AI-Powered Observations for Pennsylvania Principals
Pennsylvania evaluates teachers using PA Framework.
Generate feedback aligned to the Pennsylvania Framework for Observation and Practice in seconds - built for Pennsylvania principals conducting Act 13 evaluations.
Education in Pennsylvania
Education Landscape
Pennsylvania is the sixth-largest state education system in the country, serving approximately 1.7 million students across 500 school districts and nearly 2,700 public schools, supported by over 109,000 teachers. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) oversees educator effectiveness through Act 13 of 2020 (which revised the original Act 82 of 2012), establishing a statewide teacher evaluation system built on the Pennsylvania Observation and Practice Framework for Teaching.
Observation Requirements
Under Act 13 of 2020 (Educator Effectiveness), Pennsylvania requires formal classroom observations as a core component of teacher evaluation. Observation and professional practice account for 70% of the summative rating for tenured classroom teachers. Temporary professional employees (non-tenured) must be evaluated at least twice annually, while professional employees (tenured) with satisfactory ratings are evaluated no more than once annually. Tenured educators with two consecutive Proficient or Distinguished ratings may enter Differentiated Supervision. All observations use the Pennsylvania Observation and Practice Framework rubric, and teachers are rated on the Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, and Distinguished scale.
State policy facts verified 2026-06-01 against the official source. View the official policy
Framework Spotlight
Supported Frameworks in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania mandates its own Observation and Practice Framework for Teaching as the state evaluation instrument under Act 13 of 2020. The framework was adapted from the Danielson Framework for Teaching but is Pennsylvania's own instrument, not Danielson directly. Classroom observation and professional practice account for 70% of a tenured teacher's overall summative rating under Act 13, making high-quality observation feedback essential. Observation Copilot supports the Pennsylvania Observation and Practice Framework, helping principals map notes to domains and generate rubric-aligned feedback.
Why Observation Copilot
Built for Pennsylvania School Leaders
Aligned to the PA Framework
Observation Copilot maps your notes to the four domains of the Pennsylvania Framework for Observation and Practice - Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities.
Act 13 Ready
Generate observation feedback that aligns directly to Pennsylvania's Act 13 requirements - organized by framework domains with evidence, ratings, and next steps.
Trusted by PA School Leaders
From Philadelphia School District to Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pennsylvania principals rely on Observation Copilot to speed up their framework-based evaluations.
How Observation Copilot Helps
AI-powered observations for Pennsylvania
Paste your observation notes. Copilot maps your evidence to Pennsylvania's framework and drafts structured, rubric-aligned feedback - ready to review and share.
- Maps observation notes directly to the four Pennsylvania framework domains required by Act 13
- Generates rubric-aligned summaries with evidence from your classroom scripting
- Suggests ratings on the Failing to Distinguished scale used in PA evaluations
- Creates targeted next steps tied to specific PA framework components
- Reduces post-observation write-up time from 45 minutes to under 10
What Educators Say
Trusted Nationwide
School leaders in Pennsylvania and across the country use Observation Copilot to turn raw observation notes into PA Framework-aligned feedback in minutes - saving hours every week and giving teachers faster, more specific next steps.
See all testimonialsFrequently Asked Questions
Pennsylvania observation FAQ
- What teacher evaluation framework does Pennsylvania use?
- Pennsylvania uses its own Observation and Practice Framework for Teaching under Act 13 of 2020. It was adapted from the Danielson Framework for Teaching but is Pennsylvania's own instrument.
- How much do observations count in Pennsylvania?
- Classroom observation and professional practice account for 70% of a tenured classroom teacher's overall summative rating under Act 13, making high-quality observation feedback essential.
- How often are Pennsylvania teachers evaluated?
- Temporary professional (non-tenured) employees must be evaluated at least twice annually, while tenured employees with satisfactory ratings are evaluated no more than once annually. Tenured educators with two consecutive Proficient or Distinguished ratings may enter Differentiated Supervision.
- How are Pennsylvania teachers rated?
- Teachers are rated on a four-level scale: Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, and Distinguished.
- Can Observation Copilot generate Pennsylvania-aligned feedback?
- Yes. Observation Copilot supports the Pennsylvania Observation and Practice Framework, helping principals map notes to domains and generate rubric-aligned feedback.
Related Reading
Resources for Pennsylvania Principals
50 Teacher Observation Feedback Examples (Organized by Framework Domain)
50 specific teacher observation feedback examples organized by framework domain, each tied to evidence and a next step principals can use.
Read more
Planning the 2026-2027 Teacher Observation Cycle: A Summer Checklist
A principal's summer checklist for the 2026-2027 teacher observation cycle - calendars, calibration, policy updates, and the tools that hold up.
Read more
Walkthroughs vs. Formal Observations: When Each One Helps and When It Hurts
Walkthroughs and formal observations serve different purposes. Here's how principals balance both in a coaching cycle that actually grows teachers.
Read more
End-of-Year Teacher Evaluations: A Principal's Summative Review Guide
How principals can write fair, evidence-based end-of-year teacher evaluations - without the last-minute scramble or recency bias.
Read more
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