The Collaborative for the Continuous Improvement of Educator Effectiveness Systems
The Collaborative for the Continuous Improvement of Educator Effectiveness Systems (the “Collaborative”) is a 2-year initiative that supports six states (Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Tennessee) in investigating ways to improve educator evaluation and professional support systems. The Collaborative works to improve evaluation systems so that the process 1) assesses teacher performance in a valid and meaningful way and 2) uses that information to best support educator growth and development.
By refining and improving evaluation and professional support systems, states can build and sustain an educator workforce that is continuously improving their practices in ways that serve all students.
Partnership and Approach
The project is led through a partnership of the Center on Great Teachers & Leaders (GTL), the West Comprehensive Center, and six states. The Comprehensive Center partners convene participating states in an ongoing community of practice, which includes a series of in-person meetings and virtual cafés to facilitate connections between states and experts, as well as by pairing participating states to collaborate on shared problems of practice.
Key Resources from the Collaborative
Improving Instruction for All Students Through Meaningful Support in Educator Evaluation
State Reflections from the Collaborative for the Continuous Improvement of Educator Effectiveness Systems
Discover what the six states consider essential for the continuous improvement of educator effectiveness systems. Based on lessons learned as they worked to solve their own problems of practice and improve systems, the six guiding principles and vignettes presented here offer both inspiration and knowledge for other states and districts interested in stronger systems to support educators.
Educator Effectiveness Systems Self-Assessment Tool
Not sure where to start on your own continuous improvement efforts? The Collaborative states created this self-assessment tool to help other states and districts identify which guiding principles to focus on based on local needs.
Story Map: A Quick Overview of Collaborative State Projects
State Profiles
Rooted in a continuous improvement approach, each state built on what worked within their existing system while recalibrating their models to improve educator practices and to expand the knowledge and skills of educators, both individually and collectively.
Each state involved identified a specific problem of practice along with strategies to address this problem, then relied on the Collaborative community to:
- Hone the design and implementation of the strategy
- Consider alignment to the larger state educator effectiveness system
- Monitor progress toward goals and outcomes
Explore each state's project below:
Massachusetts
Contacts
Cortney Rowland, PhD
Principal Technical Assistance Consultant
Deputy Director, GTL Center
Partners
- Center on Great Teachers and Leaders
- West Comprehensive Center
- Delaware Department of Education
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Tennessee Department of Education
- Colorado Department of Education
- Arizona Department of Education
- Rhode Island Department of Education
Related Resources
Meaningful Evaluation and Support (ESSA Supports Webpage)
States and districts may use Title II, Part A funds to support evaluation and support systems that work towards the continuous improvement of instruction. Such systems can accomplish this by using multiple measures and garnering meaningful input from educators and other stakeholders. Explore this page to discover all the GTL Center resources available to support your state and district on this topic.
Intensifying Implementation Support: An Interactive Guide to Successful Teacher Evaluation for Professional Growth (Interactive Guide)
Developed in partnership with the National Education Association, this guide provides practitioners with information that can be used to refine teacher evaluation implementation. It is structured around five common implementation challenges:
- Time
- Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
- Educator Development and Support
- Alignment With Other Initiatives
- Data Availability and Use
A Framework for Coherence: College and Career Readiness Standards, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Educator Effectiveness (Special Issues Brief)
States can connect these three initiatives by capitalizing on their shared goal: improving instructional quality to enhance educational outcomes for students. Our framework suggests three distinct opportunities to strengthen coherence and alignment across the initiatives:
- Create a shared focus
- Create better instructional supports for students
- Create better professional learning supports for teachers
