Common use of Benchmarks Clause in Contracts

Benchmarks.  For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t measure it, we can’t manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “benchmarks.” Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “who” is doing “what.” Without clarity about what we’re actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “empty” when it is accomplished and won’t serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections.

Benchmarks.  ▪ For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  ▪ For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t measure it, we can’t manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “benchmarks.” Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “who” is doing “what.” Without clarity about what we’re actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “empty” when it is accomplished and won’t serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections.

Benchmarks.  ® For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  • For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 61bs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t n't measure it, we can’t n't manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve 've achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “"benchmarks.” " Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “"who” " is doing “"what.” " Without clarity about what we’re 're actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “"empty” " when it is accomplished and won’t n't serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re 're making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll 'll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t n't enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re 're on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve 've reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections. Rubrics — defined in the regulations as "scoring tool[s] that describe characteristics of practice or artifacts at different levels of performance" (603 CMR 35.02) — are a critical component of the Massachusetts educator evaluation framework and are required for every educator. Xxxxxxx are designed to help educators and evaluators (1) develop a consistent, shared understanding of what proficient performance looks like in practice, (2) develop a common terminology and structure to organize evidence, and (3) make informed professional judgments about formative and summative performance ratings on each Standard and overall. This appendix contains the ESE Model Teacher Xxxxxx. Standards: Standards are the broad categories of knowledge, skills, and performance of effective practice detailed in the regulations. There are four Standards for teachers: Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment; Teaching All Students; Family and Community Engagement; and Professional Culture. • Indicators: Indicators, also detailed in the regulations, describe specific knowledge, skills, and performance for each Standard. For example, there are three Indicators in Standard I of the teacher rubric: Curriculum and Planning; Assessment; and Analysis. • Elements: The elements are more specific descriptions of actions and behaviors related to each Indicator. The elements further break down the Indicators into more specific aspects of educator practice and provide an opportunity for evaluators to offer detailed feedback that serves as a roadmap for improvement. • Descriptors: Performance descriptors are observable and measurable statements of educator actions and behaviors aligned to each element and serve as the basis for identifying the level of teaching or administrative performance in one of four categories: Unsatisfactory, Needs Improvement, Proficient, or Exemplary. This rubric describes teaching practice. It is intended to be used throughout the 5 step evaluation cycle for all teachers, including teachers of whole classrooms, small groups, individual students, or any combination of the above. The rubric is designed to be applicable to general education teachers from pre-K through Advanced Placement, as well as teachers with specialized classes or knowledge, including teachers of English Language Learners, and special education teachers; districts may also choose to use this rubric for educators in other roles such as specialists. The responsibilities of teachers to whom this rubric will be applied may vary. ESE encourages educators and evaluators to use the rubric strategically by discussing and agreeing upon certain Indicators and Elements that should be high priorities according to that educator's role and responsibilities as well as his/her professional practice and student learning needs. There are a variety of ways to emphasize these component s throughout the evaluation cycle. For example, high priority Indicators and/or elements can be analyzed in greater depth during self-assessment, targeted during goal setting, a focus for more comprehensive evidence collection, or all of the above. However, the expectation is that by the end of the evaluation cycle, educators and evaluators have gathered and shared a reasonable amount of evidence on every Indicator to support a rating for each Standard.

Benchmarks.  ® For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  • For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 61bs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t n't measure it, we can’t n't manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve 've achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “"benchmarks.” " Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “"who” " is doing “"what.” " Without clarity about what we’re 're actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “"empty” " when it is accomplished and won’t n't serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re 're making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll 'll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t n't enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re 're on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve 've reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections. Massachusetts Department of ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION March 2012 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx, XX 00000-0000 Phone 000-000-0000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 000-000-0000 Rubrics — defined in the regulations as "scoring tool[s] that describe characteristics of practice or artifacts at different levels of performance" (603 CMR 35.02) — are a critical component of the Massachusetts educator evaluation framework and are required for every educator. Xxxxxxx are designed to help educators and evaluators (1) develop a consistent, shared understanding of what proficient performance looks like in practice, (2) develop a common terminology and structure to organize evidence, and (3) make informed professional judgments about formative and summative performance ratings on each Standard and overall. This appendix contains the ESE Model "SISP" Rubric.

Benchmarks.  ® For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  • For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 61bs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t n't measure it, we can’t n't manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve 've achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “"benchmarks.” " Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “"who” " is doing “"what.” " Without clarity about what we’re 're actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “"empty” " when it is accomplished and won’t n't serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re 're making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll 'll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t n't enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re 're on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve 've reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections. Rubrics — defined in the regulations as "scoring tool[s] that describe characteristics of practice or artifacts at different levels of performance" (603 CMR 35.02) — are a critical component of the Massachusetts educator evaluation framework and are required for every educator. Rubrics are designed to help educators and evaluators (1) develop a consistent, shared understanding of what proficient performance looks like in practice, (2) develop a common terminology and structure to organize evidence, and (3) make informed professional judgments about formative and summative performance ratings on each Standard and overall. This appendix contains the ESE Model Teacher Rubric. Standards: Standards are the broad categories of knowledge, skills, and performance of effective practice detailed in the regulations. There are four Standards for teachers: Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment; Teaching All Students; Family and Community Engagement; and Professional Culture. • Indicators: Indicators, also detailed in the regulations, describe specific knowledge, skills, and performance for each Standard. For example, there are three Indicators in Standard I of the teacher rubric: Curriculum and Planning; Assessment; and Analysis. • Elements: The elements are more specific descriptions of actions and behaviors related to each Indicator. The elements further break down the Indicators into more specific aspects of educator practice and provide an opportunity for evaluators to offer detailed feedback that serves as a roadmap for improvement. • Descriptors: Performance descriptors are observable and measurable statements of educator actions and behaviors aligned to each element and serve as the basis for identifying the level of teaching or administrative performance in one of four categories: Unsatisfactory, Needs Improvement, Proficient, or Exemplary. This rubric describes teaching practice. It is intended to be used throughout the 5 step evaluation cycle for all teachers, including teachers of whole classrooms, small groups, individual students, or any combination of the above. The rubric is designed to be applicable to general education teachers from pre-K through Advanced Placement, as well as teachers with specialized classes or knowledge, including teachers of English Language Learners, and special education teachers; districts may also choose to use this rubric for educators in other roles such as specialists. The responsibilities of teachers to whom this rubric will be applied may vary. ESE encourages educators and evaluators to use the rubric strategically by discussing and agreeing upon certain Indicators and Elements that should be high priorities according to that educator's role and responsibilities as well as his/her professional practice and student learning needs. There are a variety of ways to emphasize these components throughout the evaluation cycle. For example, high priority Indicators and/or elements can be analyzed in greater depth during self-assessment, targeted during goal setting, a focus for more comprehensive evidence collection, or all of the above. However, the expectation is that by the end of the evaluation cycle, educators and evaluators have gathered and shared a reasonable amount of evidence on every Indicator to support a rating for each Standard.

Benchmarks.  ▪ For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  ▪ For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t measure it, we can’t manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “benchmarks.” Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “who” is doing “what.” Without clarity about what we’re actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “empty” when it is accomplished and won’t serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections.. Administrator Rubric‌

Benchmarks.  For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t measure it, we can’t manage it. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “benchmarks.” Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “who” is doing “what.” Without clarity about what we’re actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “empty” when it is accomplished and won’t serve our students well. T = Timed A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections. Standard I: Instructional Leadership. The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.

Benchmarks.  For process, maintaining a daily record of calorie intake and exercise  For outcome, biweekly weight loss and running distance targets (e.g., After 2 wks: 2 lbs/0 miles; 4 wks: 4 lbs/0 miles; 6 wks: 6lbs/.2 mi; 8 wks: 8 lbs/.4 miles) Goals need to be straightforward and clearly written, with sufficient specificity to determine whether or not they have been achieved. A goal is strategic when it serves an important purpose of the school or district as a whole and addresses something that is likely to have a big impact on our overall vision. If we can’t measure it, we can’t manage it. What W hat measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact will we use to determine that we’ve achieved the goal? And how will we measure progress along the way? Progress toward achieving the goal is typically measured through “benchmarks.” Some benchmarks focus on the process: are we doing what we said we were going to do? Other benchmarks focus on the outcome: are we seeing early signs of progress toward the results? Goals have active, not passive verbs. And the action steps attached to them tell us “who” is doing “what.” Without clarity about what we’re actually going to do to achieve the goal, a goal is only a hope with little chance of being achieved. Making clear the key actions required to achieve a goal helps everyone see how their part of the work is connected—to other parts of the work and to a larger purpose. Knowing that helps people stay focused and energized, rather than fragmented and uncertain. A goal is not an activity: a goal makes clear what will be different as a result of achieving the goal. A goal needs to describe a realistic, yet ambitious result. It needs to stretch the educator, team, school, or district toward improvement but not be out of reach. The focus and effort required to achieve a rigorous but realistic goal should be challenging but not exhausting. Goals set too high will discourage us, whereas goals set too low will leave us feeling “empty” when it is accomplished and won’t serve our students well. A goal needs to have a deadline. Deadlines help all of us take action. For a goal to be accomplished, definite times need to be established when key actions will be completed and benchmarks achieved. Tracking the progress we’re making on our action steps (process benchmarks) is essential: if we fall behind on doing something we said we were going to do, we’ll need to accelerate the pace on something else. But tracking progress on process outcomes isn’t enough. Our outcome benchmarks help us know whether we’re on track to achieve our goal and/or whether we’ve reached our goal. Benchmarks give us a way to see our progress and celebrate it. They also give us information we need to make mid-course corrections.