This Manual is a practical guide especially created for early childhood principals, administrators, teachers, and others directly involved in providing appropriate, high-quality preschool and kindergarten programs for young children in both public and nonpublic settings. The purpose of this manual is to inform evaluators and administrators about the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process (NCTEP), a component of the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES), and how it can be used to promote the professional development and growth of early childhood education professionals. The manual contains procedures for observing and evaluating prekindergarten and teachers in the early grades who hold the North Carolina Birth-through Kindergarten Initial (formerly SPI) or Continuing (formerly SPII) License and work in public or nonpublic schools. This manual may also be used by any personnel who have been formally trained in the NCTEP and are preparing to apply the system in early childhood settings. This document is not intended to replace or substitute for any part of the NCTEP rubric in any way. Evaluation ratings can only be made using the evaluation rubric.