School Board / 6040 - Evaluation

SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109

POLICY

EVALUATION – PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Section 1123 of the School Laws of Pennsylvania requires that a specific rating system, approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, must be used in rating the services of temporary professional employees and/or professional employees.

Section 1123 of the School Laws of Pennsylvania reads as follows:

“In determining whether a profession employee shall be dismissed for incompetence, and in rating the services of a temporary professional employee, the professional employee shall be rate by an approved rating system which shall give due consideration to personality, preparation, technique, and pupil reaction, in accordance with standards and regulations for such scoring as defined by rating cards to be prepared by the Department of Education, and to be revised, from time to time, by the Department of Education with the cooperation and advice of a committee appointed by the Superintendent of Education including representation from district superintendents of schools, classroom teachers, school directors, school supervisors, and such other groups of interests as the Superintendent of Education may deem appropriate. Rating shall be done by or under the supervision of the Superintendent of Schools or, if so directed by him, the same may be done by an Assistant Superintendent, a Supervisor, or a Principal, who has supervision over the work of the professional employee or temporary professional employee who is being rated: Provided, that no unsatisfactory rating shall be valid unless approved by the District Superintendent. (Amended January 14, 1970, Act. No. 192 (1960), effective July 1971.)”

The final rating or evaluation form used by the Susquehanna Township School District will be the Revised PDE 5501 form not requiring the use of numerical ratings as approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the PDE 426 Evaluation Form for Instructional I teachers until they receive an Instructional II certificate.

The following information will clarify the criteria, the guidelines, and procedures to be followed in observing, supervising, rating, and evaluating professional employees in the District.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES:

We believe that professional responsibility requires a commitment of teachers and administrators in the Susquehanna Township School District to:

1. Continue the improvement of the quality of instruction in our classrooms.

2. Maintain standards of excellence in our educational program.

We believe that the establishment of criteria and procedures for teacher evaluation must be directed to specific purposes which we identify as:

1. A regular review of the quality of instruction in the District.

2. The improving of the performance of each teacher.

3. A continuing study of accomplishment of the District’s educational objectives.

4. The assuring of fairness and objectivity in decisions relating to staffing and tenure.

5. The continuing refinement of the teacher selection process.

We believe that a program for teacher evaluation can produce constructive and cooperative action between administrators and teachers if it includes:

1. Established standards of performance, which reflect an understanding of the teaching-learning processes and the complexity of a teacher’s responsibilities.

2. Systematic procedures for obtaining data about the performances of teachers and collection of reliable, valid and verifiable data from an adequate sampling of performance.

3. Organization of data to show the relationship of the performance to the adopted standards.

4. Opportunities for the observer and the teacher to review the data.

5. Diagnostic use of the observation document by the observer and teacher in developing strategies to enhance instruction.

6. Provisions for establishing collaborative efforts aimed at maximizing professional growth.

We believe that evaluations of teachers which are based upon random impressions or unsupported judgments have little validity or utility, and seek to overcome such limitations by:

1. Recognizing that effective observation tools should be clear and specific so as to yield diagnostic information.

2. Focusing on performance criterion that can be consistently evaluated in multiple observations.

3. Making provisions for teachers to collect and contribute information about their own performance as data to be considered in the evaluation document.

PROCEDURES:

A. CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS:

1. All observations shall be performed during regular classroom periods.

2. Upon the observation of any professional employee, said employee shall receive a copy of the appropriate report within ten (10) days of the observation.

3. When the employee receives the appropriate report, any performance area that is rated less than satisfactory shall be detailed in narrative format to include:

a. the specific unsatisfactory component of the lesson

b. suggested improvements

c. a professional growth plan

4. A conference shall be scheduled following each classroom observation. Said conference shall take place within a reasonable time period following receipt of the Professional Evaluation Document. The professional employee may respond to the recommendations in writing within ten (10) days thereof. All recommendations and responses shall be attached to the Professional Evaluation Document.

OBSERVATION REPORTS:

Temporary Professional Employees

Evaluators shall observe and rate each temporary professional employee in the district a minimum of two times each semester or a minimum of four times each year.

Professional Employees

Evaluators shall observe and rate each professional employee in the district a minimum of once each semester or two times each year.

A. PDE 5501

1. The final rating indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory performance shall occur at the end of each school year and shall be based on the Professional Evaluation Document Reports employed for the current school year.

2. The form approved by the Department of Education PDE 5501 not requiring a numerical rating for each professional employee shall be used for the final rating.

3. Teachers working on an Emergency Certificate or Instructional I Certificate will be evaluated using PDE Form 426 Evaluation Form for Instructional I Teachers.

4. Whenever an unsatisfactory evaluation is indicated in any category – Personality, Technique, Preparation, or Pupil Reaction – it shall be substantiated by anecdotal records.

5. The rating shall be discussed with the employee having full knowledge of his/her evaluation and reasons for such rating.

6. The rating shall consider the following factors: professional assignment, intellectual level of the students, and learning/behavioral problems that might affect professional performance, and factors over which the professional has control.

7. Written documentation is the only data that can be used to substantiate all evaluations. Documentation includes: classroom observations, records or oral reprimands, written reprimands, etc. These documents shall have been presented to and acknowledged by the employee.

UNSATISFACTORY RATING:

1. Two consecutive unsatisfactory ratings of a professional employee shall be necessary to dismiss on the grounds of incompetence. This requirement insures that dismissal is not based on the first instance of unsatisfactory performance, but that dismissal follows notice and an opportunity for the professional employee to improve.

2. The district superintendent shall approve and sign the rating form.

3. Whenever an unsatisfactory rating is given, it shall be supported by anecdotal records. The records shall include specific evidence likely to be important in the event of dismissal.

SUSPENSIONS:

Seniority shall only be weighted in the rating when the number of employees within the district must be reduced. Only continuous service in Susquehanna Township School District will be considered in determining seniority.

Approved by the School Board – August 27, 1979

Amended by the School Board – June 7, 1987

Amended by the School Board