Garfield Re-2 Policies

GCO - R

Evaluation of Licensed Personnel

 

The procedures necessary to administer and implement the policy accompanying this regulation and the district’s licensed personnel evaluation system are as follows:

Basic Requirements

1. All licensed personnel, including full-time and part-time teachers, shall be

evaluated by an administrator/supervisor who has a principal or administrator

license issued by the Colorado Department of Education and/or such

administrator’s/supervisor’s designee, who has received education and training

in evaluation skills approved by the Colorado Department of Education that will

enable the evaluator to make fair, professional, and credible evaluations of the

licensed personnel whom the evaluator is responsible for evaluating.

 

2. The standards for effective performance of licensed personnel and the criteria

to be used in determining whether performance meets these standards shall be

available in writing to all licensed personnel. Such standards and criteria shall

be communicated and discussed by the person being evaluated and the

evaluator prior to and during the course of the evaluation.

 

3. The system shall identify the various methods of evaluation, which shall include but not be limited to direct observations and a process of systematic data-gathering.

 

Information Collection

The evaluator shall directly observe the licensed staff member and gather other data in accordance with the district's evaluation system and state law. No evaluation information shall be gathered by electronic devices without the consent of the licensed staff member. Peer, parent, or student input may be obtained from standardized surveys as part of a teacher’s evaluation. Each principal’s evaluation shall include input from teachers employed at the school and may include input from the students enrolled at the school and their parents.

Frequency and Duration

Probationary teachers shall receive at least two documented observations and one evaluation that results in a written evaluation report each academic year.

Non-probationary teachers shall receive at least one documented observation and one evaluation that results in a written report each academic year. Teachers

Shall receive the written evaluation report at least two weeks before the last class 

day of the school year.

Principals shall receive one evaluation that results in a written report each academic year. Administrators in their first three years of service will be evaluated once during each year. All other administrators will be evaluated at least once. Each evaluation will result in a written report.

Specialized service professionals shall receive one evaluation that results in a written report each academic year. For purposes of this regulation, the term “specialized service professionals” (SSPs) shall be as defined by applicable rules of the State Board of Education.

Variations will be permitted in this evaluation schedule, whether requested by the evaluator or licensed staff member, when the staff member is notified by the evaluator that an additional evaluation report is necessary for reasons consistent with one or more purposes of the evaluation system.

Minor adjustments and variations in the evaluation process will be allowed in order to ensure that the evaluation process is thorough and that sufficient data is collected in accordance with the district’s evaluation system. 

Informal evaluations and observations may be made whenever deemed appropriate by the district.

Documentation

The evaluator will prepare a written evaluation report at the conclusion of the

evaluation process, which will include the following:

1. An improvement plan that is specific as to what improvements, if any, are needed in the licensed staff member’s performance and which clearly sets forth recommendations for improvements. If the person evaluated is a teacher or a principal, the plan shall include recommendations for additional education and training during the teacher’s or principal’s license renewal process.

2. Specific information about the strengths and weaknesses in the licensed staff member’s performance.

3. Documentation identifying when a direct observation was made.

4. Identification of data sources.

5.  The evaluation report will be discussed with the licensed staff member evaluated.

6.  Both the evaluator and the licensed staff member will sign the report, and each will receive a copy. The signature of any person on the report will not be construed to indicate agreement with the information contained therein. If the staff member disagrees with any of the conclusions or recommendations made in the evaluation report, he or she may attach any written explanation or other relevant documentation.

7.  Each report will be reviewed and signed by a supervisor of the evaluator
 

Ineffective Performance

A licensed staff member whose performance is deemed to be ineffective shall

receive:

1. Written notice that his or her performance evaluation shows a rating of Ineffective;

2. A copy of the documentation relied upon in measuring the staff member’s performance; and

3. Identification of deficiencies.

Loss of Non-Probationary Status

A teacher automatically loses non-probationary status:

1. If no appeal is requested, 15 calendar days after receiving the second consecutive “ineffective/partially effective” rating or

2. If an appeal is requested and the superintendent makes a final determination that the second consecutive “ineffective/partially effective” rating is confirmed within the 45 day appeal window.

Appeal

The conclusions of the evaluator will not be subject to further review except as

otherwise provided in these procedures.

The licensed staff member evaluated may appeal the application of the evaluation procedures by submitting a request for review to the supervisor of the evaluator to determine if the procedures were followed during the evaluation.

Appeal by a Non-Probationary Teacher

A non-probationary teacher may appeal his or her rating of ineffective or partially effective in accordance with the following:

1. The non-probationary teacher shall file a written appeal with the superintendent within fifteen (15) calendar days of the teacher’s receipt of the district’s written notice informing the teacher of his or her performance rating of ineffective or partially effective.

2. A non-probationary teacher’s grounds for appealing an ineffective or partially effective rating shall be limited to the following: 

 a.  The evaluator did not follow evaluation procedures that adhere to the requirements of applicable law and that failure had an impact on the teacher’s performance rating; or

   b.  The data relied upon was inaccurately attributed to the teacher.

3. The non-probationary teacher shall have the burden of demonstrating that a rating of effectiveness was appropriate.

4. The superintendent or designee shall review the non-probationary teacher’s appeal and provide the teacher with a written decision regarding the appeal within thirty (30) calendar days of the superintendent’s receipt of such appeal. The superintendent’s decision shall be final.
 

Adopted date: December 10, 2013

Revised:     April 14, 2015

Revised: April 19, 2016

Garfield School District No. Re-2, Rifle, Colorado