Virginia Teaching Evaluation & Professional Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Virginia's Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria, which domain specifically addresses a teacher's ability to use data to drive instructional decisions?
- Planning and Assessment (Correct answer)
- Classroom Management
- Instructional Delivery
- Professionalism
Correct answer: Planning and Assessment
Planning and Assessment is the domain in Virginia's evaluation framework that encompasses using data and assessment results to inform and adjust instruction.
Question 2: A Virginia teacher receives a 'Developing' rating on their summative evaluation. What is the most likely required next step under Virginia's evaluation guidelines?
- Immediate dismissal proceedings
- A professional improvement plan (PIP) collaboratively developed with the evaluator (Correct answer)
- Automatic reassignment to a different grade level
- Loss of licensure pending review by VDOE
Correct answer: A professional improvement plan (PIP) collaboratively developed with the evaluator
A 'Developing' rating typically triggers the creation of a Professional Improvement Plan (PIP) to support the teacher in reaching proficiency.
Question 3: Which organization primarily accredits educator preparation programs (EPPs) in Virginia to ensure they meet national quality standards?
- VDOE's Office of Licensure
- CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) (Correct answer)
- NCATE independently
- The Virginia Board of Education directly
Correct answer: CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)
CAEP is the national accrediting body for educator preparation programs, and Virginia EPPs seeking accreditation pursue CAEP approval.
Question 4: A mentor teacher in Virginia's Beginning Teacher Support (BTSA) program notices their mentee is struggling with pacing lessons. The MOST effective mentoring response is to:
- Report the concern immediately to the principal for the formal evaluation record
- Co-plan a lesson together and then co-teach it so the mentee can observe pacing strategies in action (Correct answer)
- Provide a written list of pacing techniques and ask the mentee to implement them independently
- Recommend the mentee take an online course on lesson planning
Correct answer: Co-plan a lesson together and then co-teach it so the mentee can observe pacing strategies in action
Co-planning and co-teaching provides a supportive, hands-on coaching experience that directly addresses the skill gap in a real classroom context.
Question 5: A teacher's personal learning network (PLN) is BEST described as:
- The group of students a teacher is responsible for each year
- A formal committee established by the school division for curriculum review
- A self-directed, informal collection of connections and resources a teacher curates to support ongoing professional growth (Correct answer)
- The mandatory professional development hours tracked by VDOE for licensure renewal
Correct answer: A self-directed, informal collection of connections and resources a teacher curates to support ongoing professional growth
A PLN is a self-curated, informal network—often including social media, blogs, and peers—that educators use to drive their own continuous learning.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a pre-observation conference in Virginia's teacher evaluation process?
- For the evaluator to inform the teacher of the specific rating they are expected to receive
- To allow the teacher to share the lesson plan, objectives, and context so the evaluator can observe with informed focus (Correct answer)
- To review the teacher's prior year evaluation scores before observing
- To allow the teacher to request a different evaluator if they disagree with previous feedback
Correct answer: To allow the teacher to share the lesson plan, objectives, and context so the evaluator can observe with informed focus
The pre-observation conference is a planning conversation where the teacher provides context about the upcoming lesson, helping the evaluator observe meaningfully.
Question 7: Professional development that is considered 'job-embedded' is characterized by:
- Off-site conferences attended during summer break
- Online courses completed outside of contract hours
- Learning that occurs within the daily work of teaching, such as coaching cycles, lesson study, or collaborative planning (Correct answer)
- Annual workshops mandated by the school division on a single topic
Correct answer: Learning that occurs within the daily work of teaching, such as coaching cycles, lesson study, or collaborative planning
Job-embedded PD is integrated into teachers' regular professional practice and occurs within the school day, making it immediately applicable to their work.
Virginia Teaching Evaluation & Professional Development 2
Under Virginia's Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria, which domain specifically addresses a teacher's ability to use data to drive instructional decisions?