Sample rationale for an evaluation rating on a Standard
Standard I: Curriculum, Planning and Assessment
Rating: Proficient
Rationale:
Claim:

I-A-1. Subject Matter Knowledge:
Ms. Q “demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and the pedagogy it
requires by consistently engaging students in learning experiences that enable them to acquire complex
knowledge and skills in the subject.”
Evidence:


Ms. Q makes use of appropriate curriculum materials and resources, both those from Reading Street,
Investigations, and those developed by her grade-level team for reading. Ms. Q augments these
curriculum materials with a graphic organizers, anchor charts, and a designated area for materials related
to each content area that support her students’ acquisition of key concepts over time (Observations
10/13, 12/6, 2/22, 4/11, Artifact “Graphic Organizer: Reading”)
Ms. Q, along with other members of the 5th grade team, is currently in the process of a redesign to her
reading instruction in an effort to balance two major dynamic tensions: between explicit, systematic
instruction on discrete skills, and guided practice applying skills in a more as-needed, opportunistic basis
in authentic reading contexts. Her planning and preparation (e.g., selecting and annotating texts
appropriate for each group as evidenced in Artifact “Differentiated Texts”) ensures that her “coaching
moments” with each group are intentional and focused, and she uses a common set of techniques
(accountable independent reading, control the game) across groups.
Claim:

I-B-2. Adjustments to Practice:
Ms. Q is developing systems to “organize and analyze results from a variety of assessments to determine
progress toward intended outcomes and use these findings to adjust practice and identify and/or
implement appropriate differentiated interventions and enhancements for students.”
Evidence:


Ms. Q and her colleagues on the fifth grade team administer periodic Achievement Network assessments
to measure student proficiency in MCAS-assessed standards; after analyzing data results, she has worked
with the other fourth-grade teachers select a priority skill and learning target, then develop and
implement targeted action plans or revised unit plans (Artifact “Reteach Plan 3”). The team’s action plans
have generally been evidence-based and targeted.
Ms. Q is beginning to establish structures for identifying and taking action based on patterns evident in
periodic literacy progress monitoring. She does not yet have strong or consistent systems to collect daily
observational data about which children show evidence of mastering (or not) the skills taught
(Observations on 2/22, 4/11).
Next Steps:
1. When instructing on reading skills in a text-embedded context (vs. a mini-lesson with a single skill objective),
help students be clear about what they have learned by naming strategies as they are applied (“So analyzing
that map and caption is helping us understand the sequence of events on Lewis and Clark’s trip west”)
2. Developing a system for collecting “in the moment” formative data about skills taught in guided reading and
consistently using it to plan for future guided reading or whole-group instruction.
Synthesis:
As a result of Ms. Q’s consistent efforts to provide coherent standards-aligned instruction, analyze and use a
variety of assessments, a majority of her students are demonstrating growth in reading, comprehending, and
responding to grade-level texts and in mastering appropriate math concepts.