The Subject Administrator
(Calibration Protocol for Peer Review of Feedback to Teachers)

Revere Public Schools

Objective

This protocol supports the calibration of high quality feedback from evaluators or administrators to teachers about instructional practice. The activity is designed for groups of evaluators/administrators and utilizes authentic examples of written observational feedback as the focus of analysis.

The "peer review" model allows evaluators/administrators to work together in small groups around an authentic piece of feedback, discuss what made it strong and how it could be improved, and come to a shared understanding of feedback that is rigorous, constructive, evidence-based, and actionable.

Protocol

1. The facilitator (typically a district administrator) selects a piece of written feedback that each administrator gave to a teacher after an unannounced classroom observation (the teacher's name is removed).
2. In teams of 3 or 4, administrators take turns doing the following:
   1. One administrator is identified as the subject of the peer review
   2. 3 min. All 4 read the sample of the subject's feedback to a teacher with ONE particular lens in mind (identified in advance by the facilitator). For example:
      • Does the feedback address levels of instructional rigor
      • Is the feedback constructive
      • Are claims based on identified data
      • Is the feedback framed so as to improve instruction
   3. 5 min. The three peer reviewers discuss their assessments of the feedback and make suggestions to improve the feedback. The subject listens silently.
   4. 5 min. The subject provides context that might clarify the feedback and responds to the assessment of the peer reviewers. Together, the team discusses specific ways to make the feedback stronger.
3. Each team of administrators shares the following with the larger group:
   1. Any exemplars of feedback to teachers they came across and why they felt they were exemplars.
   2. One new common understanding or practice the team will adopt
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with a new subject administrator in each group and a new lens or focus question.

Last Updated: October 3, 2014