The ultimate goal of teacher evaluation systems is to improve the quality of instruction by clarifying expectations for effective teaching and helping teachers meet those expectations through high-quality feedback and support. Classroom observations -- which make up the majority of a teacher's summative rating in most States and districts -- give teachers the opportunity to receive meaningful and direct feedback about their practice. They can also inform the development of resources to help teachers address areas for improvement. But many observers still struggle to accurately assess teacher performance and give teachers high-quality feedback and tools to help them improve their instruction. States play an important role in improving the quality of observations and can employ a variety of mechanisms to make improvements, depending on their policy context. This publication summarizes research, lessons and resources gathered from States, districts and supporting organizations about how States can make observations more meaningful for teachers and observers. The appendix contains guiding questions for States about the effectiveness of their observation frameworks, examples of State plans to communicate with and solicit feedback from stakeholders, and an overview of the different approaches that States might take to improve their observation frameworks and tools.