Reference
Glossary
Plain-English definitions of K–12 teacher evaluation, special education, and school leadership terms. Keep this open when reading new policies or onboarding to a new district.
- Danielson Framework for Teaching
- Charlotte Danielson's evaluation framework, organized into four domains (Planning and Preparation, The Classroom Environment, Instruction, Professional Responsibilities) and 22 components. The most widely adopted teacher evaluation framework in US K–12.
- Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model
- Robert Marzano's framework for evaluating teaching, structured around four domains (Classroom Strategies and Behaviors, Planning and Preparing, Reflecting on Teaching, Collegiality and Professionalism) with 60+ elements.
- Walkthrough observation
- A short (typically 5–15 minute) informal classroom visit by an evaluator. Used to monitor instructional trends, give quick feedback, and supplement formal observations. Multiple walkthroughs per teacher per year are typical.
- Formal observation
- A scheduled, full-lesson observation (typically 30–60 minutes) where the evaluator documents evidence against the full rubric. Usually paired with a pre-observation conference and a post-observation conference.
- Summative evaluation
- The end-of-cycle evaluation that combines observations, artifacts, and other evidence into a single rating used for personnel decisions (continued employment, tenure, professional learning plans).
- Formative observation
- An observation focused on growth and coaching rather than rating. Feedback is meant to inform the teacher's practice before the summative cycle, not contribute to the final rating.
- Inter-rater reliability (IRR)
- The degree to which different evaluators score the same teaching practice the same way. Districts with strong IRR have norming protocols and regular calibration sessions. Low IRR is the primary source of teacher distrust in evaluation systems.
- Evidence-based feedback
- Feedback that cites specific observable behaviors and language from the lesson rather than evaluator inferences or adjectives. The gold standard for fair evaluation. AI tools like EduEval are designed to default to evidence-based language.
- IEP (Individualized Education Program)
- A legally binding document under IDEA that defines the special education services, accommodations, goals, and progress measures for a student with a disability. IEPs must be developed by a team and reviewed at least annually.
- FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
- The 1974 federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Schools must obtain consent before disclosing personally identifiable information from records, with limited exceptions. Software used by schools must be FERPA-aligned.
- Title IX
- The 1972 federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any federally funded education program. Schools have specific reporting, investigation, and response obligations for Title IX complaints.
- 504 Plan
- A formal plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that provides accommodations to students with disabilities who do not qualify for IEPs. Less procedurally heavy than an IEP but legally binding.
- PLC (Professional Learning Community)
- A team of educators that meets regularly to analyze student work, share practice, and improve instruction. PLCs are the most common structure for collaborative teacher development in US K–12.
- PD (Professional Development)
- Structured learning experiences for educators. In K–12 the term spans workshops, coursework, coaching cycles, conferences, and PLC time. Most states require PD hours for licensure renewal.
- Rubric
- A scoring tool with explicit criteria and performance descriptors. In teacher evaluation, a rubric defines what each level of performance looks like for each indicator — providing a shared language for feedback.
- Performance descriptors
- The written descriptions of what each performance level (e.g., Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, Distinguished in Danielson) looks like for a specific indicator. The substance of a good rubric.
- AI Overview
- Google's AI-generated summary that appears at the top of some search results. AI Overviews increasingly determine whether users click through to the underlying sources, making AIEO (AI Engine Optimization) a distinct discipline from traditional SEO.
- AIEO (AI Engine Optimization)
- The practice of making content discoverable and citable by AI search engines and LLM-powered assistants. Overlaps with SEO but adds emphasis on structured data, llms.txt files, and content depth that AI engines can synthesize.
Missing a term? Email contact@schoolsolutions.app and we'll add it.
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