NYS STEPS
The 51 (the “Department” or “51”) believes that well-designed and implemented evaluation systems are a critical component of a broader, comprehensive approach to supporting educators across their careers. These systems should encourage reflection and goal-setting; create opportunities for collaboration among educators; and provide timely, actionable feedback that educators can use to refine their practice. They should also directly inform personalized, evidence-based professional learning and support continuous improvement in instruction. Collectively, these elements are designed to strengthen educator practice, improve student outcomes, and support the recognition and advancement of excellent educators across the career continuum.
The enactment of Education Law §3012-e provides an opportunity for school districts and BOCES to reflect on their current educator evaluation practices and to develop new, locally designed systems consistent with 51’s vision and our shared goal of supporting teacher and leader development across the career continuum. These new Standards-based Educator Evaluation and Professional Support (STEPS) plans should support all educators’ professional growth as part of a comprehensive, systematic approach to advancing excellence in teaching and learning, aligned with ourNew York State Teaching Standards and Educational Leadership Standards,including the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. Through multiple measures, including observations, educators will receive meaningful feedback on their practice and intentional professional learning and growth opportunities. These elements should operate as a systematic cycle in which evidence from evaluation directly informs professional learning, strengthens instructional practice, and contributes to improved student outcomes.
51’s vision for a sustaining educator pipeline centers on a comprehensive system that supports the recruitment, development, and retention of high-quality, diverse educators. This system encompasses coordinated strategies to attract talented individuals to the profession, prepare them through high-quality educator preparation programs, support them through induction, mentoring, and coaching, and provide ongoing professional learning and career advancement opportunities within supportive working environments.
Within this broader system, educator evaluation plays a critical role. A well-designed STEPS plan should function as an integrated component of the sustaining educator pipeline. It should generate meaningful, standards-aligned evidence that informs professional learning, supports continuous improvement, and strengthens educator practice over time. In doing so, evaluation becomes a key lever for advancing educator growth, improving instructional quality, and ultimately supporting positive outcomes for all students.