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After your school has decided to join the Network for Educator Effectiveness, what happens next? First off, we commend you. The change process is not often easy, and we know you have already taken many steps to get to this point. Kudos!

Take a breath, and let’s work through the formalities together. These steps are generally organized in chronological order; however, some might be completed out of order. It’s okay – as long as they get done! Contact NEE at any point if you have questions or need additional resources.

Here’s what to do as your school prepares to join NEE.

0. Get approvals. Step 0 is to secure any local approvals necessary for a change in your school’s teacher evaluation processes. The approval process varies by district but may involve the board of education and teacher group. Some states also need to approve your teacher evaluation policy. Contact NEE for resources to assist with these approvals.
1. Sign agreement. Next is a formal step: Signing the agreement between NEE and your district. Contact NEE if you need a copy. Return the signed agreement to NEE, along with a copy of your district’s W-9 so we can add your school to our billing system.
2. Schedule a NEE orientation session for your teachers. This hourlong overview presentation led by a NEE trainer provides teachers with an overview of NEE and gives them an opportunity to ask questions. We recommend scheduling this session in the spring before implementation, if possible, but it can be scheduled in August before school starts if necessary.
3. Select focus indicators. Collaborate with administrators and teacher leaders to select the 3-5 indicators of effective teaching practice that will be used in classroom observations for the coming school year. Determine whether the same 3-5 indicators will be used across the district or whether there will be some differentiation among buildings. Contact NEE if you would like assistance selecting indicators that align with your school priorities.
4. Register for and complete training. School leaders who will conduct classroom observations register for and complete NEE training during the summer months before implementation. In your first year as a NEE school, school leaders will complete NEE’s New Evaluator Training, a two-day training that focuses on the NEE classroom observation process, effective feedback, and using the NEE Data Tool online evaluation system.
5. Select a “NEE Manager” who will be responsible for managing NEE Data Tool accounts in your district. This person will have district-level access. Their responsibilities include creating teacher accounts, managing access levels, keeping your people roster current, and some troubleshooting such as resetting passwords when needed. Notify NEE of this person’s name and email address so we can help them get started.
6. Complete the “Import People” process to add accounts for those who need access to the NEE Data Tool. NEE will provide step-by-step guidance and support for this step.
7. Create classroom observation template(s). Once you have access to your NEE Data Tool accounts, create a classroom observation template to include the indicators that will be measured in classroom observations. Templates created by an individual with district access in the system will be available to all evaluators across the district. Templates created by an individual with building lead access will be available to all evaluators within their building. Only the person who creates the template will be able to delete it later. Watch our YouTube video to see how to create a classroom observation template.
8. Prepare teachers. When teachers return to school in August, provide them with a copy of the NEE rubrics that will be used for classroom observations. Provide another brief overview of the NEE evaluation processes, highlighting any major changes from what teachers previously experienced during evaluations. Let them know how often you plan to conduct classroom observations and provide feedback. Provide them with their login info for their NEE Data Tool accounts.
9. Optional: Contact NEE to schedule a follow-up teacher orientation session in the early fall with a NEE trainer. This session can involve a more in-depth overview of NEE, including the opportunity for teachers to watch and score classroom observation videos and become more familiar with specific NEE rubrics that will be used for classroom observations in the school.
10. Optional: Contact NEE to schedule a calibration walk with a NEE trainer about 4-6 weeks after school starts. During the calibration walk, the NEE trainer will accompany building administrators during classroom observations and provide feedback on scoring practices.

Contact NEE at any time if you would like additional support with implementation. The NEE Help Desk is staffed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 844-793-4357 or email nee@missouri.edu to get help with any aspect of the NEE suite of tools. Your NEE subscription includes customer support, and we’re here to help make your NEE implementation a success. Don’t be afraid to reach out.

Finally and importantly, welcome! We’re glad you’re here, and we look forward to working with you to implement effective evaluation processes that help educators grow, students learn, and schools improve.

The Network for Educator Effectiveness (NEE) is a simple yet powerful comprehensive system for educator evaluation that helps educators grow, students learn, and schools improve. Developed by preK-12 practitioners and experts at the University of Missouri, NEE brings together classroom observation, student feedback, teacher curriculum planning, and professional development as measures of effectiveness in a secure online portal designed to promote educator growth and development.