Frequently Asked Questions
The most important factor in student growth is having an effective teacher. Douglas County School District has designed the CITE evaluation tool in collaboration with teachers, administrators and community members from across the district to ensure that effective teachers are in every classroom, in every school across Douglas County School District. Most importantly, the CITE evaluation system is designed to support teacher growth in a continuous improvement model. The CITE evaluation is a cumulative process that takes place in a larger system of ongoing observation and feedback ending with a summative review. The evaluation system is meant to be one of collaboration and shared responsibility between the evaluator and evaluatee.
Do I have to upload evidence?
The art and science of teaching is very complex. While evaluators are in classrooms often observing practice, it is unlikely that an evaluator will see the entire picture of what a teacher accomplishes within one or even two lessons. You have the opportunity to be a part of your evaluation and help to complete that picture of who you are as a teacher and professional by uploading evidence, if you wish. There is no requirement for teachers or special service professionals (SSPs) to add any of their own evidence to InspirED.
Do I have to have evidence for every element?
No. However the more evidence that is in InspirED, the more clear the holistic picture of who you are as a teacher.
What are CITE 1-5?
CITE stands for Continuous Improvement of Teacher Effectiveness. CITE serves as the evaluation tool, or rubric, in Douglas County School District. The rubric is built around 5 teacher quality standards that are essential to a teacher or educator’s practice. Each standard, cross-walked to Colorado Teacher Quality Standards, contains elements that describe a range of attainment levels of 1 through 4, with 4 being the highest (also referred to as: Ineffective, Partially Effective, Effective or Highly Effective) for teachers within each standard. CITE 1-5 makes up 50% of a teacher’s overall evaluation rating.
The standards on the Generalist rubric are as follows:
Standard 1: Culture and Climate
Standard 2: Professionalism
Standard 3: Planning
Standard 4: Assessment
Standard 5: Instruction
Is CITE 1-5 tied to pay?
No. Your rating related to CITE elements 1-5 does not determine your pay.
What is CITE 6?
CITE 6 is the teacher quality standard based on student growth. CITE 6 determines 50% of a teacher's overall evaluation rating. (The other 50% is based on professional practices.) Each year, teachers in partnership with their school administrator, will determine what measures and/or assessments will be included in the teacher’s CITE 6 rating. CITE 6 ratings are reported as either “More than expected growth”, “Expected growth”, “Less than expected growth” or “Much less than expected growth”.
Is CITE 6 tied to pay?
No. Your CITE 6 rating is not tied to pay.
How do CITE 1-5 and CITE 6 come together to form an overall score?
Your rating from CITE 1-5 (Captured as a score of 1-4, with a 4 being the highest) will be averaged with your rating from CITE 6 (Captured as a score of 1-4, with a 4 being the highest).
How many times will I be observed?
Minimum policy expectations require that a probationary teacher have two formal observations in the course of a school year and non-probationary teachers will have at least one formal observation in the course of a school year. However, as described above, the art and science of teaching is very complex. While evaluators are in classrooms often observing practice, it is unlikely that an evaluator will see the entire picture of what a teacher accomplishes within one or even two lessons. Evaluators will conduct informal observations throughout the school year. Informal observations may consist of scheduled or unscheduled walkthroughs, observation in team meetings, parent meetings, through interactions and communication with parents, students and colleagues or through any of the other numerous responsibilities that a teacher encounters throughout the school year.
Click HERE to visit the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Guidelines and expectations for all districts related to educator effectiveness.
What is a probationary teacher?
A probationary teacher is a teacher that has not yet achieved three consecutive years of proficient or innovative ratings. A non-probationary teacher can lose their non-probationary status and become probationary after two consecutive years of less than proficient ratings.
What is a non-probationary teacher?
Once a teacher receives 3 consecutive years of effective ratings, the teacher becomes non-probationary. A non-probationary teacher can lose their non-probationary status after two consecutive years of less than proficient ratings.
Is there a quota or limit to the number of teachers rated 4 (or Highly Effective) teachers across the district, or within a building?
No. There is no quota or limit to the number of teachers in a building or across the district that can be rated as a 4.
Is “backwards planning” required?
Planning for effective instruction and balanced assessment is essential to achieving effective instruction and balanced assessment. However, there is no requirement for teachers to use any one prescribed type or framework for planning from the district level. School expectations may require a particular planning process that supports the instructional framework and/or philosophy of the school. The planning process is evaluated through Standard 1 of the CITE rubric.
What is Senate Bill 10-191?
Senate Bill 10-191 (sometimes referred to as SB191) was legislation passed in 2012 related to educator effectiveness and describes requirements for teacher evaluation for all school districts in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Education created an evaluation tool that school districts could choose to adopt if they wished. Another option for districts was to create their own evaluation system that met or exceeded the state’s expectations. Douglas County School District created the CITE Evaluation System.
Requirements of Senate Bill 10-191:
All teachers and specialized service providers are to be evaluated with a system that bases 50% of the evaluation on professional practice and 50% on student growth or student outcomes that include statewide assessment data when available.
A probationary teacher will be evaluated at least twice yearly, and a non-probationary teacher will be evaluated at least once yearly.
Three consecutive years of effectiveness must be demonstrated to become non-probationary. A teacher will lose their non-probationary status after two consecutive years of partial or ineffectiveness.
Every teacher, probationary or non-probationary, will receive a written summative evaluation.
What is InspirED Innovation?
InspirED Innovation is Douglas County School District’s digital warehouse for the GVC, Unit Planner, CITE and LEAD Evaluation Systems, Elementary Progress Reports (EPR) and Professional Development System (PD). InspirED supports teachers and evaluators work throughout the entire observation process. This tool allows the teacher to be informed about evaluation ratings and/or feedback from their evaluator. InspirED allows teachers to upload evidence, if they wish, to help inform evaluators of best instructional practices in their classroom.
Do I have to share my self-evaluation with my evaluator?
The evaluation process in Douglas County School District is designed around a belief in Continuous Improvement and support for individual growth. Teachers are offered the opportunity for self-evaluation 3 times a year with a requirement to share the end-of-year self-evaluations with their evaluator. Sharing the beginning-of-year and middle-of-year self-evaluation is optional. Sharing your self-evaluation with your evaluator helps to inform the evaluator about what areas in which you feel you need support or individualized professional development. Growth conversations between the teacher and evaluator will happen most effectively when the self evaluation is shared and discussed openly so that an evaluator can support the teacher.
Do I have to set goals within InspirED?
The evaluation process in Douglas County School District is designed around a culture of Continuous Improvement and support for individual growth. Teachers will set growth goals at the beginning of the year based on the professional practices defined in CITE 1-5.
Click HERE to access the Professional Growth Goal One-Pager to support goal setting.
What is the Douglas County School District evaluation process?
Click HERE to access the Annual Orientation to the CITE Evaluation Process
Where can I find more resources?
Click HERE to go to the CITE 6 Website
Can I appeal my evaluation? What is the process for an appeal?
Douglas County School District has three processes in place to ensure evaluation integrity, inter-rater reliability and consistent evaluation of the CITE Standards across the District and within each school: Mid-year Second Look, End of Year Appeals, and Level 1 and 2 Reviews.
A teacher or the teacher’s evaluator may request additional input (or “second look” into the mid-year review rating). The input from the second look review may be used for the summative rating.
A non-probationary teacher may appeal a rating of Ineffective or Transitioning for either their Professional Practice (CITE 1-5) or Overall (CITE 1-6) rating.
Click HERE to view the appeals process.
What is the 2nd look appeal process?
Douglas County School District has three processes in place to ensure evaluation integrity, inter-rater reliability and consistent evaluation of the CITE Standards across the District and within each school: Mid-year Second Look, End of Year Appeals, and Level 1 and 2 Reviews.
A teacher or the teacher’s evaluator may request additional input (or “Second Look” into the mid-year review rating). The input from the Second Look Review may be used for the summative rating.
Click HERE to view the second look process.
What does “collaborate” with students mean? How do I know what all of the language in the rubric means?
The language of CITE is specific to Douglas County School District but encompasses best teaching practices based on the Quality Standards developed by CDE. Some teachers may want additional explanation of the terminology. Resources are being continually being developed to support your further understanding. School based decisions may describe these terms at a deeper level specific to your school.
CITE 6
What is CITE 6?
CITE 6 is the teacher quality standard based on student growth. CITE 6 determines 50% of a teacher's overall evaluation rating. (The other 50% is based on professional practices.) Each year, teachers in partnership with their school administrator, will determine what measures and/or assessments will be included in the teacher’s CITE 6 rating. CITE 6 ratings are reported as either “More than expected growth”, “Expected growth”, “Less than expected growth” or “Much less than expected growth”.
Do I have to do CITE 6?
Whether or not a teacher or educator needs to do CITE 6 is determined by Senate Bill 10-191 Rules. The job code that is in workday for an employee is what drives the requirements, not necessarily the rubric that you selected.
Click HERE to find your job code and check to see if you participate in CITE 6.
Who should I contact if I have more questions?
Dr. Deanne Kirby - Director of Educator Effectiveness
303.387.9635