Framework for Effective Teaching: Evidence Guide

Denver Public Schools' Framework for Effective Teaching is a model that charter schools might want to further explore when designing teacher evaluation systems.

In order to reduce the achievement gap in Denver Public Schools, district leaders focused on the importance of teacher quality. In 2010 and 2011, collaborative teams of teachers, principals, and leaders from both the district and the Denver Classroom Teachers’ Association worked together to develop a detailed framework that defines teacher effectiveness. After reviewing existing tools and frameworks that measure teacher effectiveness, the design teams decided to create their own comprehensive framework that focused on English language learners (ELLs), viewed teacher effectiveness through an urban lens, and included both teacher and student behaviors. The Framework for Effective Teaching that the design teams developed now serves as the foundation  for the district’s new comprehensive performance assessment system.

The Framework  is particularly noteworthy because each of the 12 indicators includes components that are effective strategies for all students, but particularly important for ELLs. For example, the Framework encourages all teachers to develop both content and language objectives for each lesson, to differentiate instruction according to students’ needs, to develop all students’ active and appropriate use of academic language, and to promote student communication and collaboration, which will allow ELLs to build their oral language proficiency. Across the district, all teachers who serve ELLs, either as content teachers or as language specialists, will be evaluated on improving ELLs’ skills with academic language and providing ELLs with access to grade-level content.

Read more about Denver's Leading Effective Academic Practice initiative.