Pathways helps administrators and evaluators organize evaluation activities across the school year. It defines required milestones such as observations, summative reports, self-evaluations, and growth plans. This article explains how Pathways works and how to set up, assign, and track progress.
Overview
Pathways is a feature within Lebra Ascend that allows you to create structured evaluation timelines for staff. A Pathway includes a sequence of milestones with due dates and required quantities.
Each pathway helps standardize evaluation workflows, track completion, and ensure all required activities are completed on time.
How Pathways Works
A pathway includes three main components:
Pathway name - A label for the plan (I.e., "Tenured Teacher" or "New Hire")
School year dates - A Start of School Year and End of School Year that define the timeline
Milestones - Evaluation activities with a type, due date, and quantity.
Milestone types include:
PDP — Set the teacher's goals, focus standards, and action steps for the year.
Self-Evaluation — Teacher rates themselves against district standards and submits supporting evidence.
In-Person Meeting — Structured conversation to discuss progress and document next steps.
Walkthrough — Brief, informal classroom visit to capture focused evidence.
Observation — Formal classroom visit with ratings, feedback, and action steps against the full rubric.
Progress Update — Teacher documents mid-cycle progress on PDP goals.
Summative Report — Year-end synthesis of all evidence into final ratings and written feedback.
Note: If your organization uses a custom name for PDPs, that name will appear throughout the platform.
Each assigned Pathway tracks progress using these statuses:
On Track - All milestones are current
Overdue - One or more milestones are past due
Completed - All milestones are finished
How Pathways Connects to Evaluations and Reporting
Pathways organizes evaluation activities across the platform:
Observations and Evaluations
Observation milestones define how many observations are required and when they are due. Evaluators can track these from the Evaluator Dashboard.
Summative Reports
Summative milestones set deadlines for final evaluations based on collected evidence.
Self-Evaluations and PDPs (Growth Plans)
Evaluators can request self-evaluations and PDPs directly from the Evaluator Dashboard. These are tied to Pathway milestones to track completion.
State Reporting
Pathway progress and evaluation data feed into the State Reporting page in Ascend.
How to Access Pathways
To configure Pathways (administrators):
Navigate to Settings > Ascend > Framework
Click on the Pathways tab
To view and track progress:
Evaluators: Go to Ascend > Evaluator Dashboard
Administrators: Go to Ascend > Admin Dashboard
How to Create a Pathway
Navigate to Settings > Ascend > Framework > Pathways tab
Click Add Pathway
Enter a Pathway name
Select the Start of School Year date
Select the End of School Year date
Under Timeline, click Add Milestone
For each milestone:
Select a type (Observation, Summative Report, Self-Evaluation, PDP)
Set a due date (must fall within the school year range)
Set the quantity (minimum of 1)
Repeat to add additional milestones as needed
Click Add Pathway
Note: You can add multiple milestones of the same type with different due dates (I.e., one observation in September and another in March).
Edit a Pathway
On the Pathways tab, locate the Pathway
Click the three-dot menu
Select Edit
Update the Pathway details
Click Save Changes
If you close with unsaved changes, you will be prompted to confirm.
Duplicate a Pathway
On the Pathways tab, click the three-dot menu
Select Duplicate
Update the name if needed
(Optional) Select Add one year to new pathway
This option shifts all dates forward one year for the duplicate Pathway
Click Duplicate Pathway
Delete a Pathway
On the Pathways tab, click the three-dot menu
Select Delete
Confirm the deletion
This removes the Pathway, its milestones, and its data from all assigned users.
Assign a Pathway to Staff
Navigate to Settings > Ascend > Assignments
Select one or more staff members
Click Assign Pathway
Search for or select a Pathway
Click Assign [Pathway Name]
You can also assign Evaluators, Reviewers, or Roles from the same toolbar or individual row actions.
Manage and Track Progress
From the Admin Dashboard (administrators):
Navigate to Ascend > Admin Dashboard
Use summary cards (Staff Assigned, On Track, Overdue, Completed) to filter
Review the table for Pathway details, including status and due dates
Use search, filters (Group, Pathway, Status, Evaluator), and sorting
Click Reset filters to clear filters
From the Evaluator Dashboard (evaluators):
Navigate to Ascend > Evaluator Dashboard
View assigned employees and their Pathway status
Use filters and sorting to manage your list
Complete or Update Pathway Items
From the Evaluator Dashboard, evaluators can:
Request a PDP (Growth Plan)
Request PDP progress updates
Request a Self-Evaluation
Conduct observations from the employee profile
If a staff member is missing an email or role, certain actions will be skipped. The system will show the reason (I.e., "Missing email", or "Missing role").
Best practices
Set up Pathways before the school year begins
Use duplication for year-over-year consistency
Assign evaluators at the same time as Pathways
Monitor the Admin Dashboard regularly for overdue items
Ensure staff profiles include a valid email and role
Use Groups to organize and filter staff
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can create or assign Pathways?
Administrators can create, edit, duplicate, and delete Pathways from Settings > Ascend > Framework > Pathways and assign them from Settings > Ascend > Assignments.
Can Pathways be edited after assignment?
Yes. Changes apply to all staff currently assigned to the Pathway.
What happens if a staff member is missing required information?
If a staff member is missing an email or role, certain actions cannot be completed. The system will display the reason, and the profile must be updated before retrying.
How does Pathways impact evaluations or reports?
Pathways defines timelines and expectations. Milestones determine when evaluation activities must be completed, and statuses reflect progress.
Can Pathways be reused across school years?
Yes. Use the Duplicate feature and select "Add one year to new pathway" to shift the dates forward.
What does “Not Assigned” mean in filters?
It shows staff members who do not have a Pathway assigned.
Can I assign a Pathway to multiple staff at once?
Yes. Select multiple staff on the Assignments page and assign the Pathway in one action