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PART OF THE MARZANO EVALUATION SYSTEM

Marzano Focused Support Staff Evaluation Model

Counselors, psychologists, media specialists, coaches, and other certificated support staff shape student outcomes every day — yet most evaluation systems treat them as an afterthought, forcing a teacher rubric onto roles it was never designed to assess.

The Marzano Focused Non-Classroom Instructional Support Personnel Evaluation Model is a framework that evaluates certificated nonclassroom staff (counselors, coaches, specialists, and more) across 4 domains and 17 elements. The support staff model is grounded in the same research foundation as the teacher model, aligned to the same language, and designed to make support staff evaluation fair and growthoriented, reflecting the actual work each role does.

THE PROBLEM WITH SUPPORT STAFF RUBRICS

They don’t treat support roles as professionals

When counselors and specialists are evaluated using only teacher observation forms, the result is frustration, inaccurate scoring, and evaluations that provide no meaningful feedback. This model is built to grow non-classroom support staff in what they actually do.

SCOPE

4 domains · 17 elements

Built on three decades of research connecting district and school administrator behaviors to teacher practices and student achievement outcomes — updated in 2018 to reflect current evidence

IMPLEMENTATION FLEXIBILITY

Standalone or integrated

Can be implemented independently or alongside the other Marzano models. When used together, support staff and teachers share a common language of instructional effectiveness — so collaboration between roles is grounded in the same framework.

DESIGNED FOR THESE ROLES

Built for the professionals who support instruction without leading it.

This model is designed for certificated staff members who support instruction at the school or district level but don’t have day-today teaching schedules with specific student groups. If any of these roles exist in your district without a fair, role-specific evaluation framework, this model is built for them.

1

Counselors & Psychologists

School counselors, social workers, and psychologists whose work supports students and classroom teachers.

2

Media Specialists & Librarians

Staff who support literacy, research skills, and access to resources across the school.

3

Instructional Coaches & Specialists

Coaches, curriculum specialists, and instructional support staff who develop teachers.

4

Technology Teachers

Technology integration specialists and technology teachers whose role spans support and instruction across multiple classrooms and grade levels.

5

Other district personnel required to hold a teaching certificate

Any certificated support role that doesn't fit the teacher model — therapists, intervention specialists, and district-level support personnel whose work touches student outcomes but may not deliver direct classroom instruction.

THE FRAMEWORK

4 domains. 17 elements. Built around what support staff actually do.

The model cycles through the full arc of support staff professional practice — from planning and goal-setting, through direct student support, to ongoing professional growth and school-wide professional responsibilities. Domain 2 includes optional instructional elements for roles where some classroom instruction applies.

1

Planning and Preparing to Provide Support

Establishes the foundation of effective support work — clear goals, alignment to school and district priorities, and purposeful use of available resources.

  • Establishing and communicating clear goals for supporting services
  • Helping the school or district achieve its goals
  • Using available resources effectively
2

Supporting Student Achievement

The core of the model — how support staff directly and indirectly contribute to student learning outcomes. Includes optional instructional elements for applicable roles.

  • Demonstrating knowledge of students
  • Helping students meet achievement goals
  • If applicable: Planning standards-based lessons or units
  • If applicable: Identifying critical content
  • If applicable: Using questioning strategies
  • If applicable: Facilitating groups
  • If applicable: Managing student behavior
  • If applicable: Using engagement strategies

Optional elements are included only where the role involves direct instructional delivery.

3

Continuous Improvement of Professional Practice

Mirrors the reflective growth cycle built into the teacher model — self-evaluation, data-informed improvement, and ongoing professional development tied to student outcomes.

  • Reflecting and evaluating personal performance
  • Using data and feedback to support changes to professional practice
4

Professional Responsibilities

The broader professional commitments that connect support staff to the school and district community — the same categories present in the teacher model, adapted to the support role context.

  • Demonstrating knowledge of professional practice and area of expertise
  • Promoting positive interactions with colleagues and community
  • Adhering to school and district policies and procedures
  • If applicable: Supporting and participating in school and district initiatives critical content
ALIGNMENT TO THE MARZANO EVALUATION SYSTEM

Same language. Different role. Stronger school.

When counselors and coaches are evaluated using the same foundation as the teachers they work alongside, something important happens: the professional conversations between them become more substantive. A counselor who understands the instructional elements teachers are being evaluated on can have a more targeted conversation about a struggling student. A coach who shares the same language as the evaluation framework can give feedback that reinforces — rather than contradicts — what teachers are hearing from their principals. That’s the case for alignment. And it’s what this model makes possible.

Educators discussing student evaluation criteria
  • Demonstrating knowledge of students
  • Sample evidence statements for each element to guide evaluators and district leaders
  • Direct domain-to-domain alignment with the Focused School Leader Evaluation Model
  • Professional development for evaluators on calibration and evidence-based scoring
  • Can function as a growth model, an evaluation model, or both — flexible to your district's current context
  • iObservation integration available for data collection, reporting, and growth planning

Ready to build an evaluation system your teachers will actually trust?

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Also in the Marzano evaluation system