Educator evaluations can become perfunctory “tasks” to be completed for administrators and confrontational or “one more thing” for the educators. That is one end of a continuum at the other end, the evaluation process can be a productive thread in the fabric of a school that is a learning organization built on trust and a willingness to grow. The workshop will provide time and space to analyze the current approach toward educator evaluation, of both the school and DESE. develop strategies and plans to move toward an aligned, feasible, and meaningful approach to educator evaluation. Written and oral feedback, collection and evaluation of evidence, goal alignment, and ongoing improvement will be examined. The workshop will model communication and alignment practices and will be an interactive session with guided discussion.

New DESE Principal Rubric

DESE Teacher Rubric

Standards of Effective Practice

Learning Walks

Getting the Most Out of Short Classroom Visits-what are the "look- fors"?

Performance Ratings

Educator Plans

How to Develop an Effective Improvement Plan

Delivering Effective Feedback

Having a Difficult Conversation

Development of SMARTIE goals that align with District Strategic Plans

Development of SMARTIE goals that align with School Improvement Plans

Investigate best practices for gathering evidence, providing constructive feedback, and using evaluation data to inform educator assessment and professional development plans.

Calibrating Teacher Evaluation

Explore and identify consistent strategies that create routines around self-assessment, goal setting, observation feedback, and reflection.

Learn techniques for aligning evaluations, addressing biases, and promoting fairness in the evaluation process.

Staff and students` sense of belonging is a critical condition for academic success. Staff and students who feel a sense of belonging "feel socially connected, supported, and respected." They trust their teachers and their peers, and they "feel a sense of fit at school" due to efforts at the school level to promote a safe and supportive learning environment. To engage with students as authentic partners, we must approach engagement with a focus on equity. This means a) establishing meaningful engagement activities and systems that do not characterize or treat specific groups as deficient in their level of engagement or approach to education and b) acknowledging and navigating cultural differences through communication, humility, and sensitivity.

School Leadership that Energizes, Engages, and Empowers

School leaders strive to build a culture of trust and collaboration, but happiness and fun are a bonus! How does a school leader do it all? How do we build structures that guarantee a positive and engaged culture? The needs of students and adults are the same. By focusing on clear communication, recognition, connection, play, voice, and choice, school leaders can construct an environment in which adults and children thrive simultaneously. Through practical strategies and research that highlight the possibility of a more energized, engaged, and empowered culture, participants will learn why happiness and leadership can coexist.

Leaders at the start of their career, those near the end, and all of those in between will benefit from the culture we will build during this workshop and the energy we will generate by coming together and sharing our knowledge with one another.

Climate and Culture Teams: Establishing positive and effective culture through community building, shared leadership, and responsibility

The organizational culture of a school, or district, has a direct impact on retention of effective staff, productive relationships with families, educator cohesion and mutual support, and student learning outcomes. Culture is often overlooked as a real lever for change. This workshop will develop skills to understand the current culture and intentionally move to build a more effective one by specifically creating a building-based climate and culture team. Topics will range from identifying current cultural norms and values and how they affect the school, creating a model of shared leadership and shared responsibility, honest and professional communication, and using evidence to connect norms, values, and vision to the daily life of the school. Workshop content and process is relevant for district and school leadership.