1. NYC DOE – Office of Teacher Effectiveness C
NYC DOE – Office of Teacher Effectiveness C. Introduction to Taking Low-Inference Notes
Mini-module #3, 30 minutes
Materials needed: this deck; low-inference note-taking forms; copies of the rubric; examples of notes

2. Objectives Participants will:
Distinguish between low-inference evidence and opinion/interpretation
Describe how low-inference note-taking helps observers accurately interpret teacher practice
1 minute
Facilitator should read the objectives, or ask a participant to do so.

3. What are low-inference notes?
Low-inference notes describe what is taking place without drawing conclusions or making judgments.
What do you see and hear the teacher and students doing?
What evidence can you gather of student learning?
What will students know and be able to do at the end of the lesson?
Time
Teacher Actions
Student Actions
What are low-inference notes? - 3 minutes
The facilitator should review information on this slide.
Emphasize:
- Observing while taking low-inference, non-judgmental notes is the critical first step to evaluating practice and supporting teachers’ professional development.
- Low inference notes (aka Literal Notes) are evidence-based, not opinion-based. An observer should write what s/he sees and hears students and teachers doing/saying.
- Low inference notes are not rated using the effectiveness scale. After notes are taken, they are then aligned to the rubric. This process is critical to accurate rating.
Review guiding questions and suggested template – examples of notes follow on next slide.

4. Comparing Notes What makes the first example stronger? Time
Teacher Actions
Student Actions
1:01
1:03
Teacher asked kids to stand and led them in “The Days of the Week” song.
Teacher asked “What day comes after Saturday?”
16 of the 27 kids stood up for the song.
Steven shouted out, “Monday!”
Most students laughed – 2 boys physically rolled around and knocked over 2 girls. Steven walked away from the group, and sat in the opposite corner of the classroom.
Time
Teacher Actions
Student Actions
1:01
1:03
Teacher reviewed the days of the week.
Teacher asked the question about the days of the week.
Many students were not listening.
Steven called out over and over again
Time: Comparing Notes - 10 minutes
Have participants read over this slide. Engage whole-group in discussion of what sets the exemplar notes (in orange) apart from the non-exemplar notes (in gray).
Facilitator will want to guide with questions like, “What makes the first example stronger?” “What’s another difference between the first and second example?” and/or “What pitfalls do we see in the second example that are avoided in the first?”
Make sure to draw out common pitfalls:
Excessive “edu-speak” (e.g., maximum engagement, high-level question)
Vagueness (e.g., responsive, a management procedure)
Opinions or words that convey judgment rather than state evidence (e.g., excellent work, great example)
What makes the first example stronger?

5. Activity: Identifying Low-Inference Evidence
Read each statement. Decide – is it low-inference evidence or not?
Discuss your answers with a partner.
What distinguishes the low-inference notes?
How would you reword statements that are not low-inference?
Activity: Identifying Low-Inference Evidence – 10 minutes
Give out handout with examples of notes. Examples are printed in such a way that you can cut them out and put them on index cards if you choose.
Ask participants to sort between them – low-inference or not.
Close the discussion by reinforcing key points as a whole group:
Evidence is a factual reporting of events.
Evidence may include teacher and student actions and/or behaviors. It may also include artifacts prepared by the teacher or students.
Evidence is free of evaluation or interpretation.
In addition, strong low-inference notes gather as much as possible! More evidence leads to more accurate rating and more targeted development.

6. Reflection
Why is it important to collect low-inference evidence before trying to assess teacher practice?
How can low-inference evidence support teacher development?
Reflection - 6 minutes
Reflections can be as a whole group, with partners, or on paper. If the group will be completing it next or in the near future, facilitator may want to preview module 4, which will give practice on actually taking low-inference notes and using them to rate practice.