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The Massachusetts Model
System for Educator
Evaluation
Training Module 4:
S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Educator
Plan Development
August 2012
1

Module 4: S.M.A.R.T. Goals and
Educator Plan Development
 Module 1: Overview
 Module 2: Unpacking the Rubric
 Module 3: Self-Assessment
 Module 4: S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Educator Plan Development
Module 4 focuses on establishing S.M.A.R.T. student learning and professional
practice goals. These goals will be part of Educator Plans that are action oriented
and have clear benchmarks for success, including provisions for professional
development and support.
 Module 5: Gathering Evidence
 Module 6: Observations and Feedback
 Module 7: Rating Educator Performance
 Module 8: Rating Impact on Students
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
2

Agenda
Connecting
Learning
Implementing
Reflecting
Wrap-Up
3

Connecting
17 minutes
4

Every educator is an active participant
in the evaluation process.
Collaboration and continuous learning are the focus.
Every educator conducts
an analysis of evidence of
student learning, growth,
and achievement.
Every educator conducts an
assessment of practice against
Performance Standards.
Every educator prepares
to strategically identify
professional practice and
student learning goals.
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Intended Outcomes
At the end of this session, participants will be
able to:
Identify characteristics of “not-so-S.M.A.R.T.,”
“S.M.A.R.T.,” and “S.M.A.R.T.er” goals.
Translate student learning and professional
practice goals into S.M.A.R.T.er goals.
Develop a sample Educator Plan that describes
what the educator and evaluator will do,
support that will be provided, and timelines.
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7

Blazing a Trail
Identify a challenging goal one team member has accomplished
and is willing to discuss.
Talk with your school team:
1. Did that person set the goal or did someone (doctor,
partner, friend) set the goal for that person? How did that
make a difference?
2. What plans did that person make to accomplish the goal?
3. What obstacles surfaced?
4. What was the outcome or result?
Identify a recorder to write down the answers to these
questions.
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Learning
1 hour 40 minutes
9

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Step 2: Goal setting and plan
development facilitates a process
that…
Promotes professional growth and continuous
learning by empowering educators and by
meeting real needs of the educator and his or
her students.
Establishes a plan for every educator that
emphasizes continuous improvement.
Keeps student learning at the core of all
instructional and professional practice
decisions.
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Coherence Through Aligned
Goals
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An Example of Goal Coherence
Dan, a ninth-grade biology teacher:
Level Goal Topic
School Improvement
Grants focus topic
Literacy
Individual student
learning goal topic
Scientific reading and
writing
Team professional
practice goal topic
Teaching content
literacy in ninth-
grade science
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S.M.A.R.T. Goals
S = Specific and Strategic
M = Measurable
A = Action Oriented
R = Rigorous, Realistic, and Results
Focused (the 3 Rs)
T = Timed and Tracked
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What Makes a Goal “S.M.A.R.T.”?
Individually:
Read Handout 1, What Makes a Goal “S.M.A.R.T.”?
Underline one phrase that you find most
significant in the reading.
At your table:
Share your phrases.
Discuss the phrases that emerged and any
insights about the document.
Identify one phrase as a table that you will share
with the larger group.
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Identifying S.M.A.R.T. Goals
 Work with a partner.
 Determine if each of the four statements on Handout 2
are S.M.A.R.T. or if they need revision.
 Revise one statement to make it S.M.A.R.T.er.
I will improve student outcomes in Grade 4 mathematics during the 2012–13
school year. –Teacher Level
During the 2012–13 school year, our beginner ELL students will improve their
English language proficiency as measured by a second administration of the
district language proficiency assessment used to determine student placement
at the beginning of the year. –Team Level
To increase my staff’s use of student data, I will design meetings to review,
analyze, and interpret student data to inform curriculum and instruction.
–Administrator Level
I will manage my time more effectively in order to increase the frequency of
classroom observations. –Administrator Level
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Making a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
S.M.A.R.T.er
S.M.A.R.T. Goal Statement
+
Key Action Steps
+
Benchmarks (Process and Outcome)
18

Educator Plan Development
 Educator Plan Form
Student Learning Goal(s) and Professional Practice Goal(s) Planned Activity
Action Supports/Resources From
School/District
Timeline/Benchmark or Frequency
19

Principal Educator Plan Example
Sample Professional Practice Goal for a Principal: I will manage my time more effectively in
order to increase the frequency and impact of classroom observations by learning how to do 10-
minute observations with feedback and, by the start of the second semester, conducting eight visits
per week, on average, that an increasing percentage of teachers report are useful.
Student Learning Goal(s) and Professional Practice Goal(s) Planned Activity
Action Supports/
Resources From
School/District
Timeline/Benchmark or Frequency
1. By September 1, I will develop a schedule and
method for logging at least eight classroom
observations with feedback per week between
October 15 and Memorial Day.
2. By October 15, I will study with colleague
principals and my administrative team
how to conduct 10-minute unannounced
observations and write brief, useful feedback.
3. By January 1, I will share at least five samples
of feedback with colleague principals and collect
their feedback.
4. By January 1 and again on June 1, I will solicit
anonymous feedback from teachers about their
perceptions of the usefulness of the
unannounced visits and feedback.
Superintendent to
facilitate teams of
principals to
collaborate on
enhancing the
observation and
feedback process.
Superintendent
will help identify
teams and provide
scheduled time to
hold study groups
and conduct
feedback sessions.
1. September 1—schedule developed
January 15/March 15/May 15—check in
to determine if eight observations per
week (on average) have been completed
2. October 15—documented study time
with colleague
3. January 1—five feedback samples will
be shared with colleagues
4. January 1 and June 1—will have
collected feedback via teachers regarding
their perceived value of
the process
*Evidence provided through principals’
logs and example artifacts
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Process and Outcome
Benchmarks
Process benchmarks—monitor plan
implementation
o January 15/March 15/May 15—check in to
determine if eight observations per week (on
average) have been completed
Outcome benchmarks—monitor effectiveness
of the plan
o January 1 and June 1—will have collected feedback
via teachers regarding their perceived value of the
process
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Four Types of Educator Plans
Developing Educator Plan
For educators without Professional Teaching status,
administrators in the first three years in a district, or at the
discretion of an evaluation for an educator in a new assignment
Self-Directed Growth Plan
For experienced educators rated Proficient or Exemplary on their
last evaluation; these plans can be one or two years in length
Directed Growth Plan
For educators rated Needs Improvement on their last evaluation
Improvement Plan
For educators rated Unsatisfactory on their last evaluation
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Educator Plans:
Requirements and Timelines
Self-Directed
Growth Plan
Rated Proficient or Exemplary
 One- or two-year plan
 Developed by the educator
Directed Growth
Plan
Rated Needs Improvement
 One-year plan or less
 Developed by educator and evaluator
Improvement
Plan
Rated Unsatisfactory
 At least 30 calendar days; up to one year
 Developed by the evaluator
Developing
Educator Plan
Without Professional Status
 One-year plan or less
 Developed by the educator and evaluator
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Implementation Responsibility
Educator Responsibilities:
o Identifying, collecting & organizing artifacts/evidence related to
goal progress.
o Documenting action steps completed.
o Collecting and submitting common artifacts.
o Collecting and submitting evidence related to Standards III and IV.
Evaluator Responsibilities:
o Making resources and supports available.
o Identifying common artifacts/evidence.
o Observing practice and providing regular and specific feedback on
performance.
o Monitoring progress – including midpoint check-ins.
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Laying the Foundation
1. School teams will work together to develop a completed
educator plan.
2. As a team, action steps will be identified.
3. Merge these activities into one Educator Plan that
addresses each of the two goals in a strategic, coherent
manner. Then document the needed supports and
resources and determine a timeline.
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Student Learning Goal(s) and Professional Practice Goal(s)
Planned Activity
Action Supports/Resources
From School/District
Timeline/Benchmark
or Frequency

High-Quality Educator Plans
As you walk around and read the other plans,
consider the following questions:
 Are supports/resources identified and strategically
leveraged across goals?
 Is a timeline and frequency of key benchmarks
specified?
 Are action steps specific and sequential?
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Implementing
50 minutes
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Implementation Planning
Read Handout 5, Conditions for Readiness, an
excerpt from Part II: School-Level Planning and
Implementation Guide.
o Underline key phrases and concepts.
How would you rank these three components in
order of importance at your school?
What will you need to focus on from the
standpoint of facilitating implementation of
Step 2 this year?
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Coherence Through Aligned Goals
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Team Goal Setting
 Districts that prioritize focus areas and support team
goals have found this work more “doable”
 Capitalizes on target Indicators and elements
 Tips and strategies:
o Support regular team time
o Identify shared process and benchmark outcomes
o Example: new curriculum frameworks—team goal, different
roles
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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Creating a Through Line
District School Educator Teams
District Goals/Initiatives School Goals/Initiatives
Standards for Effective
Teaching Practice
Target
Indicators
Potential Team Goals
I. Curriculum,
Planning, and
Assessment
II. Teaching All
Students
III. Family and
Community
Engagement
IV. Professional
Culture
Create a through line from district  school  educator team goals
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Reflecting
5 minutes
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Reflecting
Take 5. Jot down your thoughts on the
following questions:
o Have you been provided the tools to recognize and
write high-quality Educator Plans?
o What do you foresee as opportunities within the
development of Educator Plans?
o What do you foresee as challenges in
writing/implementing Educator Plans?
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Wrap-Up
5 minutes
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What’s Next?
 Module 1: Overview
 Module 2: Unpacking the Rubric
 Module 3: Self-Assessment
 Module 4: S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Educator Plan Development
 Module 5: Gathering Evidence
Module 5 focuses on the collection and organization of evidence
by Standard and Indicator and engages participants in thinking
strategically about gathering high-quality artifacts to demonstrate
performance.
 Module 6: Observations and Feedback
 Module 7: Rating Educator Performance
 Module 8: Rating Educator Impact on Students
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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Homework
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Suggested Homework for School
Leadership Teams
 As a team, read through the section Considerations for Planning
on p. 26 of Part II: School-Level Planning and Implementation
Guide.
 Identify decisions that have been determined and processes
already in place, and identify areas in which a process needs to
be established in order to coordinate the development of
Educator Plans at your school.
 Draft an action plan that (1) merges existing practices with key
practices that need to be established, (2) identifies individual
roles and responsibilities associated with each logistical step, and
(3) aligns the work to key target dates on a calendar, such that
goal setting and Educator Plan development can occur at the
appropriate time.
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Suggested Homework for All
School-Based Educators
Using the Teacher Rubric, work with a
colleague in a small group or at a faculty
meeting to select a particular Standard, and
identify potential sources of evidence (data) to
inform performance decisions.
Discuss if these data are easily accessible,
valid, and comparable across classrooms.
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Feedback and Questions
Please take a moment to complete the
feedback form being handed out. We
appreciate your feedback!
Questions?
o About this training:
E-mail [FACILITATOR/VENDOR EMAIL HERE]
o About educator evaluation more generally:
E-mail EducatorEvaluation@doe.mass.edu
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