June 2014
Building Trust in Observations: A Blueprint for Improving Systems to Support Great Teaching
Classroom observations hold great potential to improve teaching and learning. In an evaluation and feedback system based on multiple measures, observations can clarify expectations for teaching, support teachers in elevating their practice, and provide essential information for key personnel and professional development decisions. Moreover, when teachers receive regular, actionable feedback on their practice—rather than being left alone to assess their own progress—they are better able to make the instructional shifts called for by new college and career readiness standards, such as the Common Core State Standards. States and districts can use this tool to create their own plans for continual improvement of an observation system, no matter where they are in their implementation. Included are action steps to improve observation rubrics, observer training, observer assessment, and monitoring. A planning process is described to assess current status, determine next steps, and plan for sustained improvement. The MET project will release more detailed guidance on how to implement the action steps in a series of briefs beginning in summer 2014.