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Teacher CenterObservation and evaluation
How evaluation works in New York now, how to prepare for an observation, and forms you can fill in, save on this device and print.
General information, not legal advice. Your district's evaluation plan, its Code of Conduct and your union contract decide the details for you. When something matters for your job, ask your building union representative and your district (principal, human resources or the special education / ENL office). Facts here were checked Nov 7, 2026 from the official sources listed at the bottom.
1. Which evaluation system are you under?
New York has two teacher evaluation laws right now. Your district uses one of them, set through collective bargaining. Find out which one before your first observation.
| Older plans: Education Law §3012-d ("APPR") | New plans: Education Law §3012-e ("NYS-STEPS") | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | Subpart 30-3 (Subpart 30-2 for some older agreements) | Subpart 30-4, adopted by the Board of Regents on March 11, 2025 |
| How long | Allowed through the 2031-32 school year | Allowed from 2024-25; required for every district by June 30, 2032 |
| Ratings | H, E, D, I (Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, Ineffective) | Level 1, 2, 3, 4 on each NYS Teaching Standard plus an overall Level (4 is highest) |
| Observations | At least 2 a year: at least 1 by your supervisor, at least 1 by an impartial independent trained evaluator, at least 1 unannounced | Observations are one required measure; number, length and type are set locally; enough to collect meaningful evidence |
| Student test results | A student performance measure is required | Optional (only if locally agreed); at least one other measure is required |
| Rubric | Must be on the NYSED approved list | District may choose any rubric or design its own |
| If the rating is in the bottom two levels | Teacher Improvement Plan (TIP) for Developing or Ineffective | Personalized support plan for Level 1 or Level 2 |
| Appeals and comments | An appeal process is required | Appeal optional; you always get a way to submit written comments |
From NYSED's comparison of §3012-d and §3012-e plans and the NYSED Office of Counsel summary (checked Nov 7, 2026).
Approved rubrics (§3012-d plans)
Under §3012-d, districts pick an observation rubric from NYSED's approved list. It includes, for example, several editions of Danielson's Framework for Teaching (including the 2022 edition), the NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric (2011, 2012 and 2014 editions), Marshall's Teacher Evaluation Rubric, several Marzano models, CLASS, McREL's CUES, New York LoTi, the NYSTCE Framework for the Observation of Effective Teaching and the Thoughtful Classroom framework. See the full current list: NYSED approved rubrics. Under STEPS, your district may use one of these or its own rubric. Rubric text is copyrighted, so get your rubric from your district; this page only describes it in our own words.
The 7 NYS Teaching Standards (what every system is built on)
STEPS plans rate you on each standard. Use the questions to look at your own teaching. Titles are NYSED's; the questions are ours.
| NYS Teaching Standard | Ask yourself |
|---|---|
| 1. Knowledge of Students and Student Learning | Do I know my students' needs, cultures, languages and IEP or ENL levels, and does my plan show it? |
| 2. Knowledge of Content and Instructional Planning | Is the objective tied to an exact NYS standard? Does each activity move students toward it? |
| 3. Instructional Practice | Is my explanation clear, are my questions deep, and is every student thinking (not only the hand-raisers)? |
| 4. Learning Environment | Are routines smooth, is the room safe and respectful, and do students take learning risks? |
| 5. Assessment for Student Learning | How do I know, during the lesson, who has it and who needs another path? What do I do next? |
| 6. Professional Responsibilities and Collaboration | How do I work with families, co-teachers, colleagues and support staff? |
| 7. Professional Growth | What feedback did I act on this year? What am I learning next? |
NYSED Teaching Standards · STEPS plans should also align with the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework (checked Nov 7, 2026).
Five questions to ask your principal or union rep in September
- Is our district on a §3012-d plan or a STEPS plan this year? Where is it posted?
- Which rubric is used, and can I have a copy?
- How many observations will I have, how long, announced or unannounced, and who does them?
- Are there pre- and post-observation conferences, and how soon after the observation will I get written feedback?
- What other measures count (student growth goals, portfolio, surveys), and how do I add written comments to my evaluation?
2. The observation cycle, step by step
- Before: pre-observation conference10-20 minutes. Share the objective, the standard, who your students are, what you want feedback on. Bring the planning form below. Many plans include this conference; some don't. Ask.
- During: the observationTeach your normal lesson. The observer writes what is said and done (evidence), often with times. Keep student work from the lesson.
- Right after: reflectSame day, fill in the reflection form while you still remember. Sort student work into "got it / almost / not yet".
- After: post-observation conferenceTalk about evidence, not feelings. Agree on 1-2 next steps. Ask for the rubric levels with the evidence for each.
- Written feedbackRead it, check the facts, and add written comments if you disagree. STEPS plans must give a way to comment; §3012-d plans have an appeal process.
- Follow-throughTry the next step, collect evidence that it worked, and bring it to the next conference (this is Standard 7: Professional Growth).
Pre- and post-conferences, timing of feedback and forms are set by your local plan and contract, not by one statewide rule. STEPS guidance requires "timely, actionable feedback" (NYSED, checked Nov 7, 2026).
3. Evidence: what observers write down
Good observers write evidence (what anyone in the room could see or hear), not opinion. You can use the same habit for self-reflection and peer visits.
| Opinion (avoid) | Evidence (useful) |
|---|---|
| Students were engaged. | At 10:14, 24 of 26 students wrote an answer on whiteboards; 2 students wrote nothing. |
| Good questioning. | Teacher asked: "Why does the ratio stay the same when both amounts double?" Three students explained in different words. |
| Classroom management was weak. | Transition from the mini-lesson to stations took 4 minutes; 6 students waited without materials. |
| Differentiation was used. | ENL students used sentence frames on the table; one group worked with fraction strips; two students did the extension task. |
Evidence you can bring (STEPS plans may count more than observations)
- Lesson and unit plans with standards and success criteria
- Student work samples across a unit (before and after)
- Check-for-understanding data and what you changed because of it
- Family contact log (dates and topics, no private details in shared places)
- Co-planning notes with your co-teacher
- Professional learning certificates (CTLE) and how you used them
- Goal100 class table from student "Send to my teacher" codes (see How Goal100 helps)
4. What observers look for (in plain words)
Every approved rubric is different, but most look at the same big areas. In our own words:
Planning
- One clear objective tied to a standard
- Activities that build toward it
- Plans for different students (IEP, ENL, extension)
- Materials ready before the bell
Classroom environment
- Respect: teacher to student and student to student
- Routines that run without the teacher
- Students take risks and help each other
- Time is used for learning
Instruction
- Clear explanation and modeling
- Questions that make students think and explain
- Most students doing the thinking
- Adjusting the lesson when students need it
Assessment and responsibilities
- Checks for understanding with feedback
- Students know what success looks like
- Contact with families and colleagues
- Reflection and growth after feedback
5. Printable forms (type, save on this device, print)
Form A · Pre-observation planning form
Bring this to the pre-observation conference. Two pages is plenty.
Form B · Lesson-for-observation checklist
Use the day before. Tick what is ready.
Form C · Post-observation reflection form
Fill in the same day, before the post-conference.
6. Self-assessment prompts (for the start, middle and end of the year)
- Which two students do I know least? What will I learn about them this week?
- If my principal walked in at a random minute, what would most students be doing?
- Where in my lessons do students talk to each other about the content? How often?
- What did my last exit tickets tell me, and what did I change the next day?
- Which routines still need reteaching? (Count how long transitions take.)
- How do my lessons reflect my students' cultures, languages and lives (CR-S Education)?
- Which family have I not contacted with good news yet?
- Which piece of feedback from this year did I act on, and what is the evidence it helped?
- What one thing do I want to learn next (and can it count toward CTLE hours)?
7. Common pitfalls and fixes
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The lesson is a 'show', not a normal day | Students act unsure because routines are new. | Teach the lesson you would teach anyway; use routines students already know. |
| Objective is an activity ("We will do a worksheet") | Observer can't tell what students learned. | Write what students will know or do, plus how they show it (see planning). |
| Only volunteers answer | Evidence shows a few students, not the class. | Use cold call with think time, whiteboards, turn-and-talk, then call on pairs. |
| Teacher talks most of the period | Little evidence of student thinking. | Cap mini-lesson at about 10-15 minutes; plan student talk and practice time. |
| No check for understanding until the exit ticket | Errors are found too late. | Plan 2-3 checks (hinge question, whiteboards) with a decision for each result. |
| Running out of time; no closure | Observer misses the summary and the exit ticket. | Put times on the plan; mark what to cut if you run long; set a timer. |
| Differentiation listed but not seen | Plan and lesson don't match. | Name exact supports for named groups (ENL frames, IEP accommodations, extension task). |
| Transitions take minutes | Lost learning time. | Practice transitions earlier in the year; use a countdown and clear signal. |
| Defensive post-conference | Missed chance to show growth (Standard 7). | Bring student work, name one strength and one goal, ask for one specific next step. |
Sources
- NYSED: Overview of requirements, §3012-d plans compared with §3012-e (NYS-STEPS) plans (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED Office of Counsel: Subparts 30-3 and 30-4, Evaluation of Classroom Teachers and Building Principals (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED news: Board of Regents adopts permanent regulations for Education Law §3012-e (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: Requirements and Guidance for Designing a NYS-STEPS Plan (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: NYS-STEPS (Education Law §3012-e) Laws and Regulations (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: Q&A on 2024-25 evaluation plans after Chapter 143 of the Laws of 2024 (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: Educator Evaluation Statute, Regulations and Guidance (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: Approved Teacher and Principal Practice Rubrics (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: New York State Teaching Standards (adopted January 2011) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
- NYSED: Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework (checked Nov 7, 2026)
Teacher Center · written for New York State teachers · last checked Nov 7, 2026. Robert Frost Middle School and Deer Park UFSD do not publish every local procedure online, so always confirm local steps with your building.