Rubrics for Evaluating Teachers
by Jim & Kathi Lengel and Molly Dubois

Many individuals and organizations have developed rubrics, or lists of essential skills, designed to be used in preparing and evaluating teachers. What follows is a distillation, in list format, of the most popular rubrics, as they are presented and described by their authors. You will see that they vary widely in terms of heir level of specificity, the format of their vocabulary, and their focus on what's observable in the classroom and otherwise. Some describe general skills necessary to teaching, some describe specific teaching techniques, others describe dispositions and attitudes connected with successful teaching.

The lists that follow are in alphabetical order.

Charlotte Danielson
Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
Knowledge of Students
Setting Instructional Outcomes
Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources
Designing Coherent Instruction
Designing Student Assessments
Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
Establishing a Culture for Learning
Managing Classroom Procedures
Managing Student Behavior
Organizing Physical Space
Communicating with Students
Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
Engaging Students in Learning
Using Assessment in Instruction
Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness
Reflecting on Teaching
Maintaining Accurate Records
Communicating with Families
Participating in a Professional Community
Growing and Developing Professionally
Showing Professionalism

Robert Marzano
1. Identifying similarities and differences
2. Summarizing and note taking
3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
4. Homework and practice
5. Nonlinguistic representations such as mental images, graphs, acting out content
6. Cooperative learning
7. Setting objectives and providing feedback
8. Generating and testing hypotheses
9. Activating prior knowledge via questions, cues, advance organizers

Hunter College
Prepares for effective learning
Establishes an environment conducive to learning
Defines the aims and expectations
Communicates effectively with words and gestures
Employs effective questioning techniques
Varies the media and methods of teaching and learning
Connects the content to the children's lives and previous learning
Matches content and method to children's development
Responds effectively to chidren's behavior
Provides useful feedback to students
Manages the attention of students to the tasks at hand
Includes all children in the learning activity
Models civil behavior
Personalizes interaction with students
Checks for learning in a variety of ways
Promotes thinking and reasoning

Rhode Island Department of Education
Planning and preparation
1A. Plans instruction that is aligned to developmentally appropriate learning objectives and a variety of skill levels and learning styles
1B. Evaluates, selects, and accesses appropriate services, resources and curricular materials that facilitate student engagement with the curriculum 1C. Designs instruction that motivates students to connect to their learning by linking curriculum with prior knowledge, experience, and/or cultural contexts
1D. Organizes and prepares students for independent, whole class, and group work that allows for full and varied participation of all individuals through various modes of communication
Classroom Instruction
2A. Demonstrates a deep understanding of discipline/content
2B. Uses questioning techniques that encourage critical thinking and problem solving
2C. Makes cross-content connections and creates interdisciplinary learning experiences
2D. Implements instruction to ensure that students understand, are focused on, and accountable for the learning objectives
2E. Uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students
2F. Frequently checks for and responds to student understanding during instruction
2G. Uses and models effective communication
2H. Assumes different roles during instruction to accommodate content, purpose, and learner needs
Classroom Environment
3A. Creates a productive learning environment that maximizes learning time, establishes procedures and expectations, and ensures access to learning materials
3B. Creates a safe learning community that respects individual differences, promotes positive social relationships, and allows students to comfortably take risks
3C. Reinforces positive behavior, redirects off-task behavior, and de-escalates challenging behavior
3D. Clearly communicates high expectations for all students and guides students to assume responsibility for their learning
Assessment, Reflection, Improvement
4A. Uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to monitor student progress, adjust instruction, and modify plans
4B. Provides students with feedback that is timely and high quality and teaches students to use feedback in their learning
4C. Engages students in self-assessment to help them set goals and become aware of their strengths and areas to develop
4D. Solicits information about students’ experiences, learning behavior, needs, and progress from students, parents, and other colleagues
4E. Maintains useful records of student work and performance and communicates progress responsibly

James Stronge
Exhibits active listening
Shows concern for students' emotional and physical well-being
Displays interest in and concern about the students' lives outside school
Creates a supportive and warm classroom climate
Responds to misbehavior on an individual level
Prevents situations in which a student loses peer respect
Treats students equally
Creates situations for all students to succeed
Shows respect to all students
Maintains professional role while being friendly
Gives students responsibility
Knows students' interests both in and out of school
Values what students say
Interacts in fun, playful manner; jokes when appropriate
Shows joy for the content material
Takes pleasure in teaching
Demonstrates involvement in learning activities outside school
Maintains high-quality work
Returns student work in a timely manner
Provides students with meaningful feedback
Possesses a positive attitude about life and teaching
Spends time outside school preparing
Participates in collegial activities
Accepts responsibility for student outcomes
Seeks professional development
Finds, implements, and shares new instructional strategies
Knows areas of personal strengths and weaknesses
Uses reflection to improve teaching
Sets high expectations for personal classroom performance
Demonstrates high efficacy
Uses consistent and proactive discipline
Establishes routines for all daily tasks and needs
Orchestrates smooth transitions and continuity of classroom momentum
Balances variety and challenge in student activities
Multitasks
Is aware of all activities in the classroom
Anticipates potential problems
Uses space, proximity, or movement around the classroom for nearness to trouble spots and to encourage attention
Handles routine tasks promptly, efficiently, and consistently
Prepares materials in advance; ready to use
Organizes classroom space efficiently
Interprets and responds to inappropriate behavior promptly
Implements rules of behavior fairly and consistently
Reinforces and reiterates expectations for positive behavior
Uses appropriate disciplinary measures
Focuses classroom time on teaching and learning
Links instruction to real- life situations of the students
Follows a consistent schedule and maintains procedures and routines
Handles administrative tasks quickly and efficiently
Prepares materials in advance
Maintains momentum within and across lessons
Limits disruption and interruptions
Sets clearly articulated high expectations for self and students
Orients the classroom experience toward improvement and growth
Stresses student responsibility and accountability
Carefully links learning objectives and activities
Organizes content for effective presentation
Explores student understanding by asking questions
Considers student attention span and learning styles when designing lessons
Develops objectives, questions, and activities that reflect higher and lower level cognitive skills as appropriate for the content and the students
Employs different techniques and instructional strategies, such as hands-on learning
Stresses meaningful conceptualization, emphasizing the student's own knowledge of the world
Sets overall high expectations toward improvement and growth in the classroom
Gives clear examples and offers guided practice
Stresses student responsibility and accountability in meeting expectations
Teaches metacognitive strategies to support reflection on learning progress
Is concerned with having students learn and demonstrate understanding of meaning rather than memorization
Holds reading as a priority
Stresses meaningful conceptualization, emphasizing the student's knowledge of the world
Emphasizes higher order thinking skills in math
Questioning reflects type of content, goals of lesson
Varies question type to maintain interest and momentum
Prepares questions in advance
Uses wait time during questioning
Attentive to lesson momentum, appropriate questioning, clarity of explanation
Varies instructional strategies, types of assignments, and activities
Leads, directs, and paces student activities
Clearly explains homework
Relates homework to the content under study and to student capacity
Grades, comments on, and discusses homework in class
Targets questions to lesson objectives
Thinks through likely misconceptions that may occur during instruction and monitors students for these misconceptions
Gives clear, specific, and timely feedback
Re-teaches students who did not achieve mastery and offers tutoring to students who seek additional help
Suits instruction to students' achievement levels and needs
Participates in staff development training
Monitors and assesses student progress
Uses a variety of grouping strategies
Knows and understands students as individuals in terms of ability, achievement, learning styles, and needs

Teach for America
Develops Big Goal
I1: Achieve by Working Hard
I2: Benefit From Achievement
I3: Employ Role Models
I4: Reinforce Hard Work
I5: Creates Welcoming Environment
I6: Mobilizes Students Influencers
P1: Create/Obtain Diag/Assessments
P2: Backwards Plans
P3: Creates Obj Driven Lessons
P4: Differentiate Instruct Plans
P5: Estab. Behavior Mngmnt Plans
E1: Present Academic Content
P6: Design Classroom Procedures
E2: Coord Student Practice
E3: Check for Understanding
E4: Communicate High BehaveExp
E5: Implement Time Saving Procs
E6: Eval/Track Student Performance
CI1: Guage Progress Notable Gaps
CI2: Identify Student Habits
CI3: Isolate Teacher Actions
CI4: Identify Underlying Factors
CI5: Access Meaningful Learning Exp
CI6: Adjust Course
WR1: Persists Through Challenges
WR2: Secures Nec Instruct Time
WR3: Sustains Intense Energy

Uncommon Schools
High Academic Expectations
Standards-Driven
Gradual Release
Student Engagement
Preparation
High Behavioral Expectations
Systems and Routines
Urgency
Tone
Mission-Driven

UVA Curry School
Positive Climate
Negative Climate
Teacher Sensitivity
Regard for Student Perspectives
Behavior Management
Productivity
Instructional Learning Formats
Concept Development
Quality of Feedback
Language Modeling

Jon Saphier
TBD

Doug Lemov
No opt out
Right is right
Stretch it
Format matters
Without apology
Begin with the end
4 MS
Post it
Shorteste path
Double plan
Draw the map
The hook
Name the steps
Board = Paper
Circulate
Break it down
Ratio
Check for understanding
At bats
Exit ticket
Cold call
Call and response
Pepper
Wait time
Everybody writes
Vegas
Entry routine
Do now
Tight transitions
SLANT
On your mark
Seat signals
Props
100 Percent
What to do
Strong voice
Do iot again
Sweat the details
Threshold
No warnings
Positive framing
Precise praise
Warm/Strict
The J-Factor
Emotional Constancy
Explain everything
Normalize error