Educator Performance & Development 

Joint Guidance for Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) 

Through collaborative discussion and mutual agreement, Maine Department of Education, Maine Curriculum Leaders Association, Maine Education Association, Maine Principals Association, Maine School Board Association, Maine School Superintendents Association, and Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities provided guidance to school administrative units and their PEPG Steering Committee members during the unprecedented pandemic school years. This guidance remains pertinent today.

Statement: 

Effective PEPG systems are designed to support teachers and leaders in improving professional practice, setting actionable goals, and building on professional strengths.   

While PEPG systems remain a requirement in rule and statute, School Administrative Unit (SAU) steering committees are encouraged to consider all ways in which their systems may be responsive to the current context.  As SAUs review their systems, teachers and school leaders must work collaboratively when considering ways to refine and implement procedures in order to focus on what is most essential.   

The Maine DOE facilitated conversation with representatives of some of Maine’s educational organizations (including MPA, MEA, MSSA, MSBA, MADSEC, and MCLA) and incorporated feedback into the following guiding principles for steering committees as revisions are made to PEPG plans.   

Principles:  

• Awareness of Teacher and Administrator Workload: 
• We acknowledge that meaningful PEPG systems embed elements into the day-to-day culture of the school.  SAUs should consider the following ways in which to maintain the integrity/intent of the process- teaching and learning-and keep the focus on feedback and support. SAU steering committees should look at all components of their PEPG systems and make adjustments that prioritize those components that are most facilitative and supportive.  Considerations include, but are not limited to the following elements:      
  • Professional Practice Standards 
  • Student Learning and Growth 
  • Peer Support and Mentoring 
  • Observation  
  • Goal Setting and Reflection  
• Collaborative Decision-making:  The SAU’s steering committee is responsible for the decision-making as it relates to PEPG. SAUs considering changes to PEPG should ensure that there is representation from a variety of stakeholders.  Consensus is critical in this process.  SAUs should follow their process for making changes to PEPG as outlined in the PEPG plan.  
• Strong focus on formative feedback, reflection, and growth: Teachers and administrators alike are in the process of learning and adapting their practices and formative feedback and support are critical.  Peer support and mentoring, continuous improvement conversations, ongoing reflection, and goal setting are key elements of PEPG that foster growth.    

Resources: 

The following resources are available to support SAUs.  Additional resources are available on the Maine Department of Education Educator Effectiveness website. 

• Marshall Model: 
  • Marshall Teacher Evaluation Rubric, revised March 2024
  • Comparing Danielson and Marshall Teacher Evaluation Rubrics, December 2024
  • Marshall Principal Evaluation Rubric, revised March 2024
     
• The Danielson Framework:  
  • The Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT) is an evolving instructional resource that outlines 22 components and 76 elements organized into Four Domains of Teaching Responsibility. Further information available
  • Framework for Teaching Clusters (FFT Clusters) describe skills demonstrated by teachers promoting high levels of student performance and are grounded in an understanding of the nature of human learning. The FFT Clusters are an outgrowth of the Framework for Teaching. Further information available
• Marzano Model: 
  • The Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model - The framework identifies 23 professional and instructional strategies, divided into four areas of expertise to measure teacher effectiveness. Further information available                                                                           

Updates to Educator Effectiveness Law - April 2019

On April 11, 2019, Governor Mills signed a law that makes important changes to Performance  Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems. The new law will go into effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends. Chapter 27, An Act to Amend Educator Evaluation Requirements, includes a number of changes.

1. Under the new law, school administrative units may choose to identify and include student learning and growth measures that they deem valuable in summative effectiveness ratings, but they are no longer required to do so.  This section of the law goes into effect September 1, 2021.  
2. SAUs must ensure or reconfigure their steering committee membership, such that a majority are teachers who are chosen by a representative of the applicable collective bargaining unit.  This goes into effect on September 19, 2019.  
3. The law states that, “revisions to the performance evaluation and professional growth system made by the steering committee must be reached by consensus.”

Read Full Administrative Letter