The goals of teacher development and evaluation (TDE) are to develop, support and improve teachers and teaching practices, improve student learning and success, and provide all enrolled students with equitable access to an effective teacher. Just like students, teachers will not benefit from a TDE system that they do not receive, which is why we emphasize active implementation in our work. For more information about active implementation, visit the University of North Carolina’s AI Hub.

Effective Interventions (What) x Effective Implementation (How) x Enabling Contexts (Where) = Positive Outcomes (for kids and adults). This formula represents three critical conditions for changing adult practices that lead to success for kids. For teacher development and evaluation systems, this formula is as follows:

“What” = Clearly define and agree upon a TDE Plan or program you are implementing. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) uses “APPLE Criteria”—Administratively feasible; Professionally acceptable; Publicly credible; Legally defensible; Economically affordable—in their model for identifying excellent educators. While state law identifies legal parameters for TDE plans, the other criteria are certainly worth striving for. Leadership teams—composed of administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders—must have a clearly defined and documented plan.

“How” = Leadership teams actively implement the plan. This stage-based process includes training and ongoing coaching for participants, adjusting organizational drivers so that the plan can thrive, empowering leaders to use technical and adaptive strategies, and regularly studying whether the plan is being implemented with fidelity.

“Where” = Leadership teams actively create hospitable environments or enabling contexts to ensure that new ways of work are supported. Teams need to have the authority and time to address barriers, and identify and refer issues they cannot resolve to teams who can.

The following tools are designed to assist local leadership teams to design and implement their teacher development and evaluation plan. Our foundational beliefs around effective implementation are driven by our partnership with the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN). Dozens of additional resources are available at NIRN’s Active Implementation Hub.

TDE Implementation Resources

• Teacher Development and Evaluation Implementation Surveys for Local Use: Administration Guidance - 4/1/21
  
• Teacher Development and Evaluation for Special Education Teachers - 4/15/19
  Version from June 2014
• Teacher Development and Evaluation (TDE) Model Design Rubric - 10/13/17
  A tool to support local leadership teams to assess the design and implementation of their local TDE model or plan.
• Conferencing Guide for Superintendents - 7/24/14
  A tool superintendents may use to facilitate conversations with school leaders around district priorities, initiatives, and expectations. This guide outlines five key topics that are specific to teacher development and evaluation (TDE). Created July 2014
• Checklist for Evaluation Models: Does Our Local Model Meet Requirements - 7/24/14
  A tool for local teams to assess their local evaluation model to locally-determine whether it meets requirements in statute. Updated July 2014.
• Readiness Checklist for Teacher Development and Evaluation (TDE)  - 7/24/14
  A tool to support local teams to implement TDE models in early stages of implementation. Created July 2014.