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The 2023-2024 school year is here, and with their NEE membership, school administrators can access several services and resources to complete important back-to-school tasks. In this article, we share several ways NEE and EdHub help you get the school year off to a great start.

Introduction to NEE and EdHub for Faculty and Staff

When new teachers join your school who have not used the NEE system, provide them with a complete and concise introduction to NEE using the Getting Started with NEE module available in EdHub. This module provides background information and rationale of NEE for teachers. Teachers can complete this module to get a good overview of NEE, though we also recommend administrators discuss the specifics of implementation in their building:  

• Which indicators are being measured?  
• Which NEE components are being used in teacher evaluations (observations, student surveys, PD plans, unit of instruction plans)?  

Make sure teachers know what to expect in the evaluation process.  

Similarly, the Using EdHub to Support Professional Growth module provides an overview of our online professional learning library to help educators locate and use the materials they need. Each of these modules are available at the top of the EdHub page under Getting Started.

PD Quick Sessions

Do you need a quick activity to open up a faculty meeting or work day? We have several ideas for you in our PD Quick module under the Educational Leadership topic in EdHub. A couple of activities are well-suited for the start of the school year:

1. The First Five Days. This activity uses education author Alan November’s “The First Five Days” project, which invited educators to share their ideas on how to make the first week the best it can be. In this activity, educators review the findings of November’s project, then break into small-group discussions on how they might incorporate some of his ideas. Specifically, educators think about how to develop and ask the right questions that allow students to take control of their learning. This activity is #7 in the PD Quick module.
2. What is your Everest? Each year, teachers and students set out to achieve a specific set of learning goals, which author Dave Stuart Jr. likens to climbing Mt. Everest. Stuart says it’s easy to become distracted by the myriad goals and to lose sight of the mountain altogether. In this PD Quick activity, teachers review Stuart’s ideas and then focus in on “defining Everest,” or the big-picture skills and knowledge students gain in their classroom. This activity gives teachers clear, focused goals to start the year. It is #9 in the PD Quick module.

On-demand Training for Specialist Evaluation, Professional Development Plans, Units of Instruction and Student Surveys 

In EdHub, under the NEE Training Materials topic, you will find on-demand training modules for the various resources that NEE has available for educator evaluation.  For teachers and other staff members, learning activities include the following teacher/specialist components: Professional Development Plans, Units of Instruction, Student Surveys, Librarian Evaluation, Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, Counselor Evaluation, and Instructional Coach Evaluation.  

On-demand training modules for Principal Evaluation also are available in EdHub. They include the Principal Professional Development Plan, the Building Improvement Plan Organizer, the Building Personnel Development Organizer, Teacher Surveys, and the Analysis of Building Management Organizer.  

We also have a module specific to managing NEE accounts in your district that shows how to navigate the NEE Data Tool online evaluation system. The module, available under the NEE Training Materials topic, covers adding, updating, and removing NEE accounts; providing answers to district employees about the workings of the NEE Data Tool; utilizing reports to facilitate the evaluation process; and understanding what to do when problems arise. 

Dyslexia Training 

The state of Missouri requires teachers to complete two hours of annual training on dyslexia. NEE created a module in EdHub that fulfills the requirement. The dyslexia training takes two hours to complete, though teachers can complete the module and tasks at their own pace. An EdHub Learning Organizer may be completed for the module to provide evidence that the training has been completed. The Dyslexia and Learning module is at the top of the EdHub page under Bookmarks.

Beginning Teacher Assistance 

The state of Missouri has several requirements for new teachers, and there are additional recommendations we make for how you can best support new teachers through the NEE process. The Beginning Teacher Assistance module in EdHub provides you with a convenient list of those items and gives you the opportunity to present a certificate of completion to new teachers after they complete it. The Administrator Guidelines for Beginning Teacher Support are at the top of the EdHub page under Getting Started.   

Back to School Resources for Mentors 

The state of Missouri requires mentors to be assigned to beginning teachers and that beginning teachers are given adequate time to meet with and learn from their mentors. (To review the specifics of the mentoring requirements, see the Administrator Guidelines for Beginning Teacher Support available in EdHub.)  

The Mentoring module in EdHub provides support for mentors by describing the characteristics of an effective mentor, identifying the standards that guide the components of a mentoring program, identifying best practices for mentoring a new teacher, and planning a post-observation conference. Within the module, there are also links to additional resources, such as the NEE Guide to Effective Feedback Conversations. These resources are all helpful, especially for new mentors to become familiar with the process. 

The Mentoring module is available at the top of the EdHub page under Bookmarks.

Accessing EdHub 

The resources mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg within EdHub. EdHub is filled with resources to help administrators, teachers, and mentors throughout the school year. You can access EdHub by logging in to the NEE Data Tool and clicking EdHub on the left side of the page. We have bookmarked several important resources at the top of the EdHub home page. 

Tap Into our Resources to Save Time 

It might seem like a lot, but these resources will ultimately save you time. We’ve put these modules together so you can easily access and present this information as needed. And as always, if there’s anything we can do to support you in your implementation of NEE, please let us know by contacting us at nee@missouri.edu – we’re here to help! 

Thank you for being part of the Network for Educator Effectiveness. We look forward to working with you in 2023-2024 to 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.