Please check back often as resources are added to this page on a regular basis.
CAP Supervisor Modules: These online modules for Program Supervisors and Supervising Practitioners provide an introductory overview of CAP, structured around the 5-Step Cycle. Supervisors can progress through the modules sequentially or narrow in on an area in which they have questions and return to it anytime throughout the CAP cycle. Please share your feedback on the modules using CAP Supervisor Modules survey.
The following resources provide overview information on the Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP). For more detailed information on implementation of CAP, please see the CAP Guidelines and the CAP Implementation Handbook .
This webinar was conducted in August with Sponsoring Organizations across the Commonwealth in order to provide foundational information regarding the CAP Guidelines.
CAP Overview Webinar Video
CAP Flyover Prezi VideoThis presentation is a recording of our CAP "Flyover" Prezi, which provides an overview of the goals, content, and process of CAP.
The following documents provide brief overviews of key topics in CAP.
Quick Reference Guide: CAP Data Collection — May 2019
Quick Reference Guide: 5-Step Cycle
Quick Reference Guide: CAP Rubric — July 2022
Quick Reference Guide: CAP Triad — July 2022
This Implementation Brief addresses how educator preparation providers and districts can identify and support high-quality SPs by establishing clear expectations for the role, working with district partners to strategically select and place candidates with high-quality SPs, and creating opportunities to develop and recognize SPs as teacher educators.
Implementation Brief: Selecting and Supporting Supervising Practitioners
DESE is developing a series of Skill Development Workshops to support effective implementation of CAP. Using the materials provided, educator preparation programs may choose to facilitate these workshops as part of the training they provide to their program supervisors and supervising practitioners.
The workshop is intended to help organizations build supervisor capacity for delivering high-quality, targeted, and actionable feedback that is grounded in effectively applying the rubric to the evidence collected throughout a practicum. The workshop also contains activities designed to help support calibration conversations among supervisors. This workshop includes activities that involve conducting simulated formative and summative assessments. In order to provide an authentic experience to participants, programs will have to gather evidence samples to include in the handouts packet before running the workshop. See page 1 of the Facilitator's Guide for more information.
Using the Rubric Workshop PowerPoint
Using the Rubric Workshop Facilitator's Guide
Using the Rubric Workshop Handout Packet
The workshop is intended to help organizations build supervisor capacity for delivering high-quality, targeted, and actionable feedback that is grounded in evidence collected during observations and aligned to the CAP elements. The workshop also contains activities designed to help support calibration conversations among supervisors.
Observations & Feedback Workshop PowerPoint
Observations & Feedback Workshop Facilitator's Guide
Observations & Feedback Workshop Handout Packet
This workshop is intended to help organizations support supervisors with an orientation to the process of preparing for and conducting a pre-observation meeting, collecting evidence during an observation, and providing feedback to a teacher candidate during a post-observation meeting.
Using the Model Observation Protocol: Powerpoint
Using the Model Observation Protocol: Facilitator's Guide
This workshop is intended to help organizations support supervisors to calibrate their perceptions of effective instructional practice related to the CAP elements.
Calibrating on Practice: Facilitator's Guide
This workshop is intended to help organizations support supervisors to calibrate their perceptions of effective instructional practice and high-quality feedback related to the CAP elements.
Calibrating on Feedback: Facilitator's Guide
This workshop is intended to help organizations support supervisors to implement the CAP with an opportunity to refine their understanding of high-quality feedback to teacher candidates.
Feedback on Feedback: Powerpoint
Feedback on Feedback: Facilitator's Guide
Based on feedback and questions we have received from the field, we have created student feedback surveys that are more specific to CAP. In addition to modifying the Massachusetts DESE Model Feedback Surveys for CAP-specific purposes, we have also created new mini forms that target the 6 Essential Elements.
CAP Student Feedback Survey AdvisoryOur Student Feedback Survey Advisory provides explanations for the use of student feedback survey, as well as suggestions for which form (the standard, short, or the mini form) is most appropriate to use based on the practicum setting.
The table below includes three forms of paper-based surveys for grades 3–12 and discussion prompts for K–2.
K–2 Discussion Prompts & Administration Protocol
Grades 3–5: Standard Form
Grades 3–5: Short Form
Grades 3–5: Mini-Form
Grades 3–5: Administration Protocol
Grades 3–5: Standard Form — Chinese
Grades 3–5: Standard Form — Haitian Creole
Grades 3–5: Standard Form — Portuguese
Grades 3–5: Standard Form — Spanish
Grades 3–5: Standard Form — Vietnamese
Grades 6–12: Standard Form
Grades 6–12: Short Form
Grades 6–12: Mini-Form
Grades 6–12: Administration Protocol
Grades 6–12: Standard Form — Chinese
Grades 6–12: Standard Form — Haitian Creole
Grades 6–12: Standard Form — Portuguese
Grades 6–12: Standard Form — Spanish
Grades 6–12: Standard Form — Vietnamese
To aid supervisors conduct observations and contribute impactful feedback to candidates, DESE recommends its "What to Look For" guides that describe what to expect in a classroom at a particular grade level in a specific subject area. This includes the knowledge and skills students should be learning and using (as reflected in state learning standards) on the front page and examples of student and teacher behaviors aligned to the Standards of Effective Practice used in the state evaluation framework on the back page.
When printing the guides, please be sure that Fit to Page or Scale to Fit is selected from the print options.
What To Look For ELA Kindergarten
What To Look For Math Kindergarten
What To Look For Science Kindergarten
What To Look For ELA Grade 1
What To Look For Math Grade 1
What To Look For Science Grade 1
What To Look For ELA Grade 2
What To Look For Math Grade 2
What To Look For Science Grade 2
What To Look For ELA Grade 3
What To Look For Math Grade 3
What To Look For Science Grade 3
What To Look For ELA Grade 4
What To Look For Math Grade 4
What To Look For Science Grade 4
What To Look For ELA Grade 5
What To Look For Math Grade 5
What To Look For Science Grade 5
What To Look For ELA Grade 6
What To Look For Math Grade 6
What To Look For Science Grade 6
What To Look For ELA Grade 7
What To Look For Math Grade 7
What To Look For Science Grade 7
What To Look For ELA Grade 8
What To Look For Math Grade 8
What To Look For Science Grade 8
What To Look For ELA Grades 9–10
What To Look For Math Model Algebra 1
What To Look For Science High School Biology
What To Look For ELA Grades 11–12
What To Look For Math Model Algebra 2
What To Look For Science High School Chemistry
What To Look For Math Model Geometry
What To Look For Science High School Earth and Space Science
What To Look For Science High School Physics
What To Look For Science High School Technology Engineering
Your feedback regarding these guides is welcomed and appreciated. Please send your comments to instructionalsupport@doe.mass.edu .
The CAP File Review Tool is intended to be used by Sponsoring Organizations as a diagnostic tool to assess the nature and quality of evidence documented, the alignment and quality of feedback provided to teacher candidates, and the overall completeness of required forms included in the CAP files. Data generated by the Tool are intended to provide SOs a starting point for discussion about the nature and quality of the evidence and feedback in their candidate files and to support on-going implementation of CAP.
CAP File Review Tool
CAP File Review Tool: User Manual
(Additional resources forthcoming)
Protocol: Using Measures of Student LearningThis protocol is a step-by-step guide that CAP supervisors and teacher candidates can use together to identify, implement, and analyze a measure of student learning.
Crosswalk of CAP's Seven Essential Elements to PST IndicatorsThis crosswalk aligns each CAP element to the PST Indicators that teacher candidates must “demonstrate” by the conclusion of the preparatory experience. Proficiency in each element indicates that the candidate is demonstrating the relevant PST Indicators.
Increase in Professional Development Points (PDPs) for Supervising Practitioners, 12/24/2015
CAP Fall Pilot Feedback Summary
Commonalities and Differences in the Roles of Supervising Practitioners and Mentors, 2/16/2016
Update on the development of the new Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Memo, 5/14/2015
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) 2015-16 Pilot Information to Districts Memo, 9/8/2015
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Training Resources Memo, 9/10/2015
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Office Hour Takeaways Memo, 11/23/2015
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Updates Memo, 11/24/2015
Last Updated: November 14, 2022
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.