What is a classroom walkthrough?

A classroom walkthrough is a short unannounced classroom visit by an administrator looking at how specific schoolwide goals are being implemented at the classroom level. 

What is the purpose of a classroom walkthrough?

• Support educator development and self efficacy through formative, non-evaluative feedback aligned to school and district priorities.

• Collect evidence of practice to inform site and central office professional development planning.

• Celebrate effective practices and foster professional collaboration around instruction.

• Provide site leaders and central office leaders with ongoing opportunities to observe instruction and reflect on instructional practices.

Does an administrator have a right to drop in on my class?

Yes. Administrators can come into classrooms unannounced. They should not disturb or distract from teaching and learning.

Are administrators provided a template to ensure their attention remains focused on specific goals/issues?

Yes. Administrators are using a technology web based platform called Bullseye which was created to facilitate walkthroughs and feedback to educators.

What are the benefits of using Bullseye as opposed to some other note taking tool?

Unlike general observation tools or evaluation platforms, Bullseye is designed specifically for informal walkthroughs. It was built to support teacher growth and instructional leadership that is non-evaluative, formative, and centered on teaching and learning. Because Bullseye is not tied to HR systems or formal evaluation platforms, it helps maintain a clear boundary between informal feedback and official evaluation. It automatically delivers feedback directly to your inbox — no extra logins required,  and organizes observations for follow-up conversations.

This will also help with consistency between sites since the same tools will be utilized across the district. The tool puts constraints on what the administrator is observing to ensure conversations are focused on specific teaching and learning objectives.

How will data on individual teachers be shared and how will it be utilized 'individually'?

The data collected through informal walkthroughs is intended solely to support instructional growth and professional learning. It is not connected to any personnel decisions or formal evaluation processes.

When a classroom walkthrough includes a teacher's name, the observation notes are shared directly and privately with that teacher via an email from the Bullseye system. This is meant to support reflection and transparency. The data is not stored in any official personnel file, is not shared with Human Resources, and does not factor into the formal evaluation cycle.

Beyond the individual level, Bullseye allows the District to look at patterns across classrooms, schools, and our district  to understand what kinds of support and professional development might be helpful. Names are not attached to this trend data.

How long should I expect an administrator to be in my class as part of the walkthrough?

Each observation lasts at least 10 minutes per classroom, with a specific focus on language arts curriculum implementation (K-5), and constructing meaning instructional practice (6-12).

Which classrooms will walkthroughs occur in?

Classroom walkthroughs occur in various grade levels and content areas including release classes at elementary.

Will I be informed ahead of time that a walkthrough is occurring?

If it is only your administrator visiting your class, this will generally not be scheduled ahead of time. If there are other guests like someone from the district office, you will receive prior notice.

How often will classroom walkthroughs happen?

It is hard to know the first year but each administrator should be doing around 60 in total a year.

Do I need to prepare for a walkthrough?

No. You should teach exactly as you had planned.

What kind of feedback will I get?

You should get a pdf of the notes emailed to you right away and a follow up conversation within 2 work days.

Will I need to log into Bullseye to see any feedback?

No, but you will have access if you want to log into the platform.\

Where and when will the follow up conversations occur?

The follow up conversation should happen during your prep, before or after school but not while you are with students within 2 days.

How will the administrative walkthrough notes be analyzed? 

Bullseye allows for analysis sitewide and districtwide and will help inform future PD foci and collaborative conversations.

Will the administrative walkthrough notes go on my record?

No. These notes are for you and your administrator and are not shared with HR.

How is the administrative walkthroughs different from the evaluation process?

Walkthroughs are not evaluative. The formal evaluation process follows the evaluation timeline with a Form A conversation, two or three formal observations of at least 20 minutes each and a Form B conversation afterwards. Walkthroughs are short informal observations to foster pedagogical conversations, understand how the site is meeting its goals and are not used in the formal evaluation process.