Frequently Asked Questions
Access Issues
:::tip Full Explanation Access to eVAL turns on in stages as setup completes. For the complete picture — including how to read your Account → User Location/Roles page and why you might have partial access — see Account Status & Access. The quick answers below cover the most common cases. :::
Why do I see "Framework Setup Incomplete"?
Your District Admin hasn't selected an evaluation framework yet. Until at least one framework is selected, only District Admins can access eVAL. All other users see this message:
Your eVAL district admin has not yet completed the framework selection process for performing evaluations in eVAL. Once this is complete, the individual evaluation setup of assigning evaluators and plan types can begin.
Who's affected: School Admins, Evaluators, and Evaluatees (everyone except District Admins)
Resolution: Contact your District Admin to complete framework selection in Evaluation Setup > Evaluation Program Setup.
Why do I see "Evaluation Setup Incomplete"?
You're an evaluatee (teacher or principal being evaluated) and your evaluation hasn't been fully configured. You'll see one or both of these issues listed:
Before you can access eVAL, your evaluation must be fully configured. The following items need to be completed:
- You do not have an evaluator assigned
- You do not have a plan type assigned
Who's affected: Only evaluatees (teachers and principals being evaluated)
Resolution: Contact your administrator to complete both your evaluator assignment and plan type assignment.
I'm an evaluator but I don't see any evaluatees
This is expected if assignments aren't complete yet. Evaluators can access eVAL once the framework is selected, but you won't see evaluatees on your dashboard until those staff members have been:
- Assigned to you as their evaluator
- Given a plan type (Comprehensive or Focused)
Contact your District Admin or School Admin to check on assignment progress.
:::tip Principals Can Often Do This Themselves If your district has delegated assignment responsibility to your school, a principal can complete this setup directly — assigning the evaluator and selecting the plan type for staff at their school in the Assignments area — instead of waiting on the District Admin. If you don't have access to assignments, the district hasn't delegated it to your school. See Assignments & Plan Types. :::
Access requirements summary
| User Type | What They Need | Message If Missing |
|---|---|---|
| District Admin | Nothing | Always has access |
| School Admin | Framework selected | "Framework Setup Incomplete" |
| Evaluators | Framework selected | "Framework Setup Incomplete" |
| Evaluatees | Framework + Evaluator + Plan Type | "Framework Setup Incomplete" or "Evaluation Setup Incomplete" |
Evaluatees (Teachers & Principals)
Why can't I edit my self-assessment?
When you share a self-assessment, it becomes read-only. You can Unlock it yourself to make changes — no evaluator approval needed — and then share it again. See Self-Assessment.
Why can't I edit my student growth goals?
Your goals may be in a locked state. If they've been approved by your evaluator, you'll need to request an unlock to make changes. See Unlock Requests.
When will I see my observation feedback?
After your evaluator sends the Final Report. Depending on your district's settings, you may need to acknowledge it before it's sealed.
Who is my evaluator?
Check your Dashboard or go to My Evaluation. If no evaluator is assigned, contact your administrator.
What artifacts should I submit?
Quality over quantity. Submit evidence that demonstrates your practice with clear context explaining what it shows. See Working with Artifacts.
What's the difference between Comprehensive and Focused evaluation?
- Comprehensive: Evaluates all 8 criteria
- Focused: Evaluates one criterion you select (available after Proficient/Distinguished rating)
See Understanding Your Evaluation.
How do I know what's expected of me?
Your evaluation is based on your district's instructional framework (like Danielson or CEL 5D+). See State Framework for how frameworks connect to Washington's eight criteria.
Evaluators
Why can't I edit an observation?
Observations lock after you send the Final Report. You'll need to request an unlock, which the evaluatee must approve. See Unlock Requests.
Do I need to wait for the evaluatee to acknowledge?
Depends on your district's workflow settings. Some use Simple mode (you complete directly), others use Formal mode (evaluatee must acknowledge). See Completion Modes.
Can I change an evaluatee's plan type mid-year?
Yes, in the Summative section while it's in Draft. See Plan Type Changes for what happens to existing work.
Administrators
Why can't a School Admin change a setting?
The district hasn't enabled school-level override for that setting. Only settings where "Allow Schools to Override" is enabled at the district level can be changed by schools. See Modules and Settings.
Why don't school settings apply to a teacher's evaluation?
Check who the evaluator is. If it's a DTE (district-level evaluator) rather than a school principal, school settings are bypassed. See Settings Inheritance.
Should I delegate assignments to schools?
The "Assignments Delegated" setting is a single toggle per school — when it's on, both School Admins and principals at that school can manage their own evaluator assignments. Useful for large districts; keep it centralized for tighter control. See Assignments & Plan Types.
Can a School Admin assign evaluators?
Only if your district has enabled "Assignments Delegated" for your school. Otherwise, the District Admin manages all assignments. See Assignments & Plan Types.
What prompts and resources will teachers see?
Everything from the district level plus anything added at the school level — the lists combine (additive pattern). See Using Prompts.
Can a District Admin override a locked evaluation?
Yes — District Admins can revert any summative evaluation to Draft without evaluatee approval. This is the only role with that power. See Summative Workflow.
Evaluator dropdown is empty when assigning
- Check that valid evaluators exist at that location (principals must have evaluator role)
- For principals needing evaluation, ensure a DPE exists
How do I reassign an observation to a different evaluator?
This comes up when an evaluator goes on leave and a new evaluator needs to take over. A School Admin can reassign the observation:
- Go to Dashboard → Observation Status tab
- Select the observation to open the Observation Detail section
- Click the Reassign button
- Select the new evaluator
The observation and all its evidence transfer to the new evaluator.
Scoring
How is the Student Growth Impact Rating calculated?
The Student Growth Impact Rating is based on the sum of all Student Growth component scores:
For Teachers (5 components: SG 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 6.2, 8.1):
| Sum | Rating |
|---|---|
| 5–12 | LOW |
| 13–17 | AVERAGE |
| 18–20 | HIGH |
For Principals (3 components: SG 3, SG 5, SG 8):
| Sum | Rating |
|---|---|
| 3–5 | LOW |
| 6–9 | AVERAGE |
| 10–12 | HIGH |
Important: If any Student Growth component receives a score of 1, the Impact Rating is automatically LOW regardless of the total sum.
See Student Growth Scoring for details.
How is the Summative score calculated?
The final Summative score is calculated in two steps:
-
Sum the criteria scores (C1–C8, each scored 1–4):
- 8–14 = Unsatisfactory
- 15–21 = Basic
- 22–28 = Proficient
- 29–32 = Distinguished
-
Apply the Student Growth Impact Rating: If the criteria score is Distinguished but the Student Growth Impact Rating is LOW, the final score is lowered to Proficient.
See Final Score Calculation for the complete process.
Why can't I score rubric components in a Focused evaluation?
In a Focused evaluation, only one criterion is actively evaluated — the other seven criteria carry forward their scores from the evaluatee's last Comprehensive evaluation. Because of this, scoring individual rubric components during evidence collection isn't meaningful for Focused evaluations.
If your district wants to enable component scoring for Focused evaluations, the District Admin can turn on the Allow Focused Rubric Component Scoring setting in the Summative module. See Modules and Settings.
Settings & Configuration
What's the difference between Simple and Formal workflow?
- Simple: The evaluator submits and the report is immediately archived and locked. The evaluatee is notified and can view it.
- Formal: After submission, the evaluatee reviews and acknowledges the report before it's locked.
See Completion Modes.
What does "Allow Schools to Override" mean?
When enabled, School Admins can change that setting for their school. When disabled, only the district setting applies.
What happens if I change a setting mid-year?
Settings apply to new work. Existing observations/evaluations keep their original settings.
Still Need Help?
Contact support at support@stateeval.com.