Downloadable Resources and Related Links

Educator Evaluation Best Practices Timeline

This timeline provides a guide for districts/BOCES to consider key aspects and junctures of educator evaluation throughout the school year. It can serve as a preparation tool prior to the start of the school year, and/or a reference guide to utilize throughout the year to ensure equitable and high quality evaluations are taking place.

Access the Best Practices Timeline

Values Activity Guide

This activity facilitation guide provides an opportunity to explore district values and to align those values with local systems related to educator effectiveness. By engaging in the values activities and subsequent discussions, participants can reflect on all aspects of the educator evaluation system, including the system as a whole, weighting of professional practices, measures of student learning/outcomes (MSLs/MSOs), and practices to ensure fair and effective evaluations.

Access the Values Activity Guide

NEW: 2024-25 Educator Evaluation Orientation Slide Deck

This annually updated PowerPoint provides schools, districts, and BOCES with information to share with staff regarding educator evaluation. The slide deck is a skeleton which is intended to be edited to include specific information for each local district/BOCES.

Access the 2024-25 Orientation Slide Deck

User's Guide for the State Model Evaluation System

The User's Guide is an extensive, detailed document intended to be utilized by districts/BOCES and their staff to gain a better understanding of the State Model Evaluation System and the corresponding rubrics.

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Resource Guide for Deepening Understanding of Teacher Professional Practices

This guide is meant to support Colorado school district employees, administrators and teachers in developing an understanding of the Colorado State Model Evaluation System Teacher Rubric. It is extensive and detailed, and Quality Standards/Elements can be individually accessed to gain insight around particular aspects of the teacher rubric.

Access the Resource Guide

Access the Resource Guide Excerpt: Planning and Coaching Questions

H.E.L.P. Guides and Practical Ideas for Evaluating Educators with the State Model System

Throughout the development, pilot testing and validation study of the Colorado State Model Evaluation System, groups of teachers and their evaluators with unique roles and responsibilities expressed concerns that the teacher materials didn't provide adequate guidance. They requested additional guidance regarding evidence/artifacts that may be used by such specialized teachers. In addition, they asked about specific practices to “look-for” to guide their classroom observations and help ensure that all licensed teachers receive fair, valid and reliable evaluations.

In response, CDE initiated the development of a set of guides written by practitioners for practitioners. They are intended to provide informal advice to teachers and their evaluators to help them understand the evaluation process within their specific context and offer a guide for how to evaluate licensed personnel (H.E.L.P.).

Guidance for Unique Roles

This document provides high level guidance for districts regarding how to evaluate individuals serving in a dual or specialized role. This is not a fully comprehensive document but, rather, offers ideas and points of consideration for districts as they identify and implement educator evaluation.

Access Unique Roles Guidance

Maximizing the Mid-Year Review

Prior to the second semester, the educator being evaluated and the evaluator should review progress to date toward achieving professional goals and measures of Student Learning/Outcomes (MSLs/MSOs). This document provides insight into how evaluators can maximize this conversation to set their educators up for success in the spring semester.

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Flexibilities and Opportunities for Differentiation in Educator Evaluation

Not all districts/BOCES are aware of the many decisions around educator evaluation that are able to be made at the local level. Find a broad range of resources and guidance related to differentiating an evaluation system based on local values, including district examples and best practices to encourage reflection around local decision-making.

Access Flexibilities and Differentiation Webpages

Inter-Rater Agreement

Inter-rater agreement is an important aspect of any evaluation system. It ensures that evaluators agree that a particular educator's instruction on a given day meets the high expectations and rigor described in the state standards. As a result, these consistent and dependable ratings lead to fairness and credibility in the evaluation system.

Access the Inter-Rater Agreement Overview