HIGHLIGHTS
- Massachusetts needed feedback to implement its educator evaluation framework.
- Abt collected information about educators’ experiences and perceptions.
- We identified and disseminated examples of successful implementation strategies.
The Challenge
From 2012-2015, Abt helped assess the implementation of Massachusetts’s new educator evaluation framework. The purpose of the research was to provide the Commonwealth and districts with real-time, usable feedback to support implementation of the evaluation framework. The study team examined educator experiences with the system’s five-step cycle, perceptions of different components of the new system, and integration of the system with other district and state initiatives.
The Approach
Abt's study used multiple methods to collect information about educators’ experiences and perceptions, including district case studies; teacher focus groups in a larger set of districts; statewide teacher and principal surveys; district leader interviews, and an analysis of educator evaluation files. This work resulted in targeted formative feedback to state agency staff through internal memos, feedback to case study districts, and multiple publicly available research briefs.
The Results
We identified and disseminated examples of successful implementation strategies, developed a toolkit for districts, and shared information about educators’ experiences with and perceptions of particular features of the evaluation framework with state staff to inform program development.