Written as many Race to the Top states were fully implementing new educator evaluation system, this guide proposes a framework for engaging teachers in evaluation reforms. It also details new roles that State and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) and State and local union affiliates can play to support their engagement. We found five high-impact tactics agencies can use to make their evaluation systems more manageable, including: 1) Sharing the responsibility of conducting educator observations; 2) Redefining principals as instructional leaders; 3) Creating feedback loops with educators and committing to continuous improvement; 4) Conducting thorough, efficient observations; and 5) Using appropriate technology.
The guide is the result of a series of interviews with state and district leaders completed under contract as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s RSN, and includes detailed State and district examples from New York State, Rhode Island, District of Columbia Public Schools, and Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida and New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut.
