Colorado Evaluation Systems

Legislative Overview and Statutory Requirements

Passed in 2010, Senate Bill 10-191 created the statutory requirement that all licensed personnel (teacher, special services providers, and principals/assistant principals) must be evaluated in Colorado every year. The ultimate goal of the Colorado educator evaluation system is to continuously support educators' professional growth and, in turn, increase student achievement. To support school districts and BOCES in implementing an educator evaluation system, the Educator Effectiveness Office at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) created the State Model Evaluation System (SMES). This evaluation system encompasses and utilizes a variety of materials and supports, including: 

• A variety of rubrics to reflect the observable work of teachers, special services providers, and principals. 
• The Colorado Performance Management System (COPMS), which is an online tool to collect and house observation and MSL/MSO data.
• The CDE Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist team, who provide side-by-side support to all school districts and BOCES in their work around educator evaluation.

Colorado is a local control state. For that reason, school districts and BOCES are also welcome to create their own locally created evaluation system. This process requires the school district/BOCES to design an evaluation system which meets or exceeds the parameters of the State Model Evaluation System, as well as engaging in ongoing crosswalk conversations with their designated Regional Specialist to ensure their system is high quality. To learn more about locally created systems, click on the button below.

Learn More about Colorado Evaluation Systems

Legislative Overviews

Request a Review of an Educator Evaluation System

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is responsible for providing support to districts in implementing quality evaluation systems that meet the requirements of the law. This support includes providing a model educator evaluation system that districts can adopt, providing training and technical assistance, and making available a range of resources and tools for district use.

In addition, the department is required to monitor on an ongoing basis districts’ adherence to the requirements of educator evaluation systems as outlined in law and rules. Section 6.04 (D) of the Rules for the Administration of a Statewide System to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Licensed Personnel Employed by School Districts and BOCES (1 CCR 301-87) provides authority for CDE to monitor and review  districts’ educator evaluation systems, including  those using the State Model Educator Evaluation System and those using locally-developed systems. 

In 2013, the legislature adopted H.B. 13-1257 which further codified the support and monitoring functions of the department, including the responsibility to respond to requests for review of local educator evaluation systems. The statute provides an avenue for interested parties who are affected by the evaluation system to submit requests to the department to review a district’s locally-developed educator evaluation system for adherence to the law.  

In alignment with H.B. 13-1257, the document below outlines the process for parties to request a review of a district’s educator evaluation system. The aim of this process is to be responsive to valid concerns that may be raised by interested parties who are affected by the local evaluation system and to support districts in improving the quality of their educator evaluation systems.

Please complete these steps:

1. Complete the Request for Review Form
2. Attach supporting documentation
3. Email the request for review form and documentation to educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us 
   AND
   Mail to Educator Talent, 201 East Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80203

For more information on reviewing evaluation systems, please email educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us

Learn More about the State Model Evaluation System

The State Model Evaluation System (SMES) was created by the CDE Educator Effectiveness Office to meet the statutory requirements laid out in Senate Bill 10-191. This legislation established the Educator Effectiveness Office to create and make available a system for educator evaluation, as well as provide districts/BOCES with support in implementing an evaluation system for their licensed personnel. Further, the Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist Team was established to support districts/BOCES with their system(s).

The State Model Evaluation System (SMES) includes several key elements to support districts/BOCES with implementing a meaningful evaluation system for their educators: 

• A variety of rubrics to reflect the observable work of teachers, special services providers, and principals are available for districts/BOCES to utilize. The rubrics were initially created in 2013 by Work Groups comprised of practitioners, field experts, and CDE colleagues and were revised in the 2018-19 school year. Additional rubrics for specialized teaching roles were developed in the 2022-23 school year through a similar Work Group process. 
• The Colorado Performance Management System (COPMS) is an online tool used to collect and house data on all aspects of the evaluation system, from educators' self-assessments to evaluators' observations to final effectiveness ratings (FERs). It is available for districts/BOCES/independent schools across the state at no cost to them.
• The Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist Team supports districts/BOCES with anything related to educator evaluation. Regional Specialists provide guidance and support with both/either creation and implementation of evaluation systems by answering questions, helping determine what values are held about evaluation, supporting the development of Measures of Student Learning/Outcomes, cross-walking local model evaluation systems, and much more. Regional Specialists provide expertise and support in a variety of areas to help ensure that meaningful evaluations are taking place across the state. 
• The Educator Effectiveness Team based in Denver offers technical support for the state-wide performance management system (COPMS), assistance fulfilling statutory requirements, developing resources to support districts/BOCES with their evaluation systems, and much more. 

School districts/BOCES are also welcome to create their own local model evaluation system or employ a combination of both the SMES and a local system. Learn More about Local Model Evaluation Systems

Development of the State Model Evaluation System

To support districts in implementing the new evaluation requirements, CDE worked with a variety of stakeholders to design, develop and pilot the Colorado State Model Evaluation System.

The Colorado State Model Evaluation System was guided by the recommendations by the State Council for Educator Effectiveness. The Rules and Regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education allow districts to choose to use the Colorado State Model Evaluation System OR create their own system as long as the system created adheres to state statute and rules.

The development of the Colorado State Model Evaluation System was guided by five key priorities:

1. Data should inform decisions, but human judgment will always be an essential component of evaluations
2. The implementation and evaluation of the system must embody continuous improvement.
3. The purpose of the system is to provide meaningful and credible feedback that improves performance.
4. The development and implementation of the evaluation systems must continue to involve stakeholders in a collaborative process.
5. Educator evaluations must take place within a larger system that is aligned and supportive.

User's Guide for the Colorado State Model Educator Evaluation System 

Want to dive deeper into the SMES? Access the User's Guide

Learn More about Local Model Evaluation Systems

Senate Bill 10-191, the legislation which established that every licensed educator must receive a final effectiveness rating (FER) every year, stipulates that school districts/BOCES must either utilize the State Model Evaluation System (SMES) developed by CDE or create their own local model evaluation system to evaluate educators. The statutory requirements outlined in statute are as follows: 

• Local model evaluation systems must be derived from the SMES Quality Standards and Elements.
• Local model evaluation systems must meet or exceed the rigor of the SMES.
• Local model evaluation systems must engage in an initial cross-walk and periodic reviews with their designated CDE Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist to ensure the locally created system meets the aforementioned requirements.

Examples of local model evaluation systems include (this list is not comprehensive): 

• Denver Public Schools
• Douglas County School District
• Englewood School District
• Poudre School District
• School District 49

School districts/BOCES may also choose to create a "combination system." These evaluation systems may utilize some aspects of the SMES while also creating some of their own tools/materials to evaluate licensed personnel. For example, a district may utilize the Special Services Provider rubrics provided by the SMES and then create their own teacher rubric to evaluate general education teachers. In other instances, a district may utilize all of the SMES rubrics but employ a different performance management system to collect and store their evaluation data. 

The CDE Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialists are available to support the evaluation work of districts/BOCES using the SMES, as well as those who choose to develop their own local model evaluation system or a employ a combination of both the SMES and locally created systems. Learn More about the State Model Evaluation System

Questions about Local Model Evaluation Systems?
 Contact the CDE Educator Effectiveness Team

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