---
title: "Editing Evaluation Templates"
slug: "editing-evaluation-templates"
updated: 2025-12-08T19:28:29Z
published: 2025-12-08T19:28:29Z
canonical: "support.eduphoria.net/editing-evaluation-templates"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.eduphoria.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Editing Evaluation Templates

Appraisal administrators can edit and update evaluation templates. The best time to edit evaluation templates is between the end and the beginning of an evaluation year.

> [!CAUTION]
> **Warning:**Do not update or change existing and in-use templates during the evaluation year. Instead, it is best practice to [make a copy](/v1/docs/form-management#copying-the-template-form) of in-use templates, which retains all settings and items of the original template.

To learn how to create an evaluation template and import a template in [**Form Management**](/v1/docs/form-management), visit [Creating a New Evaluation Template](/v1/docs/creating-a-new-evaluation-template) and [Importing Eduphoria Community Templates](/v1/docs/importing-eduphoria-community-templates), respectively.

## **Editing Existing Evaluation Templates**

Existing evaluation templates can fall under any of the following form types:

- Evaluation
- Intervention
- Observation
- Reflection
- Summative
- Walkthrough

![form management table.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704681495.png)

After selecting a template form, you can edit the following tabs:

- [Template Information](/v1/docs/editing-evaluation-templates#template-information-tab)
- [Template Options](/v1/docs/editing-evaluation-templates#template-options-tab)
- [Edit Template](/v1/docs/editing-evaluation-templates#edit-template-tab)

## **Template Information Tab**

You might want to rename or change basic information about a form template. Use the **Template Information** tab to make the following specific changes:

- **Change the Title of the form** — Edit the title under General Template Information.
- **Change the Template Icon** — Edit the icon under by clicking the icon to pull up other icon choices.
- **Deleting a template** — Select Delete Template from the top toolbar.
- **Change how the template is scored** — Change from **simple, not scored** to **advanced, with calculations**. View [Setting Up a Template for Scoring](/v1/docs/setting-up-a-template-for-scoring) for more information.
- **Select the Framework tied to the form** — Use the drop-down menu to select a specific framework for the evaluation form.
- **Preview the form** — Select Preview to see the content and organization of the template.

After making changes to **Template Information**, click **Save** to save changes. Click **Update Existing Documents**to push out updates to the document version shared with the Eduphoria Community.

## **Template Options Tab**

**Template Options** differ between form types. Check the boxes next to options specific to each form. Click **Save** to save changes and **Update Existing Documents** to push out updates to the document version shared with the Eduphoria Community.

![template options tab.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763756695.png)

## **Edit Template Tab**

Under the **Edit Template** tab, you can add new groups, matrix groups, or items to an evaluation template.

![edit template new.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704684951.png)

### **Groups**

A **group** contains one or more items.

For instance, a section on a form entitled “Classroom Management” may contain several checkboxes about how teachers manage their classrooms. The entire “Classroom Management” section is the group, and the individual checkboxes are each an item. You can also use groups to create headers for a form without attaching items to it.

The image below shows a **New Group**, which includes an instruction box, two checkboxes, and one checkbox with a text field.

![example of group with items.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763758487.png)

### **Items**

Items can be checkboxes, checkboxes with text, comment boxes, instructions, professional goals, or student growth goals.

![new item options.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763762327.png)

### **Matrix Groups**

**Matrix groups** are special groups designed to store information in columns and rows. You can have as many rows as desired, but you can only have up to five columns. Ideally, you use matrix groups to rate staff in various areas up to five levels of performance.

Below is a preview image of how a **New Matrix Group** appears as columns and rows in a form.

![new matrix group.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763759639.png)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:**Matrix questions are required for collecting data in [Detailed Analysis](/v1/docs/detailed-analysis).

## **Creating and Managing Groups**

Follow these steps to create and edit new groups within an existing template.

Select **New** and choose **New Group** or **New Matrix Group**from the drop-down menu. Type in a name for the new group under **Group Name** and click **Update**. Continue adding as many groups as needed.

![add group or matrix group.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704688023.png)

To rename a group, select the **Group Name** field, enter a new name, and then select **Update**.

Use the **Up** or **Down**arrows to change the order of the groups.

Click the red **X** to delete the selected group or item.

Remember to select **Save**before exiting the screen.

![delete and move arrows.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763764247.png)

## **Adding Items to Groups**

Once you’ve added a group, you can add and edit items.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:**This applies only to regular groups. You cannot add items to matrix groups. To learn how to edit matrix groups, see [Adding a Column to a Matrix Group](/v1/docs/editing-evaluation-templates#adding-a-column-to-a-matrix-group).

**Step 1:**Select the group you want to add items to.

**Step 2:** Select **New** and choose **New Item** from the drop-down menu.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/image(796).png)

**Step 3:**Type in the name of the new item under **Item Name** and choose from the following items in the drop-down menu:

- **Check Box** — Allows the evaluator to make selections by clicking the box.
- **Check Box with Text** — Allows the evaluator to type text next to the checkbox, such as when you have an “Other” option.
- **Comment Box** — Allows the evaluator to enter text, and you will need to select how many lines tall this box should be.
- **Instructions** — Provides instructions about the template itself.
- **Professional Goal** — Pulls enhanced professional goal information from the Evaluation Process tab into a form.
- **Student Growth Goal** — Pulls enhanced student growth goal information from the Evaluation Process tab into a form.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** **Check box with Text**does not function on handheld devices.

**Step 4:**Select **Update** to add the item to that group.

**Step 5:**Continue adding as many items as needed.

![full screen new item options.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704690071.png)

**Step 6:**Change the item order with the **Up** or **Down** arrows.

**Step 7:**Click the item name again to **rename** the item.

**Step 8:**Click the red **X**to delete an item.

## **Adding a Column to a Matrix Group**

Matrix groups can have up to five columns.

**Step 1:**Select **Settings**.

![accessing settings.jpg](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704691607.png)

**Step 2:** Select **Form Management**.

![form management.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704692247.png)

**Step 3:** Open the template you need to edit.

![form management table.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704681495.png)

**Step 4:**Under the **Edit Template** tab, select the **Matrix Group** to open up and reveal the **Columns**.

**Step 5:** Click on **Columns**, enter an option for a second column, and click **Update**.

![add second column.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299763767319.png)

**Step 6:**Click **Save** and then click **Update Existing Documents**.

![save update existing documents.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/30299704693911.png)

## **Adding Appraiser Comments to a Reflection Template**

To allow the evaluator to make comments on a Reflection document, create a new item and select **Comment Box** as the item type. Then, use the drop-down menu to select the **Comment Type** and set it to **Appraiser Comments**.

**![2021-08-18_14-19-20.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/d6ce927e-20b2-40ab-af8d-ea0afbbc28f7/Images/Documentation/4406614231447.png)**Once you add all the necessary groups and items, you can use the **Preview**button to see how the new template will look. Remember to click **Save** to save changes to the template.

Use the **Delete Template** button at the top to delete this template.

As you change the template, it will not modify the existing evaluations created using this template. However, if you wish to retroactively update all existing evaluations that have used this template to match your changes, click **Update Existing Documents**to update any completed templates. Use caution when updating a template, as you can erase information.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** To make your new evaluation template available to the evaluator, connect it to an **Appraisee Type** that uses that template for evaluations.