You are here

Options for EE Documentation & Management

Districts have expressed a strong desire to have options available to them to complete the positive, meaningful, and important work of the Educator Effectiveness (EE) System. To meet that need, DPI has continued to provide options to complete EE tasks and activities throughout the school year.

DPI has heard the expressed needs for tools that can:

  • support the work of the EE System (conducting observations, having meaningful conversations, and reflecting on practices)
  • store the products of the work in a commonly accessible place, convenient to the educator, the evaluator, and possibly peer coaches
  • help educators and evaluators to focus on using evidence to provide the context for coaching, reflection, and to inform instructional professional development choices.

These technology options may be used locally in a hybrid fashion. For example, if district leaders prefer evaluators to do observation evidence documentation in the Frontline Education Employee Evaluation platform and educators complete goal documentation using Google docs, DPI will support that decision.

EE Documentation & Management Options 

exclamation point
It is important that the district or 2R charter understand the following information about expected compliance as a result of the decision to not use the Frontline Education platform:
  1. Regardless of EE model or documentation tool, evaluation data may be requested for evaluation of the EE System, in accordance with the assurances provided by the district to receive the EE grant funds. Frontline can supply data if requested to inform and evaluation of the EE System. If another record-keeping system is used locally, district staff would have to compile and supply data if requested. See the EE System Policy Guide for more details.
  2. DPI model districts must keep their documentation tools updated and aligned to the required evaluation rubrics. DPI model districts must use all 22 components of the 2013 Danielson Framework for Teaching to provide detailed feedback to teachers. In the 2017-18 school year, revisions were made to the WI Framework for Principal Leadership (WFPL) rubric required to be used in the evaluation of principals. Districts have been required to use the revised WFPL starting in the 2018-19 school year. Districts not using the Frontline Education platform were required to locally update their documentation to reflect the updated rubric and will be required to make such revisions as is necessary in the future.
  3. All WI public school districts and 2R charters must comply with the 6 EE System minimum requirements of implementation.

Discontinuation of the Frontline Education platform

The decision to locally discontinue use of the Frontline Education platform must be communicated by email from the district or 2R charter EE Coordinator to educator.effectiveness@dpi.wi.gov by July 15th prior to the beginning of a school year.

Platform options below are presented as distinctly different choices. However, districts are free to select pieces of any option and combine in ways that work well within each district's local context.

Option 1: Use Frontline Education's Employee Evaluation/Professional Growth platform

DPI provides state model districts access to the Frontline Education's Employee Evaluation online platform. The platform provides rich data reports and tracking functionality for district and school administrators. The cost of using this platform for the evaluation of teachers and principals is covered within the EE grant.

Considerations for using this option:

  • A proven, reliable online tool
  • Simple interface
  • Streamlined documentation processes
  • Frontline Education automatically makes required updates to forms and rubrics
  • Comprehensive, detailed evaluator and district level reports
  • optional WI created evaluation rubrics and forms for staff roles not required to use EE:  pupil services roles, OT/PT, and Library Media Specialists, Speech Language Pathologists, and coaches are also available for use in the platform
  • Customizable by the district/charter to reflect local policies and processes
  • May require training and support as new users become familiar with platform navigation
  • DPI provides resources, training, and supports 

For more information, contact DPIeducator.effectiveness@dpi.wi.gov.

Option 2: Develop a shared file structure on a district server

Using a district server and the Microsoft Word and Excel form documents provided by DPI, create a shared file structure between educators and evaluators that each can use to house relevant documents for the Effectiveness Cycle process.

Considerations for using this option:

  • DPI has downloadable forms for completion of the teacher, principal, and AP processes within the Effectiveness Cycle
  • All districts and 2R charters, regardless of EE model and documentation tool, must provide evaluation data if requested, in accordance with the assurances provided by the district to receive the EE grant funds. If a local record-keeping system is used, district staff would have to compile and supply data if requested. See the EE System Policy Guide for more details.
  • Required updates to forms and/or rubrics must be managed and completed by the district
  • All districts and 2R charters must comply with the six (6) EE System minimum requirements of implementation.
  • Keep documents in any format or size
  • Procedures will need to be developed for how to share completed documentation between educator and evaluator
  • Requires local IT staff to manage setup and maintenance, including set up of the folder structure and permissions

Downloadable Forms: Resources & Training

Option 3: Implement a shared folder structure within Google Drive

Using Google Drive and the forms provided by DPI, create a shared file structure between educators and evaluators that each use to house relevant documents for the Effectiveness Cycle process.

Considerations for using this option:

  • Highly customizable to the district's needs
  • All districts and 2R charters, regardless of EE model and documentation tool, must provide evaluation data if requested, in accordance with the assurances provided by the district to receive the EE grant funds. If a local record-keeping system is used, district staff would have to compile and supply data if requested. See the EE System Policy Guide for more details.
  • Required updates to forms and/or rubrics must be managed and completed by the district
  • All districts and 2R charters must comply with the six (6) EE System minimum requirements of implementation.
  • Potentially not much need to train users who are already familiar with the functions and permissions of Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets
  • Sharing of documentation is very easy, providing simple collaboration on forms
  • Documents can also be shared between peers to support peer evaluation and coaching
  • Requires a level of technical ability to set up and support when considering the various sharing, editing, viewing, and commenting permissions

Downloadable Forms:  Resources & Training

Option 4: Use Google Classroom at a local level

Google Classroom can be used as a structure where an evaluator is the “teacher” and the educators are the “students” and forms/tasks/activities are assignments within the Effectiveness Cycle "course".

Considerations for using this option:

  • Can be used to manage cohorts of teachers
  • Required updates to forms and/or rubrics must be managed and completed by the district
  • Provides a "dashboard" that allows evaluators an overview who and who many educators have completed specific evaluation tasks/assignments
  • DPI forms and spreadsheets can be uploaded as assignments
  • Allows for control of deadlines and due dates
  • Has integrated email and alerts
  • All districts and 2R charters, regardless of EE model and documentation tool, must provide evaluation data if requested, in accordance with the assurances provided by the district to receive the EE grant funds. If a local record-keeping system is used, district staff would have to compile and supply data if requested. See the EE System Policy Guide for more details.
  • All districts and 2R charters must comply with the six (6) EE System minimum requirements of implementation.
  • Requires a certain level of technical ability to set up, manage, and support

Downloadable Forms:  Resources & Training

Option 5: Develop a local district website for EE

Google Sites, or another locally identified web tool, can be used to create a website to house all of the documents to support the Effectiveness Cycle. Individual websites could be specifically shared between an educator and his or her evaluator (as in the case of a Google site) or used more generally as a warehouse that is accessible to all staff.

Considerations for using this option:

  • Highly customizable to the local context
  • Required updates to forms and/or rubrics must be managed and completed by the district
  • Site can be used to share resources, distribute forms and documents, collect artifacts and evidence, host communications and professional development opportunities
  • Site can provide a single source or contact point for educators and evaluators
  • Documents can be shared between peers to support peer evaluation and coaching
  • Secure drop boxes can be used to submit and store documents
  • All districts and 2R charters, regardless of EE model and documentation tool, must provide evaluation data if requested, in accordance with the assurances provided by the district to receive the EE grant funds. If a local record-keeping system is used, district staff would have to compile and supply data if requested. See the EE System Policy Guide for more details.
  • All districts and 2R charters must comply with the six (6) EE System minimum requirements of implementation.
  • Requires a higher level of technical ability to set up, manage, and support

Downloadable Forms:  Resources & Training