Professional growth and evaluation processes are highly interrelated because ongoing professional development is the key to successful employee evaluations. Evaluations reflect the extent to which employees are meeting job performance expectations. Comprehensive evaluation systems are processes for teachers, administrators, and other educators that give priority to professional development. These systems also recognize and appreciate the unique contexts in which different educators work.

Each PACES Domain and associated assessment indicator(s) is explained using a text passage and a video vignette. The vignettes are included for PACES Domains I-IV for each assessment indicator required for the annual evaluation of all M-DCPS teachers. Each Vignette provides an example of a good teaching and learning sequence that addresses the indicator in a classroom. The vignettes were developed by volunteer teachers and students from drama and TV production classes at M-DCPS, Cutler Ridge Middle School.

After viewing a video vignette, teachers may find it helpful to their personal growth and learning to envision how this PACES assessment indicator would play out in their classroom(s). Teachers are encouraged to work with one or more colleagues to discuss how a given PACES assessment indicator might be addressed in different classrooms.