| P 4610 Certificated Personnel Performance Evaluation

Purpose

To outline guidelines for evaluating Plato R-V School District educators in order:

To improve instruction;
To provide ongoing feedback for professional growth;
To facilitate communication between the professional employee and his/her immediate supervisor;
To promote teaching excellence and high standards of effectiveness for educators;
To identify areas in educators’ practices to strengthen and the relevant supports available through the district and other resources; and,
To provide for adherence to the evaluation policies adopted in accordance with state law.

Scope

This policy applies to ALL Plato R-V School District classroom teachers and the following non-classroom teachers: Library/Media Specialists, Guidance Counselors, etc. Principals and assistant principals are not included under this policy.

Definitions

Accuracy of the data – means only that the data identified with a particular educator is correct.
Evaluation component – one of the multiple measures used in evaluation sot identify the level of performance and effectiveness.
Minor procedural errors – errors that do not materially affect or compromise the integrity of the evaluation results.
Artifact – a physical document or product presented by the educator to provide evidence of work completed.
Evidence – that which proves or disproves something; ground for believe; proof of existence.
System – the protocols and process required to properly use the scoring guides and accurately enter the data.

Policy Statement

The Plato R-V School District believes that an educator development process that promotes the achievement and sustainment of high quality instruction is essential for student academic success, growth, and achievement. Accordingly, evaluation of educators will be conducted regularly and will reflect a fair, meaningful, and accurate depiction of an educator’s development, growth, and performance in the teaching profession.

The Plato R-V School District is also committed to supporting educators in their professional practices and believes that meaningful educator evaluations allow the district to identify instructional areas that need strengthening and prescribe appropriate available support and professional development opportunities. Therefore, educators may seek available district support to improve their professional practices. Additionally, educator evaluation provides the district with a useful tool to inform personnel decisions. Evaluations factor in employment decisions, including, but not limited to – promotion, retention, termination, compensation and the attainment of tenure status.

From a district-wide perspective, the results of regular and consistent evaluations are useful in informing systemic decisions designed to:

Improve and optimize student achievement;
Improve overall educator performance within the district; and,
Improve efficiency in the educational service delivery of the school system (e.g., align district professional development and educator support programs with district-wide educators’ needs identified through aggregate evaluation results).

Evaluation Model and Process

The Plato R-V School District believes that in order for evaluation results to accurately reflect the performance level of an educator, the model of evaluation will be multidimensional and include components that are valid indicators of performance. Additionally, the evaluation process will be conducted with fidelity by competent evaluators and those certified in observation, in accordance with state law and regulations.

To that end, the Plato R-V School District shall evaluate all educators in accordance with standards approved by the Plato R-V District Board of Education. The evaluation process shall be defined and implemented uniformly throughout the district. The educator evaluation measure for the Plato R-V School District shall include the following components:

Observation of Teaching/Classroom Instruction;
Unit of Instruction Analysis;
Analysis of Planned Learning;
Student Growth and/or Achievement Data; and,
Stakeholder (including student) Perceptions.

The inputs for each evaluation component for an individual educator shall be included as part of the formal results of the evaluation. Inputs may include items such as an educator’s relevant MAP/EOC and other standardized assessment scores, an evaluator’s observation ratings and notes, and responses to student perception surveys. The inputs for each evaluation component for an individual educator shall be available to the educator (or his/her designee); those allowed access by the Plato R-V School District policy, and those required by state or federal law.

The results of the evaluation of an individual educator including the inputs shall constitute as the official evaluation for the educator and shall be included in the educator’s personnel file. Personnel files shall only be made available in accordance with applicable law and Board policy. Evaluation results are not subject to grievance pursuant to district policy. However, any misapplication of this policy during the evaluation process is subject to the established grievance process.

Policy Monitoring

The Superintendent (or designee) shall monitor implementation of this policy and shall review the methods and definitions for conducting evaluations and measuring educator effectiveness with appropriate stakeholders. The Superintendent (or designee) shall also review the components of the Missouri Educator Evaluation Model to ensure the Plato R-V School District is in compliance with guidelines and requirements set forth by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Moreover, the Superintendent (or designee) shall provide to the Board every year a report on the district’s aggregate educator evaluation results and their impact on student achievement.

Responsibility

The Plato R-V School District Board of Education is responsible for ensuring that guidelines and requirements set forth by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Federal Law are properly effectuated for the district schools.
The Plato R-V School District is responsible for providing professional development opportunities and support in accordance with policy and the district’s professional development plan.
The Plato R-V School District is responsible for overseeing the district-wide educator evaluation process.
The Superintendent (or designee) is responsible for ensuring adherence to state evaluation compliance guidelines and grievances based on the application of this policy.
Principals are responsible for adhering to this policy, adhering to protocol guidelines set forth in the state evaluation model, and directing educators to available support and professional development.
Educators are responsible for adhering to this policy and seeking professional development and support as needed.
The Superintendent is responsible for ensuring that all educators, principals and administrators are aware of the provisions and guidelines of the Missouri State Educator Evaluation Model, including general processes involved in the system.
The Superintendent is responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented.