Colorado Evaluation Systems

Legislative Overview and Statutory Requirements

Passed in 2010, Senate Bill 10-191 created the statutory requirement that all licensed personnel (teacher, special services providers, and principals/assistant principals) must be evaluated in Colorado every year. The ultimate goal of the Colorado educator evaluation system is to continuously support educators' professional growth and, in turn, increase student achievement. To support school districts and BOCES in implementing an educator evaluation system, the Educator Effectiveness Office at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) created the State Model Evaluation System (SMES). This evaluation system encompasses and utilizes a variety of materials and supports, including: 

• A variety of rubrics to reflect the observable work of teachers, special services providers, and principals. 
• The Colorado Performance Management System (COPMS), which is an online tool to collect and house observation and MSL/MSO data.
• The CDE Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist team, who provide side-by-side support to all school districts and BOCES in their work around educator evaluation.

Colorado is a local control state. For that reason, school districts and BOCES are also welcome to create their own locally created evaluation system. This process requires the school district/BOCES to design an evaluation system which meets or exceeds the parameters of the State Model Evaluation System, as well as engaging in ongoing crosswalk conversations with their designated Regional Specialist to ensure their system is high quality. To learn more about locally created systems, click on the button below. 

Learn More about Colorado Evaluation Systems

Legislative Overviews

Request a Review of an Educator Evaluation System

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is responsible for providing support to districts in implementing quality evaluation systems that meet the requirements of the law. This support includes providing a model educator evaluation system that districts can adopt, providing training and technical assistance, and making available a range of resources and tools for district use.

In addition, the department is required to monitor on an ongoing basis districts’ adherence to the requirements of educator evaluation systems as outlined in law and rules. Section 6.04 (D) of the Rules for the Administration of a Statewide System to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Licensed Personnel Employed by School Districts and BOCES (1 CCR 301-87) provides authority for CDE to monitor and review  districts’ educator evaluation systems, including  those using the State Model Educator Evaluation System and those using locally-developed systems. 

In 2013, the legislature adopted H.B. 13-1257 which further codified the support and monitoring functions of the department, including the responsibility to respond to requests for review of local educator evaluation systems. The statute provides an avenue for interested parties who are affected by the evaluation system to submit requests to the department to review a district’s locally-developed educator evaluation system for adherence to the law.  

In alignment with H.B. 13-1257, the document below outlines the process for parties to request a review of a district’s educator evaluation system. The aim of this process is to be responsive to valid concerns that may be raised by interested parties who are affected by the local evaluation system and to support districts in improving the quality of their educator evaluation systems.

Please complete these steps:

1. Complete the Request for Review Form
2. Attach supporting documentation
3. Email the request for review form and documentation to educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us 
   AND
   Mail to Educator Talent, 201 East Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80203

For more information on reviewing evaluation systems, please email educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us

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