The 2011 Education Agenda put students first by focusing on the individuals who most strongly influence student learning on a daily basis. In order to identify and achieve greatness in the classroom, Indiana needs fair, credible and accurate annual evaluations to differentiate teacher and principal performance, to support professional growth, and to comply with with IC 20-28-11.5 (the law surrounding teacher evaluation). The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), with the help of teachers and leaders throughout the state, developed an optional model evaluation system named RISE. RISE was developed over the course of a year by the Indiana Teacher Evaluation Cabinet, a diverse group of educators and administrators from around the state, more than half of whom have won awards for excellence in teaching. RISE was designed to be fair, accurate, transparent, and easy-to-use. IDOE staff and the Indiana Teacher Evaluation Cabinet relied on three core beliefs about teacher evaluation during the design of RISE: (1) Nothing that is done for students matters more than giving them effective teachers; (2) Teachers deserve to be treated like professionals; and (3) A new evaluation system will make a positive difference in teachers' everyday lives. This handbook describes Indiana's RISE model, including background/context, timeline for development, performance level ratings, and an overview of components. The two components (professional practice and student learning) that all teachers will be evaluated on are then described in detail. Summative teacher evaluation scoring (review of components and weighting of measures) is then discussed. A glossary of RISE terms, optional observation and conferencing forms for teachers and evaluators, and the Indiana Teacher Effectiveness Rubric are also included. [For a related report, "RISE Evaluation and Development System: Student Learning Objectives Handbook," see ED565865.]