1. DCPS-TNTP IMPACT Conference:
Focus on the Master Educator Role
April 2011

2. 2© The New Teacher Project 2010
Master Educators are a highly selective corps of master teachers
with content area expertise, and a track record of success in low-
income schools.
• A total of 42 Master Educators
specialize in:
• Secondary core content areas
• Upper and lower elementary
• MEs are recruited internally and
externally, hailing from D.C., 13 states,
Puerto Rico, and Mexico
• MEs have a proven track record of
success in low-income schools
• ME salary: $92,000 - $97,000

3. 3© The New Teacher Project 2010
Their primary responsibilities are to evaluate and support teachers
at schools across the district.
• Each ME conducts about 200
observations per year.
• Teacher are observed 5 times per year for
evaluation purposes, and MEs conduct 2
of those observations.
• Rate teachers on all 9 TEACH standards
during each 30+ minute observation
• Provide written explanations of ratings
and guidance for growth, based on a
detailed, multi-page template
• Conduct post-observation conferences
Evaluate Teachers Support Teachers
•Provide specific guidance in post-observation
conferences, including feedback and resources to
develop each of the 9 TEACH standards.
•Hold weekly, informal “office hours”
•Conduct subject-specific “study groups”
•Provide additional support through informal
mentoring

4. 4© The New Teacher Project 2010
DCPS looks for specific core competencies in their Master Educators.
Core Selection
Competency
Description
Core Values/Beliefs Ethical, commitment to equity
Professional Expertise Content knowledge, pedagogy, professional
development
Entrepreneurial Spirit Self-starter, independent, flexible, success under
adverse conditions
Interpersonal/
Communication Skills
Relate one-on-one with others, work in group,
engaging presence
Problem Solving/Critical
Thinking/Prioritizing Skills
Prioritizing in multiple scenarios, analyze data,
respond quickly to changing situations
Writing Skills Write clearly and correctly, write quickly, write
analytically, write in a manner appropriate for
situation
Personal Development Self awareness, continuous improvement, open to
feedback

5. 5© The New Teacher Project 2010
In order to find high-quality candidates, DCPS uses a variety of
strategies to recruit Master Educators.
Within DCPS
•DCPS Teachers with Highly Effective ratings
•Recommendations from administrators, existing MEs, and other
teachers.
Outside of DCPS
•Focus on 100 mile radius, but also recruit in major U.S. urban areas.
•Target State and National Award Winners: National and State
Teachers of the Year, Milken Award, Presidential Math and Science
Award
•Professional organizations and alumni networks: National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards, National Association for the
Education of Young Children, Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, Teach for America
•Internet sources

6. 6© The New Teacher Project 2010
Master Educator applicants undergo a rigorous five-step selection
process.
Step 1: Paper Application
(1500+ applicants)
Step 2: Phone Interview
(700+ candidates)
Step 3: Content Phone Interview
Step 4: In-Person Panel Interview
(300+ candidates)
Step 4: Interview with Director of
Teaching Human Capital
DCPS considered a pool of
more than 1,500 applicants
to fill 42 Master Educator
positions.

7. 7© The New Teacher Project 2010
The panel interview is an in-person, all day interview, designed to
assess all of a Master Educator’s major responsibilities.
Teach a 10-minute
mini-lesson
Rate a classroom video
according to the
Teaching and Learning
Framework, and write
comments
Facilitate a mock post-
observation conference
based on the video
A small group
problem-solving
exercise
Analyze student
achievement data

8. 8© The New Teacher Project 2010
Once hired, Master Educators play a critical role in IMPACT, and
DCPS invests heavily in their training and support.
• Three weeks of rubric
analysis, video norming,
report writing, and post
observation conference
practice
• Two weeks of practice
observations using summer
school classrooms.
• One week of logistics training
and teacher resource
development
• Provided by Master Educator
Directors and senior Master
Educators
• Data analysis
• Master educator professional
development
• Resource development
• Teacher professional
development planning
• Mentoring and problem-
solving in senior master
educator cohorts
6 Week Summer
Institute
Ongoing Support

9. 9© The New Teacher Project 2010
Two full-time staff oversee the Master Educator program—a Director and
an Assistant Director focused on professional development—in addition
to 6 full-time operational and administrative staff.
Director
(1 FTE)
Senior MEs
(6 FTEs)
MEs
(42 FTEs)
Coordinator for
Operations
(1 FTEs)
Assistants
(3 FTEs)
Assistant Director
for PD
(1 FTE)
Coordinator for PD
(1FTE)
ME Team Responsibilities
• Plan and execute initial six-week ME training
• Provide ongoing ME training throughout year
• Manage operational details related to conducting 7,500 observations
• Plan and execute ME-provided professional development for teachers
• Coordinate use of MEs throughout the organization

10. 10© The New Teacher Project 2010
The Master Educator program requires significant operational
assistance from DCPS central office.
• Maintaining updated schedules for over 3600 teachers
• Coordinating and scheduling the 3,600 announced observations that ME’s
conduct at the beginning of each year.
• Assisting with scheduling of post-observation conferences
• Investigating teacher challenges to ME scores
• Coordinating ME communications (e.g., weekly newsletter, Google Site)
• Providing technological support with the IMPACT platform
• Gathering and verifying data for team and school system accountability purposes
• Providing logistical support for training institute, weekly meetings, and special
events
• Provide human resources support (e.g., processing forms, documenting time)

11. 11© The New Teacher Project 2010
Like all DCPS staff, Master Educators are evaluated annually.
Rating accuracy
Written reports
Post-observation
conferences
Facilitation of
professional
development
Communication
and collaboration
Dependability and
professionalism
What?
“Ride-alongs”
Analysis of written
reports
Observations of
professional
development
Data review
How?

12. 12© The New Teacher Project 2010
Key Lessons on the Master Educator Role, Synthesized by TNTP.
Prioritize the Master Educator role. As objective observers and instructional
coaches, Master Educators play pivotal roles in IMPACT. DCPS recognized this
and invested heavily in their training and support.
The Master Educator role was originally designed to also focus heavily on
professional development, but doing observations and giving feedback takes
up so much time that the role was narrowed. Don’t underestimate the time it
takes to provide targeted, quality feedback and support to hundreds of teachers
each year.
In Year 2, to ensure the most accurate scores, DCPS moved away from having
the first ME observations be announced. Now they are both unannounced.
Master Educators provide an important check on principals and their
observations, protecting against rating inflation and deflation.
As objective observers that are not linked to a single campus, Master
Educators give credibility to the system because of their expertise and their
ability to give teachers high quality feedback