Research Brief: Early Implementation of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework

Abstract

SRI International and its research partners Abt Associates, Nancy Brigham Associates, and J. Koppich and Associates are evaluating the implementation of the new Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework. The research brief summarizes the following key findings from this first year of the independent evaluation: the majority of educators expressed generally positive views of the new evaluation system and reported that the new system has significant advantages over past evaluation practices; administrators and school staff reported that they understood the components of the evaluation cycle but wanted more training and guidance on goal-setting and evidence collection; educators had mixed views of the fairness of the new system with concerns focusing on possible mismatches between school staff and their assigned evaluators, inadequate evaluator time for thorough evaluations, and inconsistent expectations among evaluators; labor-management relations based on collaborative resolution of implementation issues enhanced the rollout of the new evaluation system; a majority of educators found this new evaluation system to be a significant increase in workload and time for evaluators; and in nearly all districts, educators are still working to integrate the new evaluation system with other district reform initiatives and goals derived from their strategic plans.