After annual school board elections each spring, a new leadership year begins for dedicated individuals who have offered their time and talent to help guide school districts. These leaders are often recognized for their contributions to the school and community, and rightly so. The work of any school board member is far-reaching, and the breadth of knowledge required to successfully manage this role is ever-growing. With that in mind, the Network for Educator Effectiveness has designed instructional modules that assist board members in gaining a better understanding of the NEE educator evaluation system.  

NEE Training Modules for School Board Members

Training modules for member schools are housed in the NEE EdHub Library. This library was created to support teacher professional growth in the skills associated with the NEE indicators of effective teaching performance. Over time, additional modules have been developed to support administrators and school board members. A school board member wanting to learn more about NEE should follow these steps: 

  • See your school district’s NEE manager to receive login credentials. (Note—the manager will need to contact the NEE Help Desk to set up school board member accounts.) 
  • Click the gold Data Tool Login button near the top of the screen. 
  • Login with the newly acquired username and password.  
  • Once logged into the NEE platform, click EdHub from the menu on the left side of the screen. 
  • At this point, there are multiple ways to find Board Member materials:  
  • Use the provided bookmark on the top of the EdHub page OR  
  • Type “school board” in the search box OR 
  • Scroll down until you see the topic box labeled “School Board Members.” 

The training materials within this section of the EdHub Library are divided into two areas: 

  1. Instruction on the basic components of the NEE system, including: 
  • What Should a School Board Member Know About NEE? 
  • Introducing the NEE Classroom Observation to School Board Members 
  • Acquainting School Board Members with the NEE Suite of Tools 
  • Explaining the NEE Summative Report to School Board Members 
  • Introducing School Board Members to NEE’s Evaluation for School Principals 
  • Introducing NEE as a Growth Process to School Board Members 

This module contains useful information that gives school board members an overview of the NEE platform used by administrators and teachers within their district. The estimated time to complete the entire module is 30-40 minutes.  

  1. Modules that define and describe many of NEE’s leading indicators used in classroom observations by most member schools. Training on the following 13 indicators is provided within this section: 
  • NEE Indicator 1.1: Using Academic Language 
  • NEE Indicator 1.2: Promoting Cognitive Engagement 
  • NEE Indicator 2.2: Setting and Monitoring Student Goals 
  • NEE Indicator 2.5: Building on Students’ Prior Learning 
  • NEE Indicator 3.1: Implementing Curriculum Standards 
  • NEE Indicator 4.1: Enhancing Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 
  • NEE Indicator 4.2: Using Instructional Resources 
  • NEE Indicator 5.1: Increasing Student Motivation and Engagement 
  • NEE Indicator 5.2: Managing Time, Space, Transitions, and Activities 
  • NEE Indicator 5.2b: Using Discipline That Promotes Self-Control 
  • NEE Indicator 5.3: Promoting Social Competence 
  • NEE Indicator 5.3b: Building Student-Teacher Relationships 
  • NEE Indicator 7.4: Conducting Formative Assessment 

These modules are filled with useful information that allows a board member to gain a better understanding of specific indicators used within their district. Estimated completion time for each individual module is 15-20 minutes.  To cover three or four indicators will take anywhere from 45-80 minutes.  

As we all know, open communication among school stakeholders is always important. This training promotes a healthy dialogue between board members, administrators, and teachers about the use of the NEE evaluation system. It also highlights the overarching goal of NEE — to enhance teacher growth and improve student performance. 

If you, as a school administrator, have a board member (or members) wanting to learn more about NEE, contact the NEE Help Desk at 844-793-4357 or nee@missouri.edu to set up their access to these EdHub modules. 

Benjy Fenske is a trainer and field representative with the Network for Educator Effectiveness. He joined NEE in 2022 after a 34-year career in education that included roles as a business teacher, FBLA sponsor, coach, principal, and superintendent.

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.