Illinois PERA Teacher Evaluation Software
Run Performance Evaluation Reform Act evaluations on the Danielson Framework, with all 4 domains and 22 components, aligned to Illinois requirements.
PERA is the entry point, not the whole story. In EX in Education, PERA evaluations connect to coaching, goals, PD, and retention, so every educator moves from hired to thriving.
PERA Classroom Observation
In short: PERA, the Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act, builds a teacher's rating on a professional practice measure, most often scored on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching (4 domains, 22 components), on four ratings: Excellent, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory. Since July 1, 2025 (Public Act 104-0020), student growth is no longer a required factor, though districts may still include it.
Run this in your district
Reviewed for 2026-27 state requirements. Configure EX to your district's local process, or start from a ready-made observation form.
Illinois's PERA Evaluation Framework
The Performance Evaluation Reform Act is Illinois's system for evaluating teacher effectiveness. Under PERA, each teacher's summative rating is built on a professional practice measure, commonly scored on the Danielson Framework. As of July 1, 2025, Illinois no longer requires student growth as a factor in the rating, though districts may still choose to include it. In EX in Education, that framework is the doorway into a connected system for coaching, PD, and retention.
Danielson: 4 Domains, 22 Components
Many Illinois districts score the professional practice measure on the Danielson Framework for Teaching. All four domains are configured in EX from your district’s approved forms so evaluators score against the components without rebuilding them.
- Planning and Preparation
- Classroom Environment
- Instruction
- Professional Responsibilities
The PERA Measures
Under PERA, a teacher's summative rating is built on a professional practice measure; districts may also include a student growth measure and combine them into a single rating. EX tracks each measure alongside the observation evidence.
- Professional practice measured on an approved rubric
- Student growth included at district discretion (no longer state-mandated since July 2025)
- Growth, where used, measured with the assessments your district chooses
- Measures combined into one summative rating
Complete Danielson Framework Coverage
All four Danielson domains and their 22 components are configured in EX in Education from your district’s approved forms, so Illinois evaluators can observe, score, and generate evidence for the PERA professional practice measure from day one.
Planning & Preparation
Six components covering what teachers do before instruction begins.
- 1a. Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy
- 1b. Demonstrating knowledge of students
- 1c. Setting instructional outcomes
- 1d. Demonstrating knowledge of resources
- 1e. Designing coherent instruction
- 1f. Designing student assessments
Classroom Environment
Five components covering culture, relationships, and classroom management.
- 2a. Creating an environment of respect and rapport
- 2b. Establishing a culture for learning
- 2c. Managing classroom procedures
- 2d. Managing student behavior
- 2e. Organizing physical space
Instruction
Five components covering instruction as it happens in the classroom.
- 3a. Communicating with students
- 3b. Using questioning and discussion techniques
- 3c. Engaging students in learning
- 3d. Using assessment in instruction
- 3e. Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness
Professional Responsibilities
Six components covering reflection, records, families, and continued growth.
- 4a. Reflecting on teaching
- 4b. Maintaining accurate records
- 4c. Communicating with families
- 4d. Participating in the professional community
- 4e. Growing and developing professionally
- 4f. Showing professionalism
Formal Observations
- • Observation by a qualified evaluator
- • Pre and post-observation conferences
- • Evidence tied to the Danielson components
- • Number and cadence set by the district's evaluation plan
Informal & Walkthroughs
- • Informal walkthroughs for ongoing feedback
- • Announced or unannounced visits
- • Quick evidence capture on any device
- • Cadence set by district policy
PERA and student growth: Illinois districts evaluate under the Performance Evaluation Reform Act, which is built on a professional practice measure. As of July 1, 2025 (Public Act 104-0020), the state no longer requires student growth to count as a factor in the summative rating, though districts may still choose to include it. Districts adopt a state model or a locally developed plan, commonly built on the Danielson Framework. EX supports districts using the Danielson framework and configures the observation structure your district's evaluation plan uses, and adapts as your plan changes.
PERA Summative Ratings, Tracked Over Time
PERA produces one of four final performance ratings. EX in Education records each rating, ties it to the evidence behind it, and carries it forward so growth is visible from one cycle to the next.
Excellent
Consistently exceeds standards with strong impact on student learning
Proficient
Consistently meets professional standards with clear positive outcomes
Needs Improvement
Inconsistently meets standards and needs targeted support
Unsatisfactory
Does not meet standards and requires intensive support
Under PERA, each teacher receives a summative rating built on professional practice, which the district may combine with a student growth measure where it chooses to use one. Teachers rated Needs Improvement are supported with a professional development plan, and teachers rated Unsatisfactory with a remediation plan. EX in Education keeps each teacher's rating history, measure scores, and improvement plans in one place, and routes the ones who need support into coaching cycles so a rating leads to next steps, not just a score.
Built for Illinois's Evaluation Process
EX in Education gives Illinois districts what they need to run PERA aligned to state requirements, then connects that evidence to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
Danielson-Aligned Forms
Observation forms configured from your district’s approved instrument, covering all 4 Danielson domains and 22 components, on the PERA rating scale.
- • All 22 components included
- • Four-level rating scale
- • Evidence collection tools
Observation Cycles
Manage formal observations with pre and post conferences alongside quick walkthroughs, with scheduling and reminders in one connected system.
- • Formal and informal observations
- • Pre and post conferences
- • Cycle reminders
Student Growth Measures
Set and track any student growth measures your district chooses to use alongside observation results, where the district includes them.
- • Growth goal setting
- • District assessment tracking
- • Evidence in one record
Coaching Handoff
Turn what an observation surfaces into a coaching cycle, so feedback leads to real support instead of a filed form.
- • Evidence to coaching
- • Structured feedback
- • Follow-up visits
Improvement Plan Management
Create and monitor professional development and remediation plans with structured support and documentation for teachers who need it.
- • Structured improvement plans
- • Milestones and check-ins
- • Linked to coaching
Growth Goals
Set professional goals tied to what the evaluation surfaced, tracked in the same module that follows a teacher across the year.
- • Goal setting tools
- • Progress tracking
- • Linked to PD
Why Illinois Districts Run PERA Inside EX in Education
Run PERA compliantly, then use what the evaluation surfaces to actually grow and keep your teachers. Evaluation is the doorway. Educator growth and retention is the product.
Less admin, more coaching
Structured workflows and feedback tools free evaluators to spend more of their time in coaching conversations, not paperwork.
Consistent across schools
Consistent rubrics and processes help evaluators score consistently, whether it is one building or the whole district.
Growth you can see
Ratings, goals, and coaching history sit together, so progress is visible over time instead of scattered across files.
Retention, not just ratings
When feedback connects to PD, goals, and support, teachers keep developing, and districts keep the ones they worked hard to hire.
How AI Supports PERA Evaluations
AI in EX in Education helps evaluators work through PERA faster while keeping every judgment in human hands. It drafts and organizes, evaluators decide.
Draft Feedback From Evidence
Turn observation notes into clear, component-aligned feedback that the evaluator reviews and edits before it is shared.
Organize Evidence by Component
Sort notes and artifacts against the 22 Danielson components, so nothing is missed when it is time to score.
Suggest Growth Next Steps
Surface coaching moves and PD ideas tied to what an observation revealed, ready for the evaluator to assign.
Bring PERA Into the Bigger Picture
See how EX in Education runs PERA aligned to Illinois's requirements, then connects evaluations to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
Tracking license renewal too? Illinois professional development and renewal requirements.
Built for PERA requirements. Bring your district’s approved rubric and we’ll configure it. Connected to coaching, PD, and goals.
Illinois PERA: frequently asked questions
What is PERA?
PERA, the Performance Evaluation Reform Act, is the Illinois law that governs teacher and principal evaluation. Under PERA, a teacher's summative rating is built on a professional practice measure, most often scored on an approved instructional framework such as Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching.
Does Illinois still require student growth in teacher evaluations?
No. Effective July 1, 2025, Public Act 104-0020 removed the requirement that teacher and principal evaluations include student growth as a factor in the performance rating. Districts may still choose to include student growth in their evaluation plans, but it is no longer mandated by the state.
What framework do Illinois districts use, and how many domains and components?
Districts choose an approved instructional framework, and many use Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. That framework has four domains: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities, with 22 components in total.
What are the PERA rating levels?
PERA uses four summative performance ratings: Excellent, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory. Teachers rated Needs Improvement receive a professional development plan, and those rated Unsatisfactory receive a remediation plan.
Part of EX in Education
One piece of the educator experience.
Illinois PERA evaluations are one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.