Evaluation and Professional Learning

Leverage teacher and principal evaluation results to identify targeted, job-embedded professional development.

Reliably implement a comprehensive educator evaluation system to help determine whether the access to great teachers and leaders is equitable in your school, across your district, and across your state.

Evaluate and consider expanding the professional development opportunities that colleges of education provide specifically to strengthen teaching in high-need schools:

Leverage principal evaluation systems to enhance leadership for effective teaching and leading in high-need districts and schools.

To create a support system for teachers, Adams 12 School District in Thornton, Colorado, introduced “student-achievement coaches.” This article describes the initiative's coaching, considerations in starting a teacher-coaching program, and some of the experiences of Adams 12 and other districts that have implemented coaching policies. 

Drawing on research for a doctoral dissertation, this report examines the design of the Center for Educational Leadership’s professional development coaching program. The multiple layers of a coaching cycle are outlined, and the conditions that result in instructional improvement are described.

This report from The Education Trust provides recommendations to improve teacher evaluation policies in a way that fairly and comprehensively measures performance and provides a focus on professional growth. 

This resource defines what it means to have a vision and presents different points of view related to goals, action options, and implementation pitfalls that may be encountered when building a collective vision. It can be a useful tool for school leaders interested in defining school culture.