At a glance
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| 70% | Reduction in time spent writing evaluations |
| 100% | Increase in feedback depth and framework alignment |
| 9.5/10 | Likelihood to recommend Swiftscore to other school leaders |
The school
| Enrollment | ~700 |
| Profile | Assistant Principal at a K–8 Philadelphia public school with a focus on instructional leadership and teacher coaching |
| Challenge | Heavy reliance on personal experience for evaluations; difficulty surfacing new insights or fully aligning feedback with evaluation frameworks |
| Outcome | Sharper focus, deeper observations, and more thoughtful, framework-driven feedback that improves coaching conversations |
Who they are
Luis Garcia is an Assistant Principal in the School District of Philadelphia, serving a K–8 community where he supports teacher development, observation cycles, and strategic hiring. A former special education teacher with 16 years of experience, Luis brings a strong personal lens to classroom walkthroughs—but wanted a way to sharpen his practice and uncover new insights that could elevate his feedback.
The challenge
Before Swiftscore, Luis's evaluation process was deeply rooted in personal experience—especially in areas like differentiation, questioning, and classroom management.
I go in a room with 16 years as a special education teacher… so I tend to live in domains like 3B, 3C, 2B.
But over time, Luis realized that while this experience provided a strong foundation, it also narrowed his focus. There were components of the instructional framework that he wasn't seeing—or wasn't emphasizing as much as he could.
He wanted a tool that could help him:
-
See beyond his default perspective
-
Prompt new instructional questions
-
Refine and elevate his coaching language
What changed with Swiftscore
Swiftscore became more than an efficiency tool for Luis—it became a thinking partner.
By generating detailed summaries aligned with the instructional framework, the tool helped him:
-
Surface areas he hadn't considered
-
Revisit his observation notes with fresh perspective
-
Expand his focus across multiple domains, not just his default areas
It brings up things I didn't even think about… it's like I'm going back to school again.
It's adding to my lens. Now I'm thinking more about how I take notes, what I'm noticing. It's helping me get sharper.
Even though Swiftscore also reduced evaluation time—from 6–8 hours to about 2—Luis says the real value is how it transforms how he sees teaching:
I'm teaching myself again. I'm breaking down each component. It's inspiring how I tackle the next classroom.
Results
Luis now uses Swiftscore for formal and informal observations, saying it:
-
Expanded his instructional lens
-
Improved alignment with the full evaluation framework
-
Sparked deeper reflection before meeting with teachers
It's like having someone walk through the classroom with me. A second set of eyes. That's the biggest difference.
The feedback is richer. The insights are deeper. And I'm walking into new classrooms better prepared because of what I learned from the last one.
Because the tool surfaces high-leverage feedback across every domain, it ensures that no matter what grade level, subject, or teaching style, each teacher receives specific, targeted, and actionable coaching.
Before, I might've missed something because I was focused on what I knew best. Now every teacher gets meaningful feedback—not just the ones in my comfort zone.
This means Luis's approach is now more equitable—teachers across subjects and styles receive equal-quality developmental support.
In addition to better feedback, he's also gained time back to reconnect with classrooms and kids—the work he values most:
If I'm stuck in my office all day working on these notes, I'm missing what's going on up there. This lets me be out in the building.
I'm teaching myself again. It's helping me grow while I'm helping my teachers grow.
By the numbers
-
Expanded instructional insight - Swiftscore surfaces components Luis hadn't focused on, broadening his coaching focus
-
Improved framework alignment - Generates summaries aligned to every domain—not just the ones evaluators default to
-
More equitable development - Teachers of all subjects and styles now receive rich, high-quality feedback
-
Time savings without cutting depth - Evaluations now take ~2 hours instead of ~6–8, while producing better feedback
-
Ongoing professional growth - Luis describes Swiftscore as a "coaching tool" for himself, not just his teachers
Bottom line
Luis Garcia doesn't just write faster evaluations—he writes better ones. The tool helps him see more, coach better, and support every teacher more equitably, all while staying connected to what matters most: the classroom.
Liked this? Get the next one.
Practitioner Notes is a short weekly email from the team that writes here. One read every Wednesday, no marketing.