AI-Powered Observations for Illinois Principals
Generate Danielson-aligned feedback from your observation notes in seconds - built for Illinois principals meeting PERA evaluation requirements.
Education in Illinois
Education Landscape
Illinois is one of the largest state education systems in the country, with approximately 852 school districts, over 135,000 teachers, and roughly 1.85 million students. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) oversees educator evaluation policy under the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA), which requires every district to implement a research-based observation framework and a four-tier rating system of Excellent, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory.
Observation Requirements
Under PERA, non-tenured (probationary) teachers must receive a full summative evaluation every year, including two formal observations and one informal observation. Formal observations must last a minimum of 45 minutes or span a complete lesson. Tenured teachers rated Proficient or Excellent must be formally evaluated at least once every three years, with an informal observation at least every two years. Teachers rated Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory must be evaluated in the following year.
Framework Spotlight
Supported Frameworks in Illinois
Illinois's Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) requires every district to adopt a research-based instructional framework for teacher evaluation, and the Danielson Framework for Teaching is the most widely used across the state. Observation Copilot is an Official Partner of the Danielson Group, so your feedback maps directly to FFT domains, components, and performance levels - ready for your post-observation conference.
Why Observation Copilot
Built for Illinois School Leaders
Danielson FFT Aligned for PERA
Observation Copilot automatically organizes your notes by Danielson domains - Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities - so your write-ups align with your district's PERA-approved framework.
Same-Day Feedback for Teachers
Illinois principals using Copilot deliver post-observation feedback within hours instead of weeks, keeping conferences timely and evidence-rich.
Built for Illinois Evaluation Cycles
Whether you're conducting three observations for a non-tenured teacher or a triennial evaluation for a tenured educator, Copilot adapts to your PERA observation schedule.
How Observation Copilot Helps
AI-powered observations for Illinois
- Maps your observation notes directly to Danielson FFT domains and components
- Generates evidence-based summaries with strengths, growth areas, and next steps
- Supports the four-tier PERA rating scale (Excellent, Proficient, Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory)
- Adapts to formal and informal observation formats across tenured and non-tenured cycles
- Reduces post-observation write-up time from 45 minutes to under 10
What Educators Say
Trusted Nationwide
Principals across the country describe Observation Copilot as a game changer for their observation workflow. From Texas to Maine, school leaders are saving hours every week and delivering faster, more specific teacher feedback.
It was nice as we started to use it and teachers were comfortable with the platform. It definitely sped up our process. Teachers could get very quick feedback and informative feedback that was super helpful for them.
Brian Falhamer - Fairlawn, OH
Principal, Fort Island Primary School
Finish your PERA feedback in minutes.
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