Observation Partner FAQ

We get your observation very close to finished, it will follow your writing style and align to your chosen framework so you save a ton of time. You will still want to review, adjust, and make the final calls before submitting to your district. At the end of the day you are the evaluator and we are here to make your process faster, easier, and more consistent.

Expect your draft to be very close to final form, with only some tweaks needed to match your exact preference. That means less time formatting and more time focusing on the important details. You can make quick edits in our platform or export the draft and finish it in Word or Google Docs.

Yes. Our Train My Writing Style feature analyzes your past observation language and patterns so the draft reads like something you wrote yourself. We recommend uploading at least three to five completed observations for the best results. If you are new to administration and do not have past observations, you can upload other professional writing you have done such as reports, evaluations, college assignments, or work from an administrative program. Choose examples that are well written and reflect the quality and tone you want in your drafts, because the system will follow the style of whatever you provide.

When you choose formal, the draft will generally be longer and include more detail. When you choose informal, the draft will be more concise. You can still adjust the length and focus at any time by using the Revised Text box at the bottom of the observation page to request more detail or a shorter summary.

No. Observation Partner is not affiliated with, licensed, or endorsed by The Danielson Group or Learning Sciences International Marzano. We align your notes to the structure of these widely used frameworks so you get a familiar, ready to review draft without reproducing their copyrighted text.

It means we organize your notes into the same domains and components used in that framework so your draft matches the structure your district uses. You will still be responsible for reviewing and finalizing the evaluation before submission.

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Only you can access your observations, and you can delete them at any time. Once deleted, they are gone permanently with no backups.

We only store what you enter in your raw notes and completed observations, and only for as long as you choose to keep them in your account. If you do not include student names or teacher names in your raw notes, they are never stored in our system.

Student names are only stored if you type them into the raw notes yourself. We recommend using initials, first names only, or generic labels like Student One or Student Two. Following this practice means student names are never personally identifiable in your stored observations.

Teacher names are handled the same way as student names; they are only stored if you type them into the raw notes yourself. For the smoothest reading experience in the generated draft, we recommend using a last name such as Mrs Smith or an abbreviated version such as Mrs S. You can always adjust or remove names later before sharing the report.

Yes. You can delete individual observations or your entire account at any time. When you delete, the data is permanently removed with no backups kept.

When you enter your raw notes, our system reviews them for key details and matches those details to the right domains and components in your selected framework. From there, we use that alignment to produce a draft that is already organized and easy for you to review and finalize.

From the settings menu, choose your preferred template before starting a new observation. You can switch between templates at any time, and changes apply to new observations going forward.

When you choose a template, the labels you see are topic headers that will appear in your draft. For example, if you select a template that says Domain One, then your evidence for Domain One will be written under that section header in the draft. If you choose a template that says Glows and Grows, then your positive feedback will be written under the Glows header and your areas for growth will be written under the Grows header. Templates simply control how your observation is organized so you can match the format your district prefers.

They let you highlight certain areas you want the draft to focus on more closely. For example, if you check Classroom Management, the draft will place more emphasis on evidence related to that area. You can check multiple boxes if you want the observation to focus on more than one topic.

When you rate a domain, the system aligns your evidence more closely to that domain's rubric guidance. If you rate a domain by a half point, we align mostly to the lower of the two ratings.

No. If you skip domain ratings, we will still align your notes based on the evidence you provide.

Yes. Use the Download Report button to export to Word or Google Docs and make as many edits as you want before submitting to your district.

Yes. You can edit your observation right on the site without downloading it. Any edits you make are stored locally and securely in our database so you can return to them later.

Absolutely. Many administrators bring their laptop or device into the classroom, open Observation Partner, and type directly into the Raw Notes section while observing. Before you even leave the classroom, you can hit a button and have a nearly complete draft ready for review, saving you time later. Of course, you should do what feels most comfortable to you. If you would rather type your notes somewhere else and save them locally on your computer, you can simply copy and paste them into the Raw Notes section later.

Yes. If you have notes saved in a document, you can upload them directly into the Raw Notes section. This works for common editable formats. Once uploaded, you can instantly run them through the alignment process to produce your draft.

Use docx or txt for the best results. rtf also works. pdf is not supported for upload so that your text remains fully editable and easy to process.

Observation Partner is highly accurate in organizing your notes and aligning them to your chosen framework, but it is still important to review the draft carefully. You have full control to make edits, add details, and adjust tone so the final report reflects your professional judgment.

That depends on the amount of detail in your raw notes, the template you select, and whether you choose formal or informal. More detailed notes generally lead to a more complete draft. You can always adjust the length using the Revised Text box.

Yes. You can save and return to as many observations as you like. Each one is stored securely in your account and can be edited, downloaded, or deleted at any time.

You can use Observation Partner on modern browsers on laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Safari on iPhone and iPad is supported for typing notes and uploading docx, txt, and rtf files. For the smoothest long editing sessions, we recommend Chrome or Edge on a laptop or desktop.

You need an internet connection to generate drafts and save changes to our secure database. If your connection drops, you can keep typing in raw notes and your work will be saved locally and then synced when you are back online.

Yes, as long as you review and finalize the draft in accordance with your district policies. We are here to make the process faster and more consistent, but you remain the official evaluator.

You can still use Observation Partner. Select Custom Framework or reach out to us about adding alignment for your district rubric.

Yes. We can work with districts to add their preferred frameworks or templates. Contact us for details.

Yes. We welcome suggestions for new templates. Please email us with the template you need.

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Subscriptions are billed in advance and renew automatically unless canceled before the renewal date. You can cancel at any time from your account settings to stop future billing.

We do not offer refunds for unused subscription time except where required by law. Where applicable, refunds are processed directly by Paddle in accordance with their refund procedures. For full details, please review our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.