ARTICLE XI: Evaluation Procedure for Certified Personnel

Section A: Evaluation Procedure for Certified Personnel employed prior to 2007-2008

All forms associated with evaluation of certified personnel will be included in the appendix of this document.

Teachers in their first and second years of employment in U.S.D. 470 will be evaluated twice each year, once each semester; the first evaluation to be completed by the 60th school day of the first semester and the second to be completed by the 60th school day of the second semester.

Teachers in their third and fourth years of employment shall be evaluated at least once each year by February 15. Teachers in subsequent years of employment with U.S.D. 470 (fifth year or more) will be evaluated at least once every three years. The evaluation shall be completed before February 15th of the year the evaluation is done.

More frequent evaluations may be done, if deemed necessary, at the request of the teacher or the evaluator.

An evaluation shall be based upon at least one formal visitation of the teacher's classroom by his or her building principal or designated evaluator. A formal visitation will be with prior notice. The specific day of the formal visitation will be designated and a pre-conference shall be held between the evaluator and evaluatee to allow for the discussion of class plans and objectives. The evaluator and evaluatee shall also discuss the methods used by the evaluatee to measure student progress throughout the school year and examine all pertinent data that has been collected.

The teacher will be given at least two (2) working days notice of the date and time of the pre-conference. If the evaluator is unable to keep the appointment, the conference will be rescheduled at the first opportunity, with no minimum advance notification time required. At the pre-conference, a Form 1* shall be completed. Subsequent formal or informal visitations may be at the discretion of the evaluator on an announced or unannounced basis. A pre-conference is not required after the first formal visitation.

A post-visitation conference must be held between the evaluator and evaluatee within three (3) working days after each formal visitation. During a post-visitation and conference, the evaluator will discuss the data collected during the visitation and the evaluatee will be presented with a copy of the observation data sheet, Form 2* or Form 4*. Any evaluation area in which the performance of the evaluatee was considered by the evaluator to be unsatisfactory will be noted on a Form 3*. Such notice will place the evaluatee on a Plan of Assistance. Any information gathered during informal visitations that has a bearing on an unsatisfactory judgment must be documented and presented to the evaluatee at the next observation conference or sooner. The formal evaluation instrument, Form 4*, will be completed by the evaluator in time to comply with the deadlines designated in paragraph one. Prior to a conference being held to discuss the results of the formal evaluation, the evaluatee will be given the opportunity for self-evaluation, by judging their own performance on a Form 4*. The evaluatee has the right to make written response to any comments made by the evaluator during the conference. Any response must be turned in to the evaluator within two (2) weeks after the conference so that it can be attached to the evaluation. All evaluations will be retained in the Personnel Office for at least three years.

Evaluation (formal or informal) shall be confidential. The use of audio and/or audio-visual devices in the classroom shall be prohibited except with the expressed consent of the teacher involved. The purpose for the use of audio and/or audio-visual devices shall be to help the teacher to observe his/her performance in the classroom in order to facilitate his/her self-improvement. Any tape whether audio or audio-visual shall remain in the custody of the evaluatee until such time as it is erased. The use of audio and/or audio-visual devices in the classroom for other purposes shall be submitted to the Teacher-Board Panel for discussion and possible development of proposals. If any such proposals are developed they shall be negotiated in the next round of bargaining.

*Forms available from building principals. A different form for certain certified personnel such as counselors, librarians, etc. may be used instead of the form for classroom teachers. If such a form is used, it will have been jointly designed by the administrator and certified personnel class and approved by the Superintendent.

Section B: Evaluation Procedure for Certified Personnel employed after 2007-2008

All forms associated with evaluation of certified personnel will be included in the appendix of this document.

New teachers will receive evaluation procedures orientation withing thirty (30) days after the first contract day provided by a district administrator and ACTA designee. Teachers in their first and second years of employment in U.S.D. 470 will be evaluated twice each year, once each semester; the first evaluation to be completed by the 60th school day of the first semester and the second to be completed by the 60th school day of the second semester.

More frequent evaluations may be done, if deemed necessary, at the request of the teacher or the evaluator.

An evaluation using the Teaching Assessment Rubric (Form A) shall be based upon at least one formal visitation of the teacher's classroom by his or her building principal or designated evaluator. A formal visitation will be with prior notice. The specific day of the formal visitation will be designated and a pre-conference shall be held between the evaluator and evaluatee to allow for the discussion of Instructional Domains 1 and 4 and Professional Evidence guidelines (Form D). The evaluator and evaluatee shall also discuss the methods used by the evaluatee to measure student progress throughout the school year and examine all pertinent data that has been collected. In addition to the pre-conference, the building administrator will meet with each first year teacher once each quarter to discuss guided conversation questions (Form E) as indicated in the appendix. Guided conversations can be initiated by the building principal and/or teacher in subsequent years as needed.

The teacher will be given at least two (2) working days notice of the date and time of the pre-conference. If the evaluator is unable to keep the appointment, the conference will be rescheduled at the first opportunity, with no minimum advance notification time required. At the pre-conference, a Pre Observation Form (Form B) shall be completed. Subsequent formal or informal visitations may be at the discretion of the evaluator on an announced or unannounced basis. A pre-conference is not required after the first formal visitation.

A post-visitation conference must be held between the evaluator and evaluatee within three (3) working days after each formal visitation. During a post-visitation and conference, the evaluator will discuss the data collected during the visitation and the evaluatee will be presented with a copy of the formal Evaluation for Improvement of Instruction instrument (Form C). Any evaluation area in which the performance of the evaluatee was considered by the evaluator to be unsatisfactory will be noted and the evaluatee will be placed on a Plan of Assistance (Form 3). Any information gathered during informal visitations that has a bearing on an unsatisfactory judgment must be documented and presented to the evaluatee at the next observation conference or sooner. The formal evaluation instrument will be completed by the evaluator in time to comply with the deadlines designated in paragraph one. Prior to a conference being held to discuss the results of the formal evaluation, the evaluatee will be given the opportunity for self-evaluation, by judging their own performance using the formal evaluation instrument. The evaluatee has the right to make written response to any comments made by the evaluator during the conference. Any response must be turned in to the evaluator within two (2) weeks after the conference so that it can be attached to the evaluation. All evaluations will be retained in the Personnel Office for at least three years.

Any teacher employed prior to the 2007-2008 school year may choose to continue using the current evaluation instrument and process, or choose to use the new evaluation instrument system effective 2007-2008. Teachers employed prior to 2007-2008 choosing the new evaluation system should submit their request in writing to the building administrator prior to September 15. Once a teacher submits a request to move to the new evaluation system, they will remain on that system until retirement or resignation from the district.