Writing Descriptive Evidence Summaries: The Three C’s

Descriptive evidence summaries (DES) are short written explanations that explain what reviewers observed, not judgments about material approval or adoption. These summaries should be clear, complete, and concise. Typically, a descriptive evidence summary includes two or three well-written sentences that explain how the evidence connects to the indicator guidance statement.

Complete

Complete means your summary should tell the full story. It should include evidence that shows what is actually in the program, cover the entire indicator guidance statement, and leave the reader feeling like they have the whole picture. Don't leave gaps that force someone to go looking for more information.

Clear

Clear means your writing should be easy to follow. Stick to the TEA Style Guide, double-check your spelling and grammar, and write in a way that someone unfamiliar with the details can still understand what you are saying. Use language that is easy for the publisher to understand and act on. If it is confusing to read, it won’t be useful.

Concise

Concise means getting to the point. Only include the most relevant details and locations. Keep it to two or three sentences per summary, and don’t repeat information that has already been captured somewhere else, such as the score summary. Every sentence should earn its place.

Why Source Information Matters

Always document evidence sources in the descriptive evidence summary. The source is the component or artifact title. Source information establishes credibility, allows others to verify findings, and provides a clear trail connecting each summary back to the original material, which helps with cross-alignment and consensus discussions. Without accurate sourcing, even a well-written summary loses its reliability.

Next, we'll look at an example of what a descriptive evidence summary looks like in practice.