School districts throughout the country are continually assessing how their teaching evaluation systems can better identify and support great teaching. Each evaluation system is unique, but the challenges of researching, testing and rolling out new systems are common to all.

Below are links to tools and resources to help address some of the common, practical problems of developing and implementing teaching evaluation systems.

1. Cambridge Education & Tripod Survey Assessments were used in the MET Project analysis as a tool for capturing students' views on their classroom experiences. Download the surveys used in the MET project by clicking below:
   

   Please provide your information to download. Fields marked * are required.
   Cambridge Education/Tripod Survey Assessments may contact you via email.

   Name:*
   Email:*
   Organization:
   City:
   State:
   Country:
   
   For additional information about the surveys, administration, analysis, reporting and professional development, contact Caitlin.Deneen@camb-ed-us.com.
2. The New Teacher Project (TNTP) published a companion guide to the MET project's "Gathering Feedback for Teaching" report. TNTP's guide, called "MET Made Simple," outlines practical implementation recommendations based on TNTP's experience helping states and urban school districts across the country improve teacher evaluation systems.
3. "The Importance of Accurately Linking Instruction to Students to Determine Teacher Effectiveness." This 12-page paper from Battelle for Kids explains what it means to link teacher and student data, highlights common sources of error, and describes several implementation strategies.
4. This section of the Battelle for Kids website includes materials to help practitioners understand value-added models as tools for measuring effective teaching. Included is an FAQ on Value Added, a short backgrounder, "About Value-Added Analysis," and a white paper "Selecting a Growth Measure: A Guide for Education Leaders," which explains and compares different methods for estimating effectiveness by examining student learning gains.
5. "Effective Teaching: What Is It and How Is It Measured?" This paper, co-authored by MET researcher Steve Cantrell and Joe Scantlebury, Gates Foundation senior policy offer for U.S. Program Advocacy, discusses the importance of robust, transparent teaching effectiveness measures that work toward achieving the best outcomes for the largest numbers of students and teachers.
6. As part of its work with the MET Project, Teachscape developed a panoramic video camera used to record classroom instruction without the need of camera crews. Playback allows teachers to view themselves and their students. This brief explains how the MET Project made use of the Teachscape camera in its study of structured classroom observations: "Classroom Observations & the MET Project"
7. The MET Project is developing a "Validation Engine" that systems will be able to use to analyze their classroom observation instruments themselves to determine the extent of observer agreement and the extent to which results align with student outcomes. Developed by MET Project partner Empirical Education, the Validation Engine began beta-testing with selected school systems in spring of 2011. This brief described the tool: Validation Engine for Observation Protocol.

Share resources that your school or district has used! Email us at info@metproject.org.