Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Excellence: The Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric in Action

Meet Kendra Salvador, the Executive Director at Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Excellence in Springfield, Massachusetts. Kendra was getting feedback from her teachers that coaching was vague or lacked clarity. Teachers were unsure about how the feedback they were receiving from coaches was supposed to look in action in their classrooms. In addition, teachers were evaluated on a different rubric than what was used in their coaching. Teachers were experiencing a disconnect between the coaching they were receiving and the experiences teaching in their classroom. 

Kendra discovered the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric, and was immediately impressed by the tool’s clarity, simplicity, and coherence. Kendra decided to adopt the rubric in her school, and have it replace the different rubrics in use for coaching and evaluation. 

A key factor in her decision was the rubric’s focus on both teacher inputs and student outputs, a feature Kendra believes is crucial for effective instruction. Kendra noted that during initial walkthroughs, teachers saw firsthand how a lesson that appeared successful on the surface might be assessed as less effective when student engagement and learning were also considered. Kendra also appreciates the rubric’s Core Teacher Skills (CTS), which provide concrete and specific language that allows teachers and coaches to collaboratively identify a clear goal for a coaching cycle.

Kendra has taken a thoughtful, phased approach to introducing the rubric to her school. 

• Pilot and Buy-in: First, Kendra brought the rubric to her Instructional Leadership Team, which includes leaders and teachers. After reviewing it and conducting a few instructional walks with the Hendy Rubric, the team’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They agreed that it was clearer and more practical than their previous tools.
• Strategic Alignment: Before introducing the rubric to the broader staff, Kendra meticulously aligned the Hendy Rubric indicators with the school’s strategic priorities for the year, including their focus on Responsive Classroom principles. This ensured that all school-wide initiatives were cohesive and mutually supportive.
• Gradual Rollout: Kendra previewed the rubric with teachers during summer professional development. This preview included an overview of the plan for coaches to use the rubric after the first observation to co-identify a coaching cycle goal with each teacher.
• Creating a Coherent System: The Instructional Excellence Rubric is now the single tool used for both coaching and formal evaluation. To support the evaluation process, Kendra added a fifth domain to the rubric to encompass professionalism, which includes items like reflection and attendance. The evaluation forms are housed on the Vector platform, ensuring all documentation is streamlined.

Kendra’s plan for the rubric at MLKCS centers on calibration and development to ensure the new system works as intended. This includes:

• Regular Calibration: The academic leadership team will meet at least twice a month to conduct calibration exercises. This is a critical step to ensure that all leaders—from the principal to the director of special education—are using the rubric consistently and providing teachers with a unified message.
• Building a Culture of Transparency: The rubric and calibration exercises will be “live” in meetings with both the academic leadership team and teacher PLCs. This approach is intended to demystify the evaluation process and empower teachers to take ownership of their own professional growth, regardless of who their coach is.

Stay tuned for future installments on the first year of implementation at MLKCS. Thank you, Kendra, for sharing your feedback and experiences with us! 

Interested in implementing the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric at your school or district? Reach out to Jess or schedule a call!