How does a principal code evidence in the Notes Editor?
Background:
As soon as the observation notes are entered into the Notes Editor, the principal can identify activity that s/he observed and "code it as evidence" of one of the state's criteria or the criteria from the instructional framework.
How to code evidence in the Notes Editor:
Click and drag your mouse over some text that describes some activity that you would like to "code as evidence."
Once the text is highlighted, hover over the components in the toolbar to find the appropriate one that matches the highlighted text. As you mouse over each component, a title for that component will temporarily be displayed. If that is the appropriate component for that activity, click on that component, and it will turn gray. See the image below.
Once you have clicked on a component from the state or instructional framework, a tag for that component number will appear at the beginning and end of the selected text. See the image below.
If you change your mind and decide not to code that activity to the framework:
- click your mouse anywhere on the text between the beginning and ending component tag ... and ...
- click on the component number in the toolbar again to de-select it.
A temporary window will appear, asking you to confirm your decision to remove the coding from the selected text. Click on the green Yes button to confirm your decision, or click on Cancel to back out of this window without making any changes. If you confirm your decision, the text will revert to its original status. Refer to the two following images.
The same segment of text can be coded to more than one component in the state or instructional framework. Select it once, and then click on all of the components in the toolbar that are appropriate for that segment of text. (In the image below, the last sentence in the first paragraph were coded to P2 and P5 of the CEL framework. Notice that there are two different black tags that appear before that segment, and the same two tags in a gray color at the end of the segment of text.
As you code your notes, you will notice that the Rubric Navigator on the right side of the screen is tracking the number of times you code some activity to the domains in your instructional framework (or the state framework, if that is displayed).
Continue coding your observation notes as necessary.
Read the next article to learn how a principal adds an artifact and links it to an observation.