Florida School District Adopts Teacher Effectiveness Platform

Flagler County Public Schools (FCPS) is the latest district in Florida to adopt a teacher effectiveness platform to complement its implementation of Charlotte Danielson's 2013 Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument (FFT).

The goal of the district's implementation is to conduct fair and reliable teacher evaluations and use those evaluations to help teachers and administrators engage in collaborative professional development opportunities and ultimately improve teacher effectiveness.

Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument "identifies those aspects of a teacher's responsibilities that have been documented through empirical studies and theoretical research as promoting improved student learning," according to the framework document. The 2013 edition of the FFT has been revised to reflect the implications of the Common Core State Standards on teaching practice.

To assist with teacher evaluations based on the FFT, the the district is implementing two tools from the Teachscape effectiveness platform: Teachscape Focus and Teachscape Reflect. Teachscape Focus is an observation training and assessment system, and the tool is intended to help administrators and teachers develop their understanding of the FFT. Teachscape Reflect is a teacher observation and evaluation management system. According to the company, Teachscape Reflect "will help administrators and teachers focus on specific areas in which teachers can build their skills and collaborate on their professional learning, at both the individual and school level."

"Evaluations are done with teachers, not to teachers," said Vernon Orndorff, Race to the Top coordinator for Flagler County Public Schools, in a prepared statement. "We recognize that teacher evaluations are a high-stakes process and we want to do everything possible to ensure they are conducted collaboratively in a fair and reliable way."

Other Florida school districts that have implemented the Teachscape teacher effeciveness platform include Duval County Public Schools, Escambia County School District, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Liberty County School District, Sumter County School District, and Washington County School District.

Flagler County Public Schools is located in Bunnell, FL and serves more than 12,500 K-12 students in 15 schools and one virtual school.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • glowing shield hovers above a digital cloud platform with abstract data streams and cloud icons in the background

    Google to Acquire Cloud Security Firm Wiz in $32 Billion Deal

    Google has announced it will acquire cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion. If completed, the acquisition — an all-cash deal — would mark the largest in Google's history.

  • group of educators working on computer

    Improve Teacher-Student Satisfaction by Removing Procurement Obstacles

    Intuitive tools help teachers gain flexibility and control over purchases, and more time back for doing what they love.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."