This "Rating a Teacher Observation Tool" identifies five simple questions and provides an easy-to-use scorecard to help policymakers decide whether an observation framework is likely to produce fair and accurate results. The five questions are: (1) Do the criteria and tools cover the classroom performance areas most connected to student outcomes? (2) Do the criteria and tools set high performance expectations for teachers, or do they settle for minimally acceptable performance? (3) Are the performance expectations for teachers clear and precise? (4) Are the criteria and tools student-centered, requiring evaluators to look for direct evidence of student engagement and learning? and (5) Are the criteria and tools concise enough for teachers and evaluators to understand thoroughly and use easily?