North Carolina NCEES Teacher Evaluation Software
Run North Carolina Educator Evaluation System observations on the NC Professional Teaching Standards, with EVAAS student growth and five-level ratings, aligned to state requirements.
NCEES is the entry point, not the whole story. In EX in Education, NCEES evaluations connect to coaching, goals, PD, and retention, so every educator moves from hired to thriving.
NCEES Classroom Observation
In short: North Carolina evaluates teachers through NCEES (the North Carolina Educator Effectiveness System), built on the five NC Professional Teaching Standards: Leadership; a Respectful Environment; Content Knowledge; Facilitate Learning; and Reflect on Practice. It combines self-assessment, observations, and a Professional Development Plan, with EVAAS student-growth data informing ratings.
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.
North Carolina's NCEES Evaluation Framework
The North Carolina Educator Evaluation System is the state's process for evaluating teacher effectiveness. It is built on the NC Professional Teaching Standards, with observation evidence against five teaching standards and a sixth standard tied to student growth, measured largely through EVAAS. In EX in Education, that framework is the doorway into a connected system for coaching, PD, and retention.
NC Professional Teaching Standards
The five professional teaching standards come pre-configured in EX, so evaluators observe and score against the elements without rebuilding forms.
- Teachers demonstrate leadership
- Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students
- Teachers know the content they teach
- Teachers facilitate learning for their students
- Teachers reflect on their practice
Standards Plus Student Growth
NCEES pairs the observation of the teaching standards with a sixth standard on student growth. EX tracks both alongside the observation evidence.
- Standards 1 through 5 rated from classroom observation
- Standard 6 reflects contribution to student academic success
- EVAAS student growth data where it applies
- Local growth measures where EVAAS does not
Complete NC Professional Teaching Standards Coverage
All five NC Professional Teaching Standards and their elements are pre-built in EX in Education, with a sixth standard for student growth, so North Carolina evaluators can observe, score, and generate evidence from day one.
Teachers Demonstrate Leadership
Leading in the classroom, the school, and the profession.
- 1a. Lead in the classroom
- 1b. Demonstrate leadership in the school
- 1c. Lead the teaching profession
- 1d. Advocate for schools and students
- 1e. Demonstrate high ethical standards
Respectful Environment
Establishing a respectful environment for a diverse population of students.
- 2a. Provide a nurturing environment for each child
- 2b. Embrace diversity in the school and the world
- 2c. Treat students as individuals
- 2d. Adapt teaching for students with special needs
- 2e. Work collaboratively with families
Know the Content They Teach
Demonstrating command of content and the NC Standard Course of Study.
- 3a. Align instruction with the NC Standard Course of Study
- 3b. Know the content of their teaching specialty
- 3c. Recognize the interconnectedness of content areas
- 3d. Make instruction relevant to students
Facilitate Learning for Students
Using a range of methods to move every student forward.
- 4a. Know how students learn and develop
- 4b. Plan instruction appropriate for their students
- 4c. Use a variety of instructional methods
- 4d. Integrate and use technology in instruction
- 4e. Help students think critically and solve problems
- 4f. Help students work in teams and lead
- 4g. Communicate effectively
- 4h. Use a variety of methods to assess learning
Reflect on Their Practice
Analyzing practice and connecting growth to professional goals.
- 5a. Analyze student learning
- 5b. Link professional growth to professional goals
- 5c. Function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment
Contribute to Student Success
The student growth standard, reported alongside the teaching standards.
- Contribution to academic success of students
- EVAAS student growth data where applicable
- Local growth measures where EVAAS does not apply
- Reported as a student growth status
How the NCEES process runs: The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction sets the evaluation process. Teachers complete a self-assessment and a Professional Development Plan, principals or evaluators observe across the year, and a summary evaluation brings the standard ratings together with the student growth standard. EX supports the NC Professional Teaching Standards and the observation structure your district uses, and adapts as your plan changes.
NCEES Ratings, Tracked Over Time
NCEES rates each teaching standard and its elements on a five-level scale. 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.
Not Demonstrated
No evidence observed, and a comment is required to explain the rating
Developing
Demonstrates adequate growth toward the standard but does not yet meet it
Proficient
Demonstrates the standard with consistent, effective practice
Accomplished
Exceeds the standard with practice that extends student learning
Distinguished
Models exemplary practice that others in the school can learn from
Standards 1 through 5 are rated on the five levels, from Not Demonstrated to Distinguished, and Standard 6 is reported as a student growth status drawn largely from EVAAS. EX in Education keeps each teacher's rating history, standard scores, and Professional Development 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 North Carolina's Evaluation Process
EX in Education gives North Carolina districts what they need to run NCEES aligned to state requirements, then connects that evidence to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
Standards-Aligned Forms
Observation forms pre-built for all five NC Professional Teaching Standards, on the NCEES five-level rating scale.
- • All standard elements included
- • Five-level NCEES rating scale
- • Evidence collection tools
Observation Cycles
Manage self-assessment, formal observations, and pre and post conferences alongside quick walkthroughs, with scheduling and reminders in one connected system.
- • Self-assessment and PDP
- • Informal walkthroughs
- • Cycle reminders
Student Growth & EVAAS
Record Standard 6 student growth from EVAAS and the local measures your district uses alongside observation results.
- • EVAAS growth data
- • Local growth measures
- • 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
Professional Development Plans
Create and monitor individual growth plans that link straight back to observation and coaching evidence.
- • Goal setting tools
- • 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 North Carolina Districts Run NCEES Inside EX in Education
Run NCEES 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
Shared NC Professional Teaching Standards and processes help principals and evaluators score consistently, whether it is one building or the whole district.
Growth you can see
NCEES 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 NCEES Evaluations
AI in EX in Education helps evaluators work through NCEES faster while keeping every judgment in human hands. It drafts and organizes, evaluators decide.
Draft Feedback From Evidence
Turn observation notes into clear, standard-aligned feedback that the evaluator reviews and edits before it is shared.
Organize Evidence by Standard
Sort notes and artifacts against the NC Professional Teaching Standards and their elements, 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 NCEES Into the Bigger Picture
See how EX in Education runs NCEES aligned to North Carolina's requirements, then connects evaluations to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
Tracking license renewal too? North Carolina professional development and renewal requirements.
Built for NCEES requirements. Bring your own process, or start from ours. Connected to coaching, PD, and goals.
North Carolina NCEES: frequently asked questions
What is NCEES?
NCEES, the North Carolina Educator Effectiveness System, is the state's teacher evaluation system. It is built on the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and combines self-assessment, observations, and a Professional Development Plan across the evaluation cycle.
What are the five North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards?
The five standards are: Standard 1, Leadership; Standard 2, a Respectful Environment for a diverse population of students; Standard 3, Content Knowledge; Standard 4, Facilitate Learning; and Standard 5, Reflect on Their Practice.
What are the NCEES rating levels?
Teachers are rated on each standard using five performance levels: Not Demonstrated, Developing, Proficient, Accomplished, and Distinguished. Not Demonstrated is used when a behavior is not observed, and is documented with a comment.
How does the NCEES evaluation cycle work?
Across the cycle, a teacher completes a self-assessment, is observed one or more times depending on career status, and maintains a Professional Development Plan, with a summary evaluation rating practice on each of the five standards.
Part of EX in Education
One piece of the educator experience.
North Carolina NCEES 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.