Planning and Preparation

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The Framework for TeachingEvaluation Instrument

DOMAIN 1Planning and Preparation

Planning and

Preparation

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1a Knowledge of Content and PedagogyIn order to guide student learning, accomplished teachers have command of the subjects

they teach. They must know which concepts and skills are central to a discipline, and whichare peripheral; they must know how the discipline has evolved into the 21st century, incorpo-rating such issues as global awareness and cultural diversity, as appropriate. Accomplishedteachers understand the internal relationships within the disciplines they teach, knowing whichconcepts and skills are prerequisite to the understanding of others. They are also aware of typ-ical student misconceptions in the discipline and work to dispel them. But knowledge of thecontent is not sufficient; in advancing student understanding, teachers are familiar with the par-ticularly pedagogical approaches best suited to each discipline. Elements of component 1a:

Knowledge of content and the structure of the disciplineEvery discipline has a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands as well as cen-tral concepts and skills.

Knowledge of prerequisite relationshipsSome disciplines, for example mathematics, have important prerequisites; experienced teach-ers know what these are and how to use them in designing lessons and units.

Knowledge of content-related pedagogyDifferent disciplines have “signature pedagogies” that have evolved over time and have beenfound to be most effective in teaching.Indicators:• Lesson and unit plans that reflect important concepts in the discipline• Lesson and unit plans that accommodate prerequisite relationships among concepts and

skills• Clear and accurate classroom explanations• Accurate answers to student questions• Feedback to students that furthers learning• Interdisciplinary connections in plans and practice

1a KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY

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1a Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy—Possible Examples

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient DistinguishedThe teacher says,“The official languageof Brazil is Spanish,just like other SouthAmerican countries.”

The teacher says, “Idon’t understand whythe math book hasdecimals in the sameunit as fractions.”

The teacher has stu-dents copy dictionarydefinitions each weekto help his studentslearn to spell difficultwords.

The teacher plans les-sons on area andperimeter independ-ently of one another,without linking theconcepts together.

The teacher plans toforge ahead with alesson on additionwith regrouping, eventhough some studentshave not fully graspedplace value.

The teacher alwaysplans the same rou-tine to study spelling:pretest on Monday,copy the words 5times each on Tues-day and Wednesday,test on Friday.

The teacher’s plan forarea and perimeter in-vites students to de-termine the shapethat will yield thelargest area for agiven perimeter.

The teacher realizedher students are notsure how to use acompass, so sheplans to practice thatbefore introducing theactivity on anglemeasurement.

The teacher plans toexpand a unit oncivics by having stu-dents simulate a courttrial.

In a unit on 19th-century literature, theteacher incorporatesinformation about thehistory of the sameperiod.

Before beginning aunit on the solar sys-tem, the teacher sur-veys the class on theirbeliefs about why it ishotter in the summerthan in the winter.

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In planning and practice, teacher makescontent errors or does not correct errorsmade by students.

Teacher’s plans and practice display littleunderstanding of prerequisite relationshipsimportant to student’s learning of thecontent.

Teacher displays little or no understandingof the range of pedagogical approachessuitable to student’s learning of the content.

Teacher is familiar with the important con-cepts in the discipline but displays lack ofawareness of how these concepts relate toone another.

Teacher’s plans and practice indicate someawareness of prerequisite relationships,although such knowledge may be inaccu-rate or incomplete.

Teacher’s plans and practice reflect a lim-ited range of pedagogical approaches tothe discipline or to the students.

Critical Attributes

Teacher makes content errors.

Teacher does not consider prerequisiterelationships when planning.

Teacher’s plans use inappropriatestrategies for the discipline

Teacher is familiar with the discipline butdoes not see conceptual relationships.

Teacher’s knowledge of prerequisite rela-tionships is inaccurate or incomplete.

Lesson and unit plans use limited instruc-tional strategies, and some may not besuitable to the content.

UNSATISFACTORY BASIC1a KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY

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Teacher displays solid knowledge of the impor-tant concepts in the discipline and the waysthey relate to one another.

Teacher’s plans and practice reflect accurateunderstanding of prerequisite relationshipsamong topics and concepts.

Teacher’s plans and practice reflect familiaritywith a wide range of effective pedagogicalapproaches in the discipline.

Teacher displays extensive knowledge of theimportant concepts in the discipline and theways they relate both to one another and toother disciplines.

Teacher’s plans and practice reflectunderstanding of prerequisite relationshipsamong topics and concepts and provide a linkto necessary cognitive structures needed bystudents to ensure understanding.

Teacher’s plans and practice reflect familiaritywith a wide range of effective pedagogicalapproaches in the discipline, anticipating stu-dent misconceptions.

The teacher can identify important concepts ofthe discipline and their relationships to oneanother.

The teacher consistently provides clear expla-nations of the content.

The teacher answers student questions accu-rately and provides feedback that furthers theirlearning.

The teacher seeks out content-related profes-sional development.

In addition to the characteristics of “proficient”:

Teacher cites intra- and interdisciplinary con-tent relationships.

Teacher is proactive in uncovering student mis-conceptions and addressing them beforeproceeding.

PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED

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1b Demonstrating Knowledge of StudentsTeachers don’t teach content in the abstract; they teach it to students. In order to ensure stu-

dent learning, therefore, teachers must know not only their subject content and its relatedpedagogy but the students to whom they wish to teach that content. In ensuring student learn-ing, teachers must appreciate what recent research in cognitive psychology has confirmed:namely, that students learn through active intellectual engagement with content. While there arepatterns in cognitive, social, and emotional developmental stages typical of different age groups,students learn in their individual ways and may come with gaps or misconceptions that theteacher needs to uncover in order to plan appropriate learning activities. In addition, studentshave lives beyond school, lives that include athletic and musical pursuits, activities in their neigh-borhoods, and family and cultural traditions. Students whose first language is not English, aswell as students with other special needs, must be considered when planning lessons and iden-tifying resources that will ensure their understanding. Elements of component 1b:

Knowledge of child and adolescent developmentChildren learn differently at different stages of their lives.

Knowledge of the learning processLearning requires active intellectual engagement.

Knowledge of students’ skills, knowledge, and language proficiencyChildren’s lives beyond school influence their learning.

Knowledge of students’ interest and cultural heritageChildren’s backgrounds influence their learning.

Knowledge of students’ special needsChildren do not all develop in a typical fashion.Indicators:• Formal and informal information about students gathered by teacher for use in planning

instruction• Student interests and needs learned and used by teacher in planning• Teacher participation in community cultural events• Teacher-designed opportunities for families to share heritage• Teacher-created database of students with special needs available for teacher use

1b DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS

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1b Demonstrating Knowledge of Students—Possible Examples

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

The lesson plan in-cludes a teacher pres-entation for an entire30-minute period to agroup of 7-year-olds.

The teacher plans togive her ELL studentsthe same writing as-signment she givesthe rest of the class.

The teacher plans toteach his class Christ-mas carols, despitethe fact that he hasfour religions repre-sented among his stu-dents.

The teacher‘s lessonplan has the same as-signment for the en-tire class, in spite ofthe fact that one activ-ity is beyond thereach of some stu-dents.

In the unit on Mexico,the teacher has notincorporated perspec-tives from the threeMexican-Americanchildren in the class.

Lesson plans makeonly peripheral refer-ence to students’ in-terests.

The teacher knowsthat some of her stu-dents have IEPs, butthey’re so long thatshe hasn’t read themyet.

The teacher createsan assessment of stu-dents’ levels of cogni-tive development.

The teacher examinesprevious year’s cumu-lative folders to ascer-tain the proficiencylevels of groups ofstudents in the class.

The teacher adminis-ters a student interestsurvey at the begin-ning of the schoolyear.

The teacher plans ac-tivities based on stu-dent-interest.

The teacher knowsthat five of her stu-dents are in the Gar-den Club; she plansto have them discusshorticulture as part ofthe next biology les-son.

The teacher realizesthat not all of his stu-dents are Christianand so he plans toread a Hanukkahstory in December.

The teacher plans toask her Spanish-speaking students todiscuss their ancestryas part of their socialstudies unit on SouthAmerica.

The teacher plans hislesson with three dif-ferent follow-up activi-ties, designed to meetthe varied ability lev-els of his students.

The teacher plans toprovide multiple proj-ect options; studentswill self-select theproject that bestmeets their individualapproach to learning.

The teacher encour-ages students to beaware of their individ-ual reading levels andmake independentreading choices thatwill be challenging,but not too difficult.

The teacher attendsthe local Mexican her-itage day, meetingseveral of his stu-dents’ extended fami-lies.

The teacher regularlycreates adapted as-sessment materialsfor several studentswith learning disabili-ties.

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Teacher does not understand child devel-opment characteristics and has unrealisticexpectations for students.

Teacher does not try to ascertain variedability levels among students in the class.

Teacher is not aware of student interests orcultural heritages.

Teacher takes no responsibility to learnabout students’ medical or learningdisabilities.

Teacher cites developmental theory butdoes not seek to integrate it into lessonplanning.

Teacher is aware of the different ability lev-els in the class but tends to teach to the“whole group.”

The teacher recognizes that children havedifferent interests and cultural backgroundsbut rarely draws on their contributions ordifferentiates materials to accommodatethose differences.

The teacher is aware of medical issues andlearning disabilities with some students butdoes not seek to understand theimplications of that knowledge.

Teacher demonstrates little or nounderstanding of how students learn andlittle knowledge of students’ backgrounds,cultures, skills, language proficiency, inter-ests, and special needs and does not seeksuch understanding.

Teacher indicates the importance of under-standing how students learn and thestudents’ backgrounds, cultures, skills, lan-guage proficiency, interests, and specialneeds, and attains this knowledge aboutthe class as a whole.

UNSATISFACTORY BASIC

Critical Attributes

1b DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS

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The teacher knows, for groups of students,their levels of cognitive development.

The teacher is aware of the different culturalgroups in the class.

The teacher has a good idea of the range ofinterests of students in the class.

The teacher has identified “high,” “medium,”and “low” groups of students within the class.

The teacher is well informed about students’cultural heritage and incorporates this knowl-edge in lesson planning.

The teacher is aware of the special needs rep-resented by students in the class.


The teacher uses ongoing methods to assessstudents’ skill levels and designs instructionaccordingly.

The teacher seeks out information about theircultural heritage from all students.

The teacher maintains a system of updatedstudent records and incorporates medicaland/or learning needs into lesson plans.

Teacher understands the active nature of stu-dent learning and attains information aboutlevels of development for groups of students.

The teacher also purposefully seeks knowledgefrom several sources of students’ backgrounds,cultures, skills, language proficiency, interests,and special needs and attains this knowledgeabout groups of students.

Teacher actively seeks knowledge of students’levels of development and their backgrounds,cultures, skills, language proficiency, interests,and special needs from a variety of sources.This information is acquired for individual stu-dents.


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1c Setting Instructional OutcomesTeaching is a purposeful activity; even the most imaginative activities are directed towards

certain desired learning. Therefore, establishing instructional outcomes entails identifyingexactly what students will be expected to learn; the outcomes describe not what students willdo but what they will learn. The instructional outcomes should reflect important learning andmust lend themselves to various forms of assessment so that all students are able to demon-strate their understanding of the content. Insofar as the outcomes determine the instructionalactivities, the resources used, their suitability for diverse learners, and the methods of assess-ment employed, they hold a central place in Domain 1.

Learning outcomes are of a number of different types: factual and procedural knowledge,conceptual understanding, thinking and reasoning skills, and collaborative and communicationstrategies. In addition, some learning outcomes refer to dispositions; not only is it important forstudents to learn to read, but educators also hope that they will like to read. In addition, experi-enced teachers are able to link their learning outcomes with others both within their disciplineand in other disciplines. Elements of component 1c:

Value, sequence, and alignmentStudents must be able to build their understanding of important ideas from concept to concept.

ClarityOutcomes must refer to what students will learn, not what they will do, and must permit viablemethods of assessment.

BalanceOutcomes should reflect different types of learning, such as knowledge, conceptualunderstanding, and thinking skills.

Suitability for diverse studentsOutcomes must be appropriate for all students in the class.Indicators:• Outcomes of a challenging cognitive level• Statements of student learning, not student activity• Outcomes central to the discipline and related to those in other disciplines• Assessment of student attainment• Outcomes differentiated for students of varied ability

1c SETTING INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES

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1c Setting Instructional Outcomes—Possible Examples


A learning outcomefor a fourth-gradeclass is to make aposter illustrating apoem.

All the outcomes for aninth-grade historyclass are factualknowledge.

The topic of the socialstudies unit involvesthe concept of revolu-tions, but the teacherexpects his studentsto remember only theimportant dates ofbattles.

Though there are anumber of ELL stu-dents in the class, theoutcomes state thatall writing must begrammatically correct.

Outcomes consist ofunderstanding the re-lationship betweenaddition and multipli-cation and memoriz-ing facts.

The outcomes arewritten with the needsof the “middle” groupin mind; however, theadvanced studentsare bored, and somelower-level are stu-dents struggling.

One of the learningoutcomes is for stu-dents to appreciatethe aesthetics of 18th-century English po-etry.

The outcomes for thehistory unit includesome factual informa-tion, as well as a com-parison of the per-spectives of differentgroups in the eventsleading to the Revolu-tionary War.

The teacher reviewsthe project expecta-tions and modifiessome goals to be inline with students’ IEPobjectives.

The teacher encour-ages his students toset their own goals;he provides them ataxonomy of chal-lenge verbs to helpthem strive for higherexpectations.

Students will developa concept map thatlinks previous learninggoals to those theyare currently workingon.

Some students iden-tify additional learn-ing.

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Outcomes lack rigor.

Outcomes do not represent importantlearning in the discipline.

Outcomes are not clear or are stated asactivities.

Outcomes are not suitable for manystudents in the class.

Outcomes represent a mixture of lowexpectations and rigor.

Some outcomes reflect important learningin the discipline.

Outcomes are suitable for most of theclass.

Outcomes represent low expectations for students and lack of rigor, and not all of them reflect important learning in the discipline.

Outcomes are stated as activities ratherthan as student learning.

Outcomes reflect only one type of learningand only one discipline or strand and aresuitable for only some students.

Outcomes represent moderately highexpectations and rigor.

Some reflect important learning in the disci-pline and consist of a combination ofoutcomes and activities.

Outcomes reflect several types of learning,but teacher has made no attempt at coordi-nation or integration.

Most of the outcomes are suitable for mostof the students in the class in accordancewith global assessments of student learning.

Critical Attributes

UNSATISFACTORY BASIC1c SETTING INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES

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Outcomes represent high expectations andrigor.

Outcomes are related to the “big ideas” of thediscipline.

Outcomes are written in terms of whatstudents will learn rather than do.

Outcomes represent a range: factual, concep-tual understanding, reasoning, social,management, communication.

Outcomes are suitable to groups of students inthe class and are differentiated where neces-sary.


Teacher plans make reference to curricularframeworks or blueprints to ensure accuratesequencing.

Teacher connects outcomes to previous andfuture learning.

Outcomes are differentiated to encourage indi-vidual students to take educational risks.

Most outcomes represent rigorous and impor-tant learning in the discipline.

All the instructional outcomes are clear, arewritten in the form of student learning, andsuggest viable methods of assessment.

Outcomes reflect several different types oflearning and opportunities for coordination.

Outcomes take into account the varying needsof groups of students.

All outcomes represent rigorous and importantlearning in the discipline.

The outcomes are clear, are written in the formof student learning, and permit viable methodsof assessment.

Outcomes reflect several different types oflearning and, where appropriate, representopportunities for both coordination andintegration.

Outcomes take into account the varying needsof individual students.


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1d Demonstrating Knowledge of ResourcesStudent learning is enhanced by a teacher’s skillful use of resources; some of these are

provided by the school as “official” materials; others are secured by teachers through theirown initiative. Resources fall into several different categories: those used in the classroom bystudents, those available beyond the classroom walls to enhance student learning, those forteachers to further their own professional knowledge and skill, and those that can providenoninstructional assistance to students. Teachers recognize the importance of discretion inthe selection of resources, choosing those that align directly with the learning outcomes andthat will be of most use to the students. Accomplished teachers also ensure that the selectionof materials and resources is appropriately challenging for every student; texts, for example,are available at various reading levels to guarantee all students access to the content andsuccessfully demonstrate understanding of the learning outcomes. Furthermore, expert teach-ers look beyond the school for resources to bring their subjects to life and to assist studentswho need help in both their academic and nonacademic lives. Elements of component 1d:

Resources for classroom useMaterials align with learning outcomes.

Resources to extend content knowledge and pedagogyMaterials are available to further teachers’ professional knowledge.

Resources for studentsMaterials are appropriately challenging.Indicators:• District-provided materials• A range of texts• Guest speakers• Internet resources• Materials provided by professional organizations• Teachers participating in continuing professional education courses or professional groups• Community resources

1d DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF RESOURCES

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1d Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources—Possible Examples


For their unit onChina, the studentsacquired all of their in-formation from thedistrict-supplied text-book.

Mr. J is not sure howto teach fractions butdoesn’t know howhe’s expected to learnit by himself.

A student says, “It’stoo bad we can’t go tothe nature centerwhen we’re doing ourunit on the environ-ment.”

For a unit on oceanlife, the teacher reallyneeds more books,but the school libraryhas only has three forhim to borrow.

The teacher knowsshe should learn moreabout teaching liter-acy, but the school of-fered only one profes-sional developmentday last year.

The teacher thinks hisstudents would bene-fit from hearing abouthealth safety from aprofessional; he con-tacts the school nurseto visit his classroom.

The teacher providesher 5th graders arange of nonfictiontexts about the Ameri-can Revolution; nomatter their readinglevel, all students canparticipate in the dis-cussion of importantconcepts.

The teacher took anonline course on liter-ature to expand herknowledge of greatAmerican writers.

The teacher distrib-utes a list of summerreading materials thatwould help preparehis 8th graders’ transi-tion to high school.

The teacher is nothappy with the out-of-date textbook; his stu-dents will critique itand write their owntext for social studies.

The teacher spendsthe summer at DowChemical learningmore about currentresearch so that shecan expand herknowledge base forteaching chemistry.

The teacher matchesstudents in her Familyand Consumer Sci-ence class with localbusinesses; the stu-dents spend timeshadowing employeesto understand howtheir classroom skillsmight be used on thejob.

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The teacher uses only district-providedmaterials, even when more variety wouldassist some students.

The teacher does not seek out resourcesavailable to expand his or her own skill.

Although aware of some student needs, theteacher does not inquire about possibleresources.

The teacher uses materials in the schoollibrary but does not search beyond theschool for resources.

The teacher participates in content-areaworkshops offered by the school but doesnot pursue other professional development.

The teacher locates materials andresources for students that are availablethrough the school but does not pursue anyother avenues.

Teacher is unaware of school or districtresources for classroom use, for the expan-sion of his or her own knowledge, or forstudents.

Teacher displays basic awareness ofschool or district resources available forclassroom use, for the expansion of his orher own knowledge, and for students, butno knowledge of resources available morebroadly.


Critical Attributes

1d DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF RESOURCES

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Texts are at varied levels.

Texts are supplemented by guest speakersand field experiences.

Teacher facilitates Internet resources.

Resources are multidisciplinary.

Teacher expands knowledge with professionallearning groups and organizations.

Teacher pursues options offered byuniversities.

Teacher provides lists of resources outside theclass for students to draw on.


Texts are matched to student skill level.

The teacher has ongoing relationship with col-leges and universities that support studentlearning.

The teacher maintains log of resources for stu-dent reference.

The teacher pursues apprenticeships toincrease discipline knowledge

The teacher facilitates student contact withresources outside the classroom.

Teacher displays awareness of resources—notonly through the school and district but alsothrough sources external to the school and onthe Internet—available for classroom use, forthe expansion of his or her own knowledge,and for students.

Teacher displays extensive knowledge ofresources—not only through the school anddistrict but also in the community, through pro-fessional organizations and universities, andon the Internet—for classroom use, for theexpansion of his or her own knowledge, andfor students.


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1e Designing Coherent InstructionDesigning coherent instruction is the heart of planning, reflecting the teacher’s knowledge of

content and the students in the class, the intended outcomes of instruction, and the availableresources. Such planning requires that educators have a clear understanding of the state, dis-trict, and school expectations for student learning, and the skill to translate these into a coherentplan. It also requires that teachers understand the characteristics of the students they teach andthe active nature of student learning. Educators must determine how best to sequence instruc-tion in a way that will advance student learning through the required content. It further requiresthe thoughtful construction of lessons that contain cognitively engaging learning activities, theincorporation of appropriate resources and materials, and the intentional grouping of students.Proficient practice in this component recognizes that a well-designed instruction plan addressesthe learning needs of various groups of students; one size does not fit all. At the distinguishedlevel the teacher plans instruction that takes into account the specific learning needs of eachstudent and solicits ideas from students on how best to structure the learning. This plan forimplementation is then manifested in Domain 3. Elements of component 1e:

Learning activitiesInstruction is designed to engage students and advance their learning through the content.

Instructional materials and resourcesMaterials and resources are appropriate to the learning needs of the students.

Instructional groupsGroups are intentionally organized to support student learning.

Lesson and unit structureOrganization is clear and sequenced to advance students’ learning.Indicators:• Lessons that support instructional outcomes and reflect important concepts• Instructional maps that indicate relationships to prior learning• Activities that represent high-level thinking• Opportunities for student choice• The use of varied resources• Thoughtfully planned learning groups• Structured lesson plans

1e DESIGNING COHERENT INSTRUCTION

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1e Designing Coherent Instruction—Possible Examples


The teacher plans tohave his 9th graderscolor in the worksheetafter memorizing theparts of the micro-scope.

Despite having a text-book that is 15 yearsold, the teacher plansto use that as the soleresource for his com-munism unit.

The teacher organ-izes her class in rows,seating the studentsalphabetically; sheplans to have stu-dents work all year ingroups of four se-lected on the basis ofwhere they are sitting.

The teacher’s lessonplans are written onsticky notes in hisgrade book; they indi-cate lecture, activity,or test.

After the minilesson,the teacher plans tohave the whole classplay a game to rein-force the skill shetaught.

The teacher hasfound an atlas to useas a supplemental re-source during the ge-ography unit.

The teacher alwayslets students selecttheir own workinggroups because theybehave better whenthey can choosewhom they want to sit with.

The teacher’s lessonplans are nicely for-matted, but the timingfor many activities istoo short to actuallycover the conceptsthoroughly.

The teacher reviewsher learning activitieswith a reference tohigh-level “actionverbs” and rewritessome of the activitiesto increase the chal-lenge level.

The teacher creates alist of historical fictiontitles that will expandher students’ knowl-edge of the age of ex-ploration.

The teacher plans forstudents to completeprojects in smallgroups; he carefullyselects group mem-bers based on theirability level and learn-ing style.

The teacher reviewslesson plans with herprincipal; they are wellstructured with pacingtimes and activitiesclearly indicated.

The teacher’s unit onecosystems lists a va-riety of high level ac-tivities in a menu; stu-dents choose thosethat suit their ap-proach to learning.

While completing theirprojects, the teacher’sstudents will have ac-cess to a wide varietyof resources that shehas coded by readinglevel so they canmake the best selec-tions.

After the cooperativegroup lesson, stu-dents will reflect ontheir participation andmake suggestions fornew group arrange-ments in the future.

The lesson planclearly indicates theconcepts taught in thelast few lessons; theteacher plans for hisstudents to link thecurrent lesson’s out-comes to those theypreviously learned.

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Learning activities are boring and/or notwell aligned to the instructional goals.

Materials are not engaging or do not meetinstructional outcomes.

Instructional groups do not support learning.

Lesson plans are not structured orsequenced and are unrealistic in theirexpectations.

Learning activities are moderatelychallenging.

Learning resources are suitable, but thereis limited variety.

Instructional groups are random or onlypartially support objectives.

Lesson structure is uneven or may be unre-alistic in terms of time expectations.

The series of learning experiences is poorlyaligned with the instructional outcomes anddoes not represent a coherent structure.

The activities are not designed to engagestudents in active intellectual activity andhave unrealistic time allocations.Instructional groups do not support theinstructional outcomes and offer no variety.

Some of the learning activities and materi-als are suitable to the instructionaloutcomes and represent a moderate cogni-tive challenge but with no differentiation fordifferent students. Instructional groups par-tially support the instructional outcomes,with an effort by the teacher at providingsome variety.

The lesson or unit has a recognizablestructure; the progression of activities isuneven, with most time allocations reason-able.


Critical Attributes

1e DESIGNING COHERENT INSTRUCTION

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Learning activities are matched to instructionaloutcomes.

Activities provide opportunity for higher-levelthinking.

Teacher provides a variety of appropriatelychallenging materials and resources.

Instructional student groups are organizedthoughtfully to maximize learning and build onstudent strengths.

The plan for the lesson or unit is wellstructured, with reasonable time allocations.


Activities permit student choice.

Learning experiences connect to otherdisciplines.

Teacher provides a variety of appropriatelychallenging resources that are differentiatedfor students in the class.

Lesson plans differentiate for individual studentneeds.

Teacher coordinates knowledge of content, ofstudents, and of resources, to design a seriesof learning experiences aligned to instructionaloutcomes and suitable to groups of students.

The learning activities have reasonable timeallocations; they represent significant cognitivechallenge, with some differentiation for differ-ent groups of students.

The lesson or unit has a clear structure, withappropriate and varied use of instructionalgroups.

Plans represent the coordination of in-depthcontent knowledge, understanding of differentstudents’ needs, and available resources(including technology), resulting in a series oflearning activities designed to engage studentsin high-level cognitive activity.

Learning activities are differentiated appropri-ately for individual learners. Instructionalgroups are varied appropriately with someopportunity for student choice.

The lesson’s or unit’s structure is clear andallows for different pathways according todiverse student needs.


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1f Designing Student AssessmentsGood teaching requires both assessment of learning and assessment for learning. Assess-

ments of learning ensure that teachers know that students have learned the intendedoutcomes. These assessments must be designed in such a manner that they provide evidenceof the full range of learning outcomes; that is, to assess reasoning skills and factualknowledge, different methods are needed. Furthermore, such assessments may need to beadapted to the particular needs of individual students; an ESL student, for example, may needan alternative method of assessment to allow demonstration of understanding. Assessment forlearning enables a teacher to incorporate assessments directly into the instructional process,and to modify or adapt instruction as needed to ensure student understanding. Such assess-ments, although used during instruction, must be designed as part of the planning process.Such formative assessment strategies are ongoing and may be used by both teachers and stu-dents to monitor progress towards the understanding the learning outcomes. Elements ofcomponent 1f:

Congruence with instructional outcomesAssessments must match learning expectations.

Criteria and standardsExpectations must be clearly defined.

Design of formative assessmentsAssessments for learning must be planned as part of the instructional process.

Use for planningResults of assessment guide future planning.Indicators:• Lesson plans indicating correspondence between assessments and instructional outcomes• Assessment types suitable to the style of outcome• Variety of performance opportunities for students• Modified assessments available for individual students as needed• Expectations clearly written, with descriptors for each level of performance• Formative assessments designed to inform minute-to-minute decision making by the

teacher during instruction

1f DESIGNING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

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1f Designing Student Assessments—Possible Examples


The teacher markspapers on the founda-tion of the U.S. consti-tution on the basis ofgrammar and punctu-ation; for every mis-take, the grade dropsfrom an A to a B, a Bto a C, etc.

After the studentspresent their researchon globalization, theteacher tells themtheir letter grade.When students askhow he has arrived atthe grade, he re-sponds, “After allthese years in educa-tion, I just know whatgrade to give.”

The teacher says,“What’s the differencebetween formative as-sessment and the testI give at the end of theunit?”

The teacher says,“The district gave methis entire curriculumto teach, so I justhave to keep moving.”

The district goal forthe Europe unit is forstudents to under-stand geopolitical re-lationships. Theteacher plans to havethe students memo-rize all the countrycapitals and rivers.

The teacher’s stu-dents receive theirtests back; each oneis simply marked witha letter grade at thetop.

The plan indicatesthat the teacher willpause to “check forunderstanding” butwithout a clear indica-tion of how that is tobe done.

A student says, “If halfthe class passed thetest, why are we allreviewing the materialagain?”

Mr. K knows that hisstudents will write apersuasive essay onthe state assessment;he plans to have themwrite a variety of per-suasive essays aspreparation.

Ms. M has worked ona writing rubric for herresearch assessment;she has drawn onmultiple sources to besure the levels of ex-pectation are clearlydefined.

Mr. C creates a shortquestionnaire to dis-tribute to his studentsat the end of class; onthe basis of their re-sponses, he will or-ganize them into dif-ferent groups duringthe next lesson’s ac-tivities.

Based on the previ-ous morning’s forma-tive assessment,Ms. D plans to have 5students to work on amore challenging proj-ect while she workswith 6 other studentsto reinforce the con-cept.

To teach persuasivewriting, Ms. H plans tohave her class re-search and write tothe principal on an is-sue that is importantto the students: theuse of cell phones inclass.

Mr. J’s students willwrite a rubric for theirfinal project on thebenefits of solar en-ergy; Mr. J has shownthem several samplerubrics, and they willrefer to those as theycreate a rubric of theirown.

After the lesson Mr. Lasks students to ratetheir understandingon a scale of 1 to 5;the students knowthat their rating will in-dicate their activity forthe next lesson.

Mrs. T has developeda routine for her class:students know that ifthey are strugglingwith a math concept,they will sit in a smallgroup with her duringworkshop time.

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Assessments do not match instructionaloutcomes.

Assessments have no criteria.

No formative assessments have beendesigned.

Assessment results do not affect futureplans.

Only some of the instructional outcomesare addressed in the planned assessments.

Assessment criteria are vague.

Plans refer to the use of formative assess-ments, but they are not fully developed.

Assessment results are used to design les-son plans for the whole class, not individualstudents.

Assessment procedures are not congruentwith instructional outcomes; the proposedapproach contains no criteria or standards.

Teacher has no plan to incorporate forma-tive assessment in the lesson or unit norany plan to use assessment results indesigning future instruction.

Some of the instructional outcomes areassessed through the proposed approach,but others are not.

Assessment criteria and standards havebeen developed, but they are not clear.

Approach to the use of formativeassessment is rudimentary, including onlysome of the instructional outcomes.

Teacher intends to use assessment resultsto plan for future instruction for the class asa whole.

Critical Attributes

UNSATISFACTORY BASIC1f DESIGNING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

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All the learning outcomes have a method forassessment.

Assessment types match learningexpectations.

Plans indicate modified assessments for somestudents as needed.

Assessment criteria are clearly written.

Plans include formative assessments to useduring instruction.

Lesson plans indicate possible adjustmentsbased on formative assessment data.


Assessments provide opportunities for studentchoice.

Students participate in designing assessmentsfor their own work.

Teacher-designed assessments are authenticwith real-world application, as appropriate.

Students develop rubrics according to teacher-specified learning objectives.

Students are actively involved in collectinginformation from formative assessments andprovide input.

Teacher’s plan for student assessment isaligned with the instructional outcomes;assessment methodologies may have beenadapted for groups of students.

Assessment criteria and standards are clear.Teacher has a well-developed strategy forusing formative assessment and has designedparticular approaches to be used.

Teacher intends to use assessment results toplan for future instruction for groups ofstudents.

Teacher’s plan for student assessment is fullyaligned with the instructional outcomes andhas clear criteria and standards that show evi-dence of student contribution to theirdevelopment.

Assessment methodologies have beenadapted for individual students, as needed.

The approach to using formative assessmentis well designed and includes student as wellas teacher use of the assessment information.Teacher intends to use assessment results toplan future instruction for individual students.


Charlotte Danielson The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument© 2011 The Danielson Group

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