short and to the
point—selecting the top three
items we think teachers will be
most interested in. To subscribe,
send an email to
imailsrv@list1.doe.mass.edu
with the following information in
the body of the email: subscribe
TeachersTopThree Your
Name. (Example: subscribe
TeachersTopThree John Smith.).
Visit the website to read past
issues.
June 2015 ● Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter
Spotlight continued from page 1
Brian Stanley. As a relatively new teacher, I’ve always approached my goals
as concrete actions that I can take one year, and then build on for the next
year in an effort to continually grow and strengthen my teaching practice.
The Self-Assessment gives me the opportunity to not only take the time to
reflect about what went well this past year, but also think, “I’m doing
something good, how can I make that better?” For example, this year I
focused on increasing my knowledge and ability to effectively implement
formative assessments. Through this goal, I developed smaller goals such as
peer tutoring and targeted interventions based on Exit Tickets and
observations. Although I was effective in providing supports for students who
had not yet met a standard, I found I was not providing rigorous activities for
those who had met the standard. As I begin to reflect on my goals for next
year, I want to focus on how I can ensure all students are being
appropriately challenged and stimulated within my lessons. I am not only
reflecting upon my own practices but overall trends of my grade-level and
school as well. Despite working with a set of different students each year, I
will utilize common assessments within the district to determine challenging
standards for students, and develop specific action steps with my primary
evaluator and check in on progress throughout the school year to better
benefit the students.
Recognizing
Outstanding
Teachers
On June 11th, ESE recognized the
Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
and other recipients of the
Commonwealth's top honors for
educators. Audrey H. Jackson, a
fifth grade teacher at the Joseph
P. Manning School in Boston was
selected as the 2016 Teacher of
the Year. Mrs. Jackson is a coteacher in an inclusion classroom,
and she has a special interest in
effective interventions for youth
who have experienced
trauma. Jackson believes "all
children have the capacity to
believe in themselves and thrive;
sometimes they just need a little
help seeing their own worth."
The following resources are available to support Self-Assessment:
Guidance: Self-Assessment & Goal Proposal;
Training: Teacher Workshop 2: Self-Assessment;
Resources: Model Rubrics, Role-Specific Rubric Resources, Self-Assessment
Form.
Innovative Approaches to Understanding Student
Learning
The Professional Practice Innovation Grant (PPI) was designed to support districts in the
implementation of educator evaluation and the MA Curriculum Frameworks. Two of the
six grant recipients, Braintree and Worcester, worked to implement new assessment
practices that are aligned to the shifts in the Curriculum Frameworks and can be used to
assess student learning for the purposes of educator evaluation.
Braintree developed an innovative approach to using rubrics that provides both
students and educators with important feedback. The Curriculum Frameworks stress
the importance of developing students’ conceptual understanding of math content. To
support this, students are using math journals to explain their thinking when solving
challenging problems. At the beginning of the year, students use a brief, four line rubric
to self-assess questions such as “Did I answer the question?” Each line is answered with
a simple yes or no. Students complete the rubric first which provides them with the
opportunity to reflect on their own learning. The teacher then completes the rubric to
check for students’ understanding and make adjustments to practice. As the student
masters the rubric, additional lines are added allowing students to demonstrate growth,
even at an individualized rate. Braintree has expanded this innovative approach to
other subject areas including science journals.
Continued on next page
Page 2
Other awardees included David C.
McGlothlin, Jr., a teacher at
Provincetown Public Schools,
named the 2015 MA History
Teacher of the Year, and Anthony
Petrelis, a fifth grade teacher at
John J. McGlynn Elementary School
in Medford, recognized as the
2014 Milken National Educator.
Finalists for the Teacher of the
Year and the Presidential Awards
for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching were also
recognized. Congratulations to all!
Read the press release and see the
complete list of honored teachers
here.
June 2015 ● Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter
Continued from previous page
Worcester brought together educators to discuss how student learning was being
assessed across multiple content areas based on the Curriculum Frameworks. The
district identified verbs used across multiple assessments such as “communicate” or
“demonstrate”. Educators then developed common rubrics to define those verbs to
promote a shared understanding of student learning across grades, content areas,
and schools. For example, a student might “demonstrate” a math concept by
annotating an answer to a problem or, “demonstrate” the ability to formulate a
written argument in English by providing textual evidence. Going forward, educators
in Worcester can use these common definitions to create assessments with clear
expectations for student practices.
Look for resources from these PPI grant winners on our Example Assessments
webpage this summer.
.
ESE’s Spring
Convening:
Building
Momentum,
Sharing Success
On May 27th and 28th, 750
educators from across the state
came together to share promising
practices that support our shared
goal of all students having access
to effective teachers and leaders.
Participants included teachers,
school administrators, district
leaders, local union and association
leaders, and representatives from
educator preparation programs.
Presented by the implementation
experts—teachers and leaders in
local districts—breakout session
topics spanned the educator
continuum—from pre-service
performance assessments,
induction and mentoring,
collecting evidence for evaluation,
professional development, to using
data to improve systems and
programs.
Thank you to all the participants
and presenters who made ESE's
2015 Spring Convening a huge
success!
Materials are being added to ESE’s
Spring Convening webpage.
Using a Common Language: Aligning Teachers’
Experiences in Preparation Programs
and the Classroom
Educator Preparation providers are in the midst of redesigning programs in support
of the 2014 Professional Standards for Teachers – these are the same standards used
as part of the Educator Evaluation Framework. This is an important effort to more
effectively align educator preparation with demands of the classroom and the needs
of students, schools, and districts. Preparation program providers may be looking to
solicit input from schools and districts to explore ways to enhance the quality of fieldbased experiences for educator candidates and supervisors. The investment of time
and energy now from schools and districts is likely to have a significant impact on the
quality of the educator workforce for years to come.
Page 3
You can view participants’
reactions and photos by searching
for #SpringConvening2015 on
Twitter.
On the left, check out a photo
Commissioner Chester and Board
member David Roach took in front
of our “Teach. Lead. Inspire”
banner.
June 2015 ● Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter
New Resources from External Study of the MA
Educator Evaluation Framework
The following new resources will soon be available from SRI International’s ongoing
study of educator evaluation implementation in Massachusetts. All resources will be
posted on our Implementation Study webpage.
 Case Study Brief Series
o Issue 1: Promising Approaches to the Development and
Implementation of District-Determined Measures
o Issue 2: Using Evaluation Data in Human Resources DecisionMaking
 Artifact Brief Series
o Issue 1: Professional Development to Support Evidence Collection
(Brockton PS)
o Issue 2: Guidance for Developing and Supporting Educator Plans
(Lawrence PS)
New Guidance Around the Use of MCAS-Alt in
Educator Evaluation
ESE has produced a suggested process for using the MCAS Alternate
Assessment in educator evaluation. Because the MCAS-Alt is a highly
individualized, portfolio-based assessment, the suggested process relies on a
team-based approach to establish parameters for growth for each student.
While using the MCAS-Alt is not a required component of educator
evaluation, districts may be inclined to use the measure because it:
 builds upon work many educators are already doing;
 promotes a shared vision for of the inclusion of students with
disabilities in instruction aligned to the MA Curriculum Frameworks;
and
 increases the knowledge base of evaluators about the work of these
educators.
Districts have also expressed interest in using the process as a model for
collecting evidence of student growth in other individualized contexts. For
more information, email EducatorEvaluation@doe.mass.edu.
Upcoming Resource! “On Track with Evaluator
Capacity” from ESE’s Professional Learning Network
for Supporting Evaluator Capacity
During the 2014-15 school year, ESE partnered with eight districts to address
the challenge of evaluator capacity. These districts designed and
implemented new initiatives, and conducted cross-site visits to learn and
empower each other. Some initiatives promoted a culture of growth, others
focused on improving the efficiency of their evaluation systems and the
quality of their observations and feedback. This resource guide offers
dynamic case studies, highlights best practices and artifacts that will help
generate ideas in your schools and districts, and offers communications
planning informed by the work of the Education Delivery Institute. Look for it
in early July on the educator evaluation webpage.
Page 4
Upcoming
Professional
Development
Resources!
The following resources will be
posted to ESE’s professional
development website in early
July.
PD Planning Guide –
A guide, developed in
consultation with Massachusetts
educators that can support
districts and schools in planning
high quality professional
development.
Toolkit for the Assessment of
Professional Development –
A toolkit, developed in
consultation with Massachusetts
educators, which can support
districts and schools in
assessing/evaluating their
professional development.
PD Case Studies –
Case studies and videos of three
MA districts and one school
transforming professional
development and learning.
Guidelines for PD Providers –
An update to the 2000 version,
these Guidelines assist providers
(including school districts) in
their planning and delivery of
professional development in
accordance with MA laws and
regulations.
PD Provider Registry –
A searchable database of
professional development
providers who have recently
registered with ESE through a
new review process.
June 2015 ● Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter
Video Resource
Library
ESE is partnering with School
Improvement Network to build a
Video Resource Library for
educators; it will be released in
August (look for more
information in our August
newsletter).
The library will include:



Training and knowledgebuilding resources intended
for all educators and
evaluators (coming in midJuly).
A series of brief videos that
profile MA districts
implementing effective and
innovative evaluation
systems. Topics include
practices related to district
culture and systems, as well
as components of the 5-Step
Cycle.
A collection of videos of
classroom instruction with
training protocols to support
evaluator calibration
activities.
Apply for the 2015-2016 Teacher or Principal Advisory
Cabinets! Application deadline: Monday, July 27th, at 9am.
We are seeking teachers and principals who are interested in learning more about policy at
the state level and giving feedback on policy while it is in development. Learn more and
apply by Monday, July 27th, at 9am. Teachers should apply here. Principals should apply
here.
“The Teacher Advisory Cabinet has given teachers the unique opportunity to play a key
role in education at the state level. As a special educator, it is refreshing to have a voice in
decisions that impact all students. It has also given me the opportunity to have open
discussions and share ideas with some of the most brilliant and accomplished educators in
our state. I am able to take that information back to my district to help them make
decisions that directly impact what is happening in our classrooms.” - Tim Tichacek,
Teacher, Dighton-Rehoboth
“Serving on the Principal Advisory Cabinet provided tremendous opportunity to
collaborate with colleagues from around the state, provide input to ESE on a variety of
topics, and gain a greater understanding of the purpose of ESE initiatives. ESE listened to
and implemented thoughts that were generated at the Cabinet. Overall, the experience
served as beneficial professional development and supported my leadership back in my
district.” –Tricia Puglisi, Principal, Manchester Essex
Upcoming Resource! Teacher Leadership Website
Look out for the new Teacher Leadership Resource Page. Content will be added throughout
the summer to create a one-stop resource featuring useful case studies, effective
strategies, tools, and links.
 Learn about the value of teacher leadership in building a collaborative school
culture and improving teaching and learning from a brief written by members of
ESE’s Teacher and Principal Advisory Cabinets.
 Read what districts are doing to advance school and district priorities through
identifying effective teachers and providing them with leadership roles.
 Discover solutions for overcoming common challenges associated with
implementing teacher leadership roles (funding, time, training and support, school
culture, etc.) that can be applied in your school or district.
Questions or Comments are Always Welcome at
EducatorEvaluation@doe.mass.edu
Contact the Educator Evaluation Team
Claire Abbott, Evaluation Training Program, Implementation Support, Student and Staff Feedback
Susan Berglund, Evaluation Liaison to Level 3 and Level 4 Districts
Matt Holloway, Evaluation Training Program, Evaluator Capacity, Student and Staff Feedback
Kat Johnston, Teacher Leadership, Communications, Implementation Support
Simone Lynch, Assistant Director, Center for Educator Effectiveness
Ron Noble, Educator Evaluation Manager
Craig Waterman, District-Determined Measures, Evaluator Capacity
To receive the monthly Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter in your inbox, please subscribe at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1475008/EducatorEvaluation-e-Newsletter-Sign-Up.
Page 5
June 2015 ● Educator Evaluation e-Newsletter