4000 Personnel

4300 Teacher, Nurse and Other Professional

4320 Activities

4321 Teacher Observation and Evaluation Procedures


MOFFAT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
& EVALUATION SYSTEM


PREFACE
The Board of Education, administration, staff and parents of Moffat County Schools are committed to providing instruction of the highest quality. One component of our excellent educational program is the professional ability and competence demonstrated by the district’s instructional staff.

VISION
We will become a collaborative team committed to achieving high levels of student and staff learning, focusing on targets and results. We will develop a learning-centered culture with high expectations, based on the belief that staff will learn at high levels with proper training and support.

PHILOSOPHY & PURPOSE
The Moffat County School District’s professional growth and evaluation system provides an opportunity for continuous professional growth and development through focused goal setting and professional dialogue. Professional growth and performance evaluation should be an individualized, collaborative process, where multiple sources of evidence can be used to validate teacher performance. The primary purpose of our professional growth and evaluation system is to ensure the effectiveness of the instructional process in order to improve student growth and achievement.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO GUIDE STAFF LEARNING

  1. What is it we want all teachers to know and be able to do? Professional Guide for Teaching” - teaching standards and performance criteria
  2. How will we know when teachers are performing at high levels of established standards? - through multiple sources of evidence and professional dialogue
  3. What will be the systematic plan for continuous staff learning? - goal setting, professional growth plans, training, coaching, and mentoring
  4. How will we respond when teachers don’t perform at high levels? - intervention and remediation


PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
The Professional Guide for Teaching is a framework that defines the standards and performance criteria for good teaching. This document should provide the principal/supervisor and teacher with a framework for teaching, which stimulates dialogue and encourages professional growth. In addition, this Professional Guide for Teaching outlines the standards and performance criteria adopted by the board, that indicate satisfactory performance for licensed personnel. The descriptor placed at the far left portion of the rubric indicates the minimum standard for satisfactory performance at Moffat County Schools.

GOAL SETTING AND OBSERVATIONS
Administrators are encouraged to make multiple observations and have frequent professional dialogue with each professional staff member. The focus of professional growth should revolve around goal setting. Teachers will develop at least one professional goal annually using the district goal Form C.

Observations and data gathered should be goal centered and based on the established professional development plan, using the Professional Guide for Teaching as a guide. No information in the evaluation will be gathered by electronic means without the consent of the licensed professional.

ADDITIONAL DATA SOURCES
Many teaching competencies are most effectively validated through traditional classroom observations. Other competencies may be better measured by alternative sources of evidence. The “Professional Guide for Teaching” also includes possible sources of evidence that could be utilized to determine teacher performance level and goal achievement. Sources of evidence may include informal classroom visits, walk-bys, professional conversations, feedback from peers, parents and students, teaching artifacts, analysis of achievement data, student work samples, communication artifacts, products of team collaboration, class profile analysis and evidence of differentiation.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND EVALUATION SYSTEM ORIENTATION
The building principal or designated evaluator will provide an annual review of the professional growth and evaluation system for all licensed employees. This orientation will include a review of the process, job description, and performance criteria - “Professional Guide for Teaching.” The review may be conducted either as a group or on an individual basis.

Each staff member will sign a statement signifying that he/she has reviewed his/her job description and the Professional Guide for Teaching criteria . The signed original will be forwarded to the personnel office by October 15th. (For the 2004 -2005 school year this will take place on or before November 15.) Although professional dialogue will occur annually, the signed job description needs only be signed once unless the job description or performance criteria change.
SUMMATIVE EVALUATION & SUMMARY CONFERENCE
All summative evaluations will be written and completed on district Forms B and E by the designated evaluator. “Areas of Growth” referred to on forms B and E are synonymous with areas of “weaknesses,” as per statute. When an area of weakness becomes an area of unsatisfactory performance it will be recorded as such on form E. This summative evaluation report will be reviewed at a summary conference. The forms will be signed and sent to the assistant superintendent to be filed in the employee’s personnel folder. Copies will be given to the teacher and evaluator. Any employee may attach his/her written comments to the summative evaluation report within five (5) days following the summary conference.

COMPLETION DATES
The summary conference and summative evaluation report, for all probationary staff will be completed prior to March 1st of each year, and for non-probationary staff prior to May 20th every third year.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL REMEDIATION PLAN
Moffat County School District will provide remediation to instructional staff members who have been evaluated as less than satisfactory by district standards. Upon recommendation of the evaluator, an employee may be placed on a remediation plan.

Initially, the staff member and the evaluator need to hold a meeting to identify the areas in need of remediation and a written timeline for completion. The plan must bee completed on the district remediation form and a copy sent to the assistant superintendent.

Any staff member may be recommended for remediation at any time during the year. A written plan must be developed and signed at the beginning of the process. The plan shall allow for a long enough period for remediation to take place as well as regular feedback for the teacher. A conference on the progress of the remediation plan must take place within 45 working days of the date of the original meeting. At that time, the evaluator may decide to continue the original plan, modify the plan, or discontinue the remediation
FORMS
 DEFINITIONS

Adopted: 10/28/04

Moffat County School District RE-1 Regulation 4321