A summative evaluation is the final evaluation document for an employee, bringing together observations, walkthroughs, notes, ratings, and narrative feedback into one comprehensive assessment. This article walks administrators and evaluators through creating a summative evaluation, requesting the employee's reflection and signature, and finalizing the evaluation.
Before You Begin
Before creating a summative evaluation, confirm the following:
At least one completed observation (formal or informal) exists for this employee
The employee has an active Growth Plan (PDP/IPLP)
The employee has a valid email address on file
If any of these are missing, they must be completed before proceeding.
Note: Summative evaluations are created under a specific framework role and rate the employee against that role's domains and standards. If the employee holds two roles, select the role in the role dropdown on their page first — the evaluation's evidence picker then shows only that role's observations, walkthroughs, and notes, and the finished evaluation counts toward that role's pathway. A two-role employee gets a separate summative per role. See Staff Who Hold Two Framework Roles.
Accessing Summative Evaluations
Steps
Navigate to the employee's profile page.
Select the Summative Evaluations tab.
Review any existing summative evaluations and their current status (Draft, Feedback Requested, Signed by Employee (or Signature Declined), Completed).
Creating a New Summative Evaluation
Steps
Click + Add Summative Evaluation.
The Add summative evaluation window opens with a multi-step form to guide you through the process.
Step 1: Select Observations, Walkthroughs, Notes, and Employee Details
Select the formal observations you want to include.
Select any informal observations you want to reference.
Only completed or shared observations will appear.
If your organization uses In-Person Meetings, select any completed or shared meetings you want to include in the Select In-Person Meetings section.
Select any relevant notes to include in the Select Notes section — notes are attached to the evaluation as evidence.
If your organization uses Walkthroughs, select any walkthroughs you want to attach as evidence in the Select Walkthroughs section.
Only Completed or Shared with Employee walkthroughs from the current school year appear — drafts do not. For staff with two framework roles, only walkthroughs recorded under this evaluation's role are offered. Including walkthroughs is optional.
Review the employee's name, building name, and title (pre-filled).
Note: Building name and employee title are optional to include.
Click Next to continue.
Step 2: Rate Standards and Add Narrative Feedback
In this step, you evaluate performance against standards and provide written feedback.
Option 1: Applying AI-Recommended Ratings
Select Apply Lebra Recommended Ratings to generate draft ratings and comments based on evidence from the selected notes, observations, and walkthroughs.
Review all AI-generated content carefully and edit as needed.
Option 2: Manually Rating Standards
Expand each domain to view its standards.
Select a rating for each standard.
Add supporting comments to explain your ratings.
Repeat for all standards across all domains.
The overall score updates automatically as ratings are entered.
Adding Narrative Descriptions
After rating all standards, scroll down to the narrative sections:
In the Key Strengths text area, describe the employee's primary strengths and positive contributions.
Aim for 100-150 words that highlight specific accomplishments and qualities.
In the Areas for Growth text area, describe areas where the employee can continue to develop.
Be constructive and specific, focusing on professional development opportunities.
Use the Additional Comments section for any other relevant information not covered elsewhere
Tip: Click the AI Composer icon to get help drafting these sections based on your observations and notes. All content remains fully editable.
Note: Your work saves automatically as you type, but you may also select Save as Draft to exit and return later.
Click Continue when ready.
Step 3: Review and Request Employee Signature
Review the full summary, including:
Employee details
Included observations, walkthroughs, and notes
Overall score and component ratings
Narrative feedback
When ready, select Request employee reflection and signature.
Confirm the request to send the evaluation to the employee by email.
The employee will receive an email with a secure link to view the evaluation and add their reflection.
Note: email links are valid for 60 days. If a link expires, you can resend the request.
Finalizing the Summative Evaluation
Steps
Return to the employee's Summative Evaluations tab.
Open the evaluation marked Signed by Employee.
Review the employee's reflection.
From the signed evaluation's action menu, select Complete report. In the modal that opens, review the details and click Finalize report to confirm.
The evaluation status changes to Completed, and the employee receives a confirmation email.
Note: If the employee declines to sign, select Record Signature Declined from the evaluation's action menu. The status changes to Signature Declined, and you can still complete the evaluation.
Important: Once finalized, the evaluation cannot be edited. Make sure all information is correct before finalizing.
Downloading the Evaluation
After finalization, you can download a PDF copy:
Open the completed summative evaluation.
Click the Download PDF button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a summative evaluation after sending it for signature?
Yes, as long as the employee hasn't signed yet. Open the evaluation and click "Edit" to make changes. After editing, re-request the employee's input using Request employee reflection.
What if the employee's email link expires?
Email links are valid for 60 days. If the link expires, open the evaluation and select Request employee reflection to send a new email with a fresh link.
Can I delete a summative evaluation?
Yes, you can delete evaluations that are in Draft or Feedback Requested status. Open the evaluation's ⋯ (more) menu and select Delete. Signed and Completed evaluations cannot be deleted.
How is the overall score calculated?
The overall score is automatically calculated based on the individual ratings you assign to each standard, weighted according to your organization's rubric settings.
Can I create multiple summative evaluations for the same employee?
Yes, you can create multiple summative evaluations for an employee — typically one per evaluation period, and one per framework role for employees who hold two roles. Each role's evaluation rates against that role's framework and pulls from that role's evidence.
Can walkthrough information be pulled into a summative evaluation?
Yes. If your organization uses Walkthroughs, the evidence-selection step (Step 1 above) includes a Select Walkthroughs section where you can attach any of the employee's completed or shared walkthroughs from the current school year as evidence. Attached walkthroughs are listed in the evaluation's review step, and their look-for evidence and general notes are taken into account when you use Apply Lebra Recommended Ratings. See the Walkthroughs article to learn more.
What if I don't have any observations yet?
You must have at least one completed observation before creating a summative evaluation. Complete an observation first, then return to create the summative evaluation.