Standards and Vision
Under what specific New York State Education Law was the STEPS plan established?
§3012-e
Name three factors an LEA can use to differentiate evaluation groups.
Grade level, subject area, and tenure status.
What is the mandatory measure for teachers?
Observations
What does a "Level 2" rating indicate regarding an LEA's expectations?
Performance that partially meets expectations.
By what date must a Teacher Support Plan (TSP) be implemented for an educator receiving a Level 1 or 2?
October 1st of the following school year (or as soon as practicable thereafter)
True or False: LEAs are required to evaluate every single indicator within a standard.
False; they may focus on "priority indicators" to drive practice in specific focus areas.
How often must a probationary teacher receive an overall rating?
On an annual basis.
Name four of the "Additional Measures" listed in the guidance .
Professional Portfolios, Surveys/Feedback, Goal Setting Reports, Projects, Student Outcome Data, or Student Portfolios .
Who determines the specific "cut points" for the 1–4 rating scale in a district?
The LEA (Local Educational Agency)
Name the four components required by regulation to be in a TSP
plan for improvement, timelines, measurable goals, and how the LEA will support them
What are the standards that must be evaluated across an educator's evaluation cycle?
NYS Teaching Standards
Tenured educators may be evaluated on an annual cycle or what other type of cycle?
A multi-year evaluation cycle.
Which two Teaching Standards are specifically noted as being "challenging to see" during a classroom observation?
Standards VI and VII.
What is the term for a tool used to quantify and compare performance when using multiple criteria and weightings?
A decision matrix
How many specific elements must an evaluator be trained on to be qualified to conduct evaluations?
Seven elements.
According to NYSED’s vision, evaluation systems should move beyond simple rating and instead encourage what two reflective practices?
Reflection and goal-setting.
In a multi-year cycle, what is the minimum number of standards that must be rated in any single year?
At least one standard.
If a district goal is to "increase student engagement," which additional measure does the document suggest?
Surveys and Feedback
True or False: An LEA can choose to weight certain standards more heavily than others to reflect district priorities.
True
What is the term for the training that all classroom teachers and principals must receive regarding the district's specific plan?
Engagement Training
What framework, in addition to Teaching/Leadership standards, should a STEPS plan be aligned to?
The Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Framework.
Is there a legal requirement to evaluate different groups of educators differently?
No, there is no requirement to differentiate, though it is a key design decision for the LEA.
What must an LEA consider regarding the "number and duration" of observations or school visits?
They must be sufficient to collect "meaningful evidence" to evaluate the applicable standard.
If a measure (like a portfolio) is scored on a 0–100 scale, what must the LEA create to assign a Level 1–4 rating for that standard?
A conversion chart.
To ensure fairness, the document suggests that evaluators be trained in "inter-rater reliability" and what other specific technique to reduce subjectivity?
Controlling for evaluator bias