Evaluation Action Checklist

This checklist compiles the action steps within each step of the Opportunity Culture Evaluation Guide, beginning with Step 2 (Step 1, an overview, had no action steps tied to it).

Step 2: Evaluation Redesign Process Action Steps

Use Evaluation Design Participation Plannerto determine the roles of various stakeholders

Choose an Opportunity Culture (OC) Evaluation Design Team to design evaluation for OC and similar roles

Gather input from many individuals within each affected group. Use the Evaluation Input Sheet.

Identify strengths and challenges of current evaluation system. Use Key Elements of a Teacher Evaluation System; Lessons from Teacher Evaluation in Traditionally Staffed Schools; Using Lessons from Teacher Evaluation in Traditionally Staffed Schools; and Establish a Vision for Educator Evaluation in Opportunity Culture Schools

Identify changes necessary for implementing Opportunity Culture models. Use Using Lessons from Teacher Evaluation in Traditionally Staffed SchoolsandEstablish a Vision for Educator Evaluation in Opportunity Culture Schools

Choose evaluation content—measures, ratings, weighting, and tools to measure. Use materials from Step 3.

Align formal accountability and data systems—ensure that teachers and teacher-leaders are matched to the right students, subjects, and team members. Use materials from Step 3.

Define evaluation process—who does what, when, and using what tools. Use materials from Step 4.

Determine how evaluation will be used, and plan those systems—development, career paths, talent management, and formal accountability tracking. Use materials from Step 5.

Prepare to improve evaluation and its uses

Step 3: Evaluation Content for New Roles Action Steps

All of these actions are taken by the Evaluation Design Team, Human Resources,and/or OC Initiative leaders. Principals take action for specific teachers in their schools annually, as indicated.

Use the District Evaluation Content Plan for all steps.

Prepare to design evaluation content

  • Review input about evaluation content gathered from stakeholders and design team
  • Review Lessons from Teacher Evaluation in Traditionally Staffed Schools

Define/select the job responsibilities for each role using role descriptions. (Principals define for individuals annually). Use Opportunity Culture job descriptions as a start (see

Identify the behavioral competencies—habits of thinking and action—that are important for success in each role. Use Opportunity Culture suggested competencies for each role as a startIntroduction to Job Descriptions and Competencies for Teacher and Staff Evaluation and Development).

Identify outcome measures and tools

  • Student learning outcomes, including clear, useful student growth measures
  • Conditions for learning, such as attendance and behavior/discipline
  • Instructional practice improvement
  • Others

Determine ratings that define effective and highly effective on each measure

Determine weighting of each measure in that evaluation category

Determine if teachers will have one overall evaluation rating, and if so what the weighting of each category of measures will be

Determine the amount of consistency required in performance (will teachers new to a role have a grace period or other “pressure valve” to allow ramp-up?)

Choose, adapt, or create tools and assessments to measure/rate performance on job responsibilities, competencies, and outcome measures. (Principals adapt to individual roles, where needed.) Use Opportunity Culture evaluation tools, job descriptions, and competencies as starting resources for annual review materials.

Match teachers to students and teacher at school level:

  • Matching teachers to the right students
  • Matching teachers to the right subject(s) for each student
  • Matching team leaders to other teachers they lead and develop, and
  • Matching team leaders to team teachers’ success and improvement

Determine if district will calculate magnitude of reach for each teacher, and how

Match formal accountability systems at district and state levels to roles. (Principals inform and collaborate with Human Resources and OC Initiative leaders for matching.) Use Evaluation and Accountability Database Toolto help.

Record decisions on the District Evaluation Content Plan

Use strategic, frequent communication to inform all affected

Step 4: Evaluation Process for New Roles Action Steps

All of these actions are taken by the Evaluation Design Team, Human Resources, and/or OC Initiative leaders. Principals take action for specific teachers in their schools annually, as indicated.

Use the Evaluation Process Planfor all of the steps below.

Prepare to design evaluation process

  • Review input about the evaluation process gathered from stakeholders and design team
  • Review Lessons from Teacher Evaluation in Traditionally Staffed Schools

Review the measures selected to evaluate teachers

  • Which will be used for feedback and development during the school year?
  • Which will inform annual evaluation and development?

Design ongoing feedback and development during the school year

  • Who will do each of the following steps, with what materials and input, and when?
  • How will the results of each step be used?
  • Use the Evaluation Process Plan and the example in it
  • Follow these steps:

Collect data informally, while co-planning, co-teaching, co-improving; or do observations.

Provide input into ongoing development. Use Educator Improvement Feedback Toolto start.

Collect data other ways for ongoing development, such as student and parent surveys.

Summarize midyear feedback.

Provide ongoing feedback and coaching.

Design annual evaluation and development planning

  • Who will do each of the following steps, with what materials and input, and when?
  • How will the results of each step be used?
  • Use the Evaluation Process Plan and Opportunity Culture Standard Evaluation Tools Package, as a start.
  • Follow these steps:

Collect annual evaluation data

Provide input into annual evaluation

Summarize annual evaluation

Share annual evaluation

Write development plan

Share development plan with teacher

File evaluation and development plan with official records

Record decisions on the Evaluation Process Plan

Communicate widely with all affected

Step 5: Using Evaluation for Development Action Steps

Action steps for Step 5 are broken into 3 checklists—one for professional development learning, a second for career paths, and a third for talent management.

Professional Development and Learning

Review your district’s Opportunity Culture career paths

Plan for advance and ongoing training for those in new OC roles. For each role:

  • what training will happen in advance,
  • in ongoing training,
  • through independent reading and online modules,
  • and on the job?

Determine what training and development those who are developing others on the job need:

  • Multi-classroom leaders?
  • Principals and assistant principals leading teams of teacher-leaders?

Decide how your district will incorporate annual development planning. Use the Development Planneras a start.

Review your Evaluation Process Plan. What other supports are needed to ensure good ongoing feedback and development for all educators in your OC schools?

Decide whether your district will incorporate career-path planning into annual reviews. Use the Career Path Planneras a start.

Career Paths

Review your district’s Opportunity Culture career paths for teachers

Develop or review career paths for school leaders,includingroles for aspiring principals and executive principals/multi-school leaders (Watch OpportunityCulture.org for future publications on this)

Create or review paths for paid, aspiring teachers in place of some paraprofessional roles (Watch OpportunityCulture.org for future publications on this)

Ensure that your evaluation measures, ratings, and weightings align with criteria for advancing and remaining in roles in your career paths

Ensure that your development planning aligns with your roles and career paths

Decide whether your district will incorporate career-path planning into annual reviews. Use the Career Path Planneras a start.

Talent Management

Establish a district-wide talent database, including: the talents of educators working in your district, job openings and the talent requirements for them, and recruitment needs to fill gaps.Include both selection ratings (where available) and evaluation sub-scores. Ideally, use selection that is aligned with your evaluation system.

Work with principals to actively encourage internal candidates to apply for open positions that would advance their careers without leaving teaching

Target hiring toward remaining open positions; become very selective in external hiring

Highlight the on-the-job development and career opportunities in your district in teacher recruitment; use the Opportunity Culture Selection and Recruitment toolkits

Pre-identify teachers with leadership competencies. Encourage the better teachers among them to advance into multi-classroom leader roles.

Develop career paths for school leaders that keep them responsible for students, through multi-school leadership

Create paid “aspiring teacher” roles in place of some paraprofessional roles, and paid “aspiring principal” roles (Watch OpportunityCulture.org for future publications on this.)

Correlate all selection and evaluation data with later performance, and continue improving

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