Research consistently finds that teachers are the most important school-level factor affecting student achievement, with school leaders being the second. Critical to improving classroom and school performance is a robust human capital strategy at the district level. An integral component of such strategies is the development, implementation and adherence to effective evaluation systems. Quality evaluation systems must be more than compliance with a set of policies. The most effective systems are formative in nature and require a deep understanding and recognition of research based practices. Given the greater emphasis at the state and national level on educator effectiveness, this timely session is one you shouldn’t miss.