Teacher evaluation has emerged as a key strategy for improving student outcomes in public education. The rationale is compelling: teachers vary widely in their effectiveness, and evaluation systems need to identify and address this variation. Performance evaluations have historically been largely perfunctory: no meaningful feedback is provided, no improvement expectations are established, and no positive or negative consequences flow from high or low ratings. In the last two years, most states have adopted new policies governing teacher evaluations, including requirements to factor student achievement gains into individual teacher evaluations. The field is consumed with implementing these policies, moving quickly from design to pilot to full-scale implementation. This guide is designed as a practical toolkit for organizing the process, elevating important issues, and elucidating the tensions and trade-offs that need to be resolved. Appended are: (1) Categories of Evaluation Information; and (2) Participant List. (Contains 16 templates.) [For the companion report, "Means to an End: A Guide to Developing Teacher Evaluation Systems That Support Growth and Development. Templates and Worksheets," see ED528903.]