Introduction to the Nevada Educator Performance Framework
In 2011, legislation passed that required the development of a statewide performance evaluation system for teachers and school administrators. The Teachers and Leaders Council (TLC) was created to develop the Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF). The first task of the Council was to establish guiding beliefs and goals for this evaluation system, now known as the Nevada Educator Performance Framework (outlined below). The NEPF was not fully implemented until 2015, and it has undergone a series of changes every year primarily as a result of legislation.
TLC Beliefs
To promote educator effectiveness and ensure all students attain essential skills to graduate high school ready for college and career success:
All educators* (see definition in the Glossary) can improve through effective, targeted professional development, as identified through the evaluation process and connected to district improvement plans and goals designed to inform and transform practice;
An effective evaluation system must include clear expectations for both professional practice and student growth as well as fair, meaningful, and timely feedback;
A consistent and supportive teacher and administrator evaluation system includes opportunities for self-reflection and continuous, measurable feedback to improve the performance of students, teachers, administrators, and the system; and
The evaluation system must be part of a larger professional growth system that consistently evolves and improves to support the teachers and administrators that it serves.
Evaluation System Goals
The Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) Goals:
Goal 1: Foster student learning and growth
Goal 2: Improve educators’ effective instructional practices
Goal 3: Inform human capital decisions based on a professional growth system
Goal 4: Engage stakeholders in the continuous improvement and monitoring of a professional growth system
The system based on these guiding beliefs and goals, the foundation on which the NEPF was created, should ensure that educators:
Positively impact the achievement of students in Nevada;
Grow professionally through targeted, sustained professional development and other supports;
Monitor student growth, identify and develop quality instructional practices, and share effective educational methods with colleagues;
Reflect upon practice and take ownership of their professional growth; and
Participate in constructive dialogue and obtain specific, supportive feedback from evaluators.
Main Purposes of the Evaluation Framework
The overall purpose of Nevada’s Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) is to identify effective instruction and leadership and to establish criteria to determine:
The professional development needs of educators (goals 1, 2, 3, and 4);
Information on which to base human capital decisions including rewards and consequences (goal 3); and
Whether educators are:
Using data to inform decision making (goals 1, 2, and 4),
Helping students meet achievement targets and performance expectations (goals 1and 4),
Effectively engaging families (goals 1 and 2), and
Collaborating effectively (goals 1, 2, and 3).
Please see the Nevada Department of Education’s Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) webpage for current tools, protocols, and resources.