A Review of Teacher and Principal Input Regarding a Colorado School District’s Evaluation System

Prepared for a Colorado school district in 2015

In this project, APA Consulting conducted a comprehensive review of a Colorado school district’s teacher evaluation system, with a focus on understanding how the system was operating in practice and how educators experienced its implementation. The work centered on gathering broad, authentic input from teachers and school leaders to inform the district’s ongoing refinement of its evaluation approach.

APA facilitated multiple focus groups with elementary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as principals and district leaders, to explore perceptions of the district’s “growth track” and “intensive track” processes. These conversations provided rich qualitative insight into how educators understood the system, how evaluation practices varied across schools, and where additional clarity or support might be needed. As the report notes, APA’s role was to “provide objective data gathering, analysis, and reporting regarding the district’s approach to teacher evaluation.”

To complement the focus groups, APA administered a districtwide teacher survey, building on earlier surveys from 2010, 2011, and 2013, to capture longitudinal trends in teacher perceptions. The survey examined topics such as the usefulness of evaluator feedback, the frequency and duration of classroom observations, the integration of student growth goals, and teachers’ understanding of evaluation processes.

Together, these data collection activities offered the district a clear, evidence‑based picture of how its evaluation system was functioning and where targeted improvements could strengthen implementation, communication, and educator support.