Tier 1 - New Staff Member Evaluation

Purpose

During the first two years of employment with the Columbus Community School District, all beginning staff members will participate in Tier 1 of the Professional Staff Evaluation System. Staff members may continue to be assigned to Tier 1 for an additional year by their evaluator. Upon successful completion of the Tier 1, staff members will be placed in Tier 2.

Rationale

The primary purpose of Tier 1 is to generate usable and reliable data that will support making a decision to recommend for licensure a beginning staff member.  This will support the movement of the beginning staff member to the career staff member level (Tier 2). The procedures, processes, and relationships established and supported within Tier 1 should also help new staff develop professionally and personally, promote an environment that will encourage staff members and administrators to understand the importance and usefulness of evaluation, and support the practice of reflection and continuous professional development.

Procedures

The evaluation system shall consist of formal observations, artifact collection, and review of additional data gathered by the evaluator. Within four (4) weeks of his/her first day of work, each staff member will participate in an individual or group orientation conference prior to the beginning of the observation process. This orientation will be lead by the evaluator.  During this orientation conference, the procedures, forms, criteria, and timelines for evaluation will be reviewed and discussed.

Observation Process

The evaluator shall conduct a minimum of two formal observations, one per semester.  One will be 30 minutes or longer and the other of an extended time (approximately two (2) hours).   These observations shall include pre- and post-observation conferences that will be scheduled for dates and times mutually agreeable to the staff member and the evaluator.
The formal observation process shall consist of:

Pre-Observation Conference

1. The pre-observation conference is the opportunity for the professional staff member and evaluator to provide each other with information that will be helpful to the observation process.
2. At or before the pre-observation conference, the staff member will submit the completed Pre-Observation Conference Form for the session to be observed.
3. At this pre-observation conference, the staff member may submit other artifacts or planning data.

Observation

1. During the observation, the evaluator will gather data that is descriptive of the teaching/learning situation.
2. Standards and criteria used during the observation will be the Iowa Teaching Standards and Criteria with focus on:  Standard 2 - Content Knowledge; Standard 3 – Planning and Preparation; Standard 4 – Delivery of Instruction; Standard 5 – Monitoring Student Learning; and Standard 6 – Classroom Management.
3. The formal observation will be of sufficient length (between 30 minutes and two hours) to observe the lesson/entire session agreed upon for observation. Observations will be conducted openly with the full knowledge of the staff member.

Post-Observation Conference

1. The post-observation conference is an open and honest discussion of the observation between the professional staff member and the evaluator.
2. Every effort will be made to hold the post-observation conference within 5 working days of the observation. If the post observation conference is not held within 10 working days, the observation will be void unless mutually agreed to extend the deadline.

1. At the post-observation conference, the staff member will submit a completed Post Observation Reflection Form and may submit additional artifacts or data to assist in a review of the lesson/session observed.

1. During the post observation conference, the evaluator will provide written feedback found on the observation form to the staff member based on the Iowa Teaching Standards and Criteria.

1. Within 10 working days of the post-observation conference, the Evaluator Post Observation Form will be submitted to the staff member for signature.

1. Within 10 working days of receiving the Evaluator Post Observation Form* the staff member may submit a rebuttal.

Professional Portfolio

1. Staff members holding the initial license will create and maintain a professional portfolio in preparation for the comprehensive evaluation. The professional portfolio serves as a catalyst for substantial growth in areas of teaching, philosophy, methods, and goals. These portfolios will provide the evaluator with concise, selective, evidence-based information from a variety of sources. Portfolios can also provide the beginning staff member with an individual, credible, and factual document for the purpose of evaluation and feedback. The evaluator and the staff member will review the portfolio at scheduled

conferences. The portfolio developed during the mentoring program will be used as the foundation of this process. 

1. Staff members who hold an initial license are required to have completed the mentor program. A Certificate of Completion will be given to staff members to add to their professional portfolio at the end of the year. 

Additional Data and Input

Informal or unannounced observations and other informal input will be used to provide additional data in the evaluation process.  Any other observations or data (artifact) collections shall be termed informal and do not require a pre-observation conference.  They should, however, be followed with a reflective response between the teacher and evaluator.  Other information may include (but is not limited to) observations of the staff member; interactions with students, parents, or other staff members, professional involvement; management of parent/teacher conferences, work on committees, interactions with community agencies, participation in staff meetings or work on teams with fellow staff members.  Observations and input from sources such as students, parents, other administrators, mentors, artifact analysis, etc. may be used to provide supportive data.  These unscheduled classroom visits, including walkthroughs, are used to assist the administrator in gaining familiarity with the teacher, in monitoring student learning, in monitoring teacher performance, in addressing concerns as they arise, and in providing continuous professional support.

The teacher and the administrator/evaluator are expected to gather key artifacts, which are descriptive of the teacher's teaching and learning situation.  These artifacts are to be representative of research based practices, district expectations, connections to the district's comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP), and of the Iowa Teaching Standards and Criteria. 

Comprehensive Evaluation

1. For staff members with an initial license, the Comprehensive Evaluation Summative Evaluation Form must be submitted to the Superintendent’s office on or before the last day of the school year of Year 2, reviewed by appropriate district administrators, and placed in the employee’s file. This written evaluation must include the administrator’s licensure recommendation for the staff member or a recommendation for continued participation in Tier 1. G. (See Overview)

1. Prior to the filing of the Comprehensive Evaluation Summative Evaluation Form, the evaluator and staff member will have a final conference to review the evaluation. The staff member will sign and receive a copy. The staff member’s signature indicates that the staff member and the evaluator have discussed the evaluation together. It does not necessarily mean that the staff member agrees with all ratings or remarks contained in the evaluation.

1. The beginning staff member may, if he/she wishes, submit a rebuttal to the Comprehensive Evaluation Summative Evaluation Form document. This rebuttal must be in writing and must be submitted to the evaluator within ten business days following the summative evaluation.

1. The following are relevant evaluation materials that must be in the beginning staff member’s personnel file: completed Comprehensive Evaluation Summative Evaluation Form*; and, if created, the staff member’s rebuttal document(s).