Developed in collaboration with principals, Observation Copilot is a free app that streamlines the process of turning principals’ classroom observation notes into framework-aligned feedback that’s ready for editing and sharing with teachers. Not only does this save principals hours of work, but it also helps them deliver clear, structured feedback to teachers faster than ever before.

Observation Copilot - 1. Enter Classroom Notes and Select a Custom Instructional Framework.png



















Formats/platforms used:

Observation Copilot is cross-platform compatible and runs on any device with a modern web browser.


Website’s URL:

https://observationcopilot.com/


Problem solved:

After a 30-minute observation, principals often spend an additional hour (or more!) rewriting their notes into formal, framework-aligned feedback.

Observation Copilot dramatically shortens this process by aligning classroom observation notes to the school’s preferred teaching framework and generating ideas for teachers’ next steps. Instead of crafting their formal feedback from scratch, principals start with a clear, organized draft they can quickly refine, freeing them to focus more on meaningful coaching and less on the process.

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Grade/age range:

Observation Copilot is designed to support all PreK-12 principals.


Core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development:

Administrative tool for professional development


Subject/topic:

The platform is aligned with common teaching frameworks and can be aligned to district or state standards as well.


Lesson time needed:

Observation Copilot creates an initial draft of principals’ written feedback in just a few seconds. Principals can then easily review, refine, and copy the feedback into their existing systems.

Observation Copilot - 3. Instructionallly Relevant Next Steps are Provided for Principals.png



















Pricing model:

The app is completely free for principals to use.


What makes product unique?

Unlike many other edtech tools, Observation Copilot is designed specifically for principals to save them time.

Classroom observations should drive meaningful teacher growth, but principals often find that the time spent documenting feedback delays the process and weakens its impact. With Observation Copilot, instead of spending hours manually turning unstructured notes into formal feedback, principals can create their first draft before leaving the classroom.

With automatic time stamps, principals take notes as they please. Then, with one click, Observation Copilot creates the write-up by aligning the principal’s comments to the district instructional framework. And there are even suggestions for instructionally relevant next-steps.


Characteristics:

Observation Copilot is a tool designed to streamline the process of writing teacher feedback for school principals. Its purpose is to reduce the administrative burden associated with providing feedback, allowing principals to focus on the high-leverage activity of instructional leadership.

● Input-Output Model: The user experience is centered around a clear input-output loop. A principal provides unstructured “play-by-play” notes, and the tool produces a structured, formatted draft.

● Minimalist & Time-Saving: The tool’s primary function is to save time, and its design reflects this. Instead of a complex interface with numerous options, it leverages AI to perform the heavy lifting of organization and alignment. This approach reduces the cognitive load on the user by eliminating the need to start from a blank page or manually cross-reference notes with an instructional rubric.

● Actionable and Editable Output: The output is not a final, static report but an editable first draft. This empowers the principal by keeping them in control of the final feedback, allowing them to refine, personalize, and copy the content into their existing systems. It transitions the principal from a passive data-entry role to an active editor, focusing their time on refining insights rather than clerical work.

Observation Copilot additionally operates on several key principles of instructional design and effective professional development.

● Timely and Actionable Feedback: The tool’s core principle is to facilitate timely feedback. By dramatically shortening the time it takes to create a feedback document, it allows principals to give teachers feedback while the observation is still fresh, which is critical for teacher growth.

● Scaffolding for Principals: The tool acts as a scaffold for principals by providing a starting point for their feedback. It automates the alignment of notes to instructional frameworks and suggests instructionally relevant next steps. This scaffolding supports principals in providing high-quality, comprehensive feedback consistently, even when they are faced with time constraints.

● Alignment to Standards: The product enforces the instructional design principle of alignment. It ensures that the feedback given to teachers is directly and explicitly connected to the district's instructional framework or rubric. This creates a common language and a clear standard for professional practice, making the feedback more meaningful and less subjective.

● Focus on High-Leverage Activities: This tool operates on the principle of optimizing time for high-impact tasks. By automating the low-leverage administrative task of transcribing, aligning, and formatting notes, it allows principals to spend more time on what truly impacts teacher practice: coaching, mentorship, and building relationships.


What users are saying:

“A typical observation takes me 2-3 hours to complete the write-up. Using Observation Copilot, I'm down to about 20-30 minutes!” – Adam Oakley, principal at Spokane Public Schools

“An absolute game changer for principals. Not only does it save me time, but I’m giving incredible, actionable feedback and suggestions to teachers!” – Public school principal from Washington State