The Marzano Evaluation Center gives district and school leaders a research-backed evaluation system their teachers trust, their boards can defend, and their state will approve — without the complexity that derails implementation.
RESEARCH FINDING
Largest predictor of student growth
Teacher observation score was the strongest predictor of student growth
Basileo & Toth, Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 2019 · 12,000+ teachers · Florida
DATASETS
277,000+ classroom observations
The largest dataset linking observation scores to student growth on state assessments
Applied Research Center 2012-2018
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME GAP
47% lecture · 4.2% complex tasks
If your evaluation model isn’t surfacing this gap, it’s measuring compliance – not growth
Applied Research Center 2023 · Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model
WHAT WE DO
A Complete Evaluation System — for Every Role in Your District
Four aligned frameworks. One shared language. When every role is evaluated against the same vision of effective instruction, growth compounds through every level of the organization.
Not sure which model fits your team?
WHY IT MATTERS
When Evaluation Works, it Changes What Happens in Classrooms.
And That Changes What's Possible for Kids.
When the framework is rigorous, specific, and tied to growth — when observers have the language and training to give teachers feedback they can act on — the effect travels through every level.
WHY DISTRICTS CHOOSE MARZANO EVALUATION CENTER
A Teacher Evaluation Framework Built to Drive Growth — Not Generate Paperwork
Data from over 277,000 classroom observations found that 47% of instructional time goes to lecture, practice, and review — while only 4.2% involves the cognitively complex tasks rigorous standards require. If your evaluation model isn’t surfacing that gap, it’s measuring compliance, not growth.
01
Teacher Buy-In
Most districts hit a wall in year one — not from lack of effort, but because teachers experience evaluation as something done to them, not for them. The Marzano evaluation model is built around a different principle: rigorous, objective, and actionable feedback tied to growth, not just a rating.
Scoring consistency
Dr. Marzano endorsed observer certification ensures inter-rater agreement — results hold up under scrutiny by teachers, unions, or boards.
Competency-based scoring
Developmental performance scales focus on improvement — evaluation becomes a growth tool, not a compliance checkpoint.
02
State Compliance
Evaluation requirements shift. As a valued partner we provide the alignment resources between your state model and our evaluation models.
“The Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model really activated teachers to think about their practice and growing as professionals. It helps us instill that kind of thinking — that we are all constantly striving for growth and creating the right environment for it.”
Sara Maline
Principal, Arizona School for the Arts
03
Board Defensibility
When evaluation results are questioned — by a teacher, a union rep, or a board member — you need data that holds up. Master scoring process provides consistency and inter-rater agreement across every observer in your system, producing results that are defensible because they’re built on research-backed criteria and evidence.
Inter-rater agreement
Rigorous observer training ensures two observers score the same classroom observation the same way — results reflect teacher and student performance, not observer variation.
Research-backed scoring
Every score is tied to specific teacher and student evidence — not observer opinion — only clear documented data and rationale.
Districtwide data in one place
iObservation gives administrators real-time visibility into patterns across every school — no more guess work when planning PD and no surprises that could create a legal or HR problem.
04
Specialists, Not Generalists
Many ed-tech companies sell books, events, curriculum, and evaluation — a wide catalog with thin expertise in each. Marzano Evaluation Center does one thing. That focus means our evaluation specialists understand the implementation challenges at a depth generalists can’t match. We don’t hand you a framework and walk away.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before You Choose an Evaluation System
Answers to the questions district leaders ask most before choosing an evaluation system.
What is the Marzano Evaluation Center?
The Marzano Evaluation Center gives district and school leaders a research-backed evaluation system designed in partnership with Dr. Marzano. It combines evaluation frameworks, professional development, and iObservation software into one connected system, and is trusted by districts in over 30 states.
What evaluation models does the Marzano Evaluation Center offer?
The Marzano Evaluation Center offers four aligned evaluation models covering every role in a district: the Focused Teacher Evaluation Model with 23 competencies, the School Leader Evaluation Model with 21 elements across 6 domains, the Support Staff Evaluation Model with 17 competencies across 4 domains, and the District Leader Evaluation Model with 6 domains. All four share one common language of effective instruction.
Is the Marzano Evaluation Center's evaluation system research-backed?
Yes. Research published in Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation in 2019, based on a study of over 12,000 teachers in Florida, found that teacher observation score was the strongest predictor of student growth. Additional research from the Applied Research Center, drawn from more than 277,000 classroom observations, links observation scores to student growth on state assessments and informs the framework's design.
Which districts use the Marzano Evaluation Center's models?
The Marzano evaluation system is active in over 30 states and is used across rural, suburban, urban, charter, and private school contexts.
How does the Marzano Evaluation Center support state compliance?
Evaluation requirements vary by state and change over time. The Marzano Evaluation Center provides alignment resources between each state's evaluation requirements and its own evaluation models, so districts do not have to rebuild their system when requirements shift.
What makes the Marzano Evaluation Center different from other evaluation providers?
The Marzano Evaluation Center focuses exclusively on educator evaluation, rather than offering it as one item in a wider catalog of books, events, and curriculum. Its model uses competency-based scoring designed to support teacher buy-in and professional growth, and its scoring process is built for consistency and inter-rater agreement so results hold up to scrutiny from teachers, unions, or school boards.
Ready to build an evaluation system your teachers will actually trust?
Talk to one of our specialists about your district's goals, timeline, and current system. No pitch decks. No pressure.
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