STANDARDS-BASED TEACHER EVALUATION | Policy Manual

3220 - STANDARDS-BASED TEACHER EVALUATION

The Board of Education is responsible for a standards-based teacher evaluation policy which conforms to the framework for evaluation of teachers as approved by the State Board of Education and aligns with the "Standards for the Teaching Profession" as set forth in State law.

The Board adopts the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System ("OTES") model as approved by the State Board of Education.

The Board believes in the importance of ongoing assessment and meaningful feedback as a powerful vehicle to support improved teaching performance and student growth, as well as promotion and retention decisions for teachers.

This policy shall be implemented as set forth herein and shall be included in the collective bargaining agreement with the Niles Education Association, and in all extensions and renewals thereof.

This policy has been developed in consultation with teachers employed by the Board.

The Board authorizes the Superintendent to establish and maintain an ongoing OTES 2.0 Committee, with continuing participation by District teachers represented by the NEA and administration, for the express purpose of recommending necessary changes to the Board for the appropriate revision of the policy.

Definitions

"OTES" - Stands for the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System as adopted by the Ohio State Board of Education in 2011, or as otherwise modified by the State Board of Education.

"Teacher" - For purposes of this policy, "teacher" means licensed instructors who spend at least fifty percent (50%) of his/her time providing content-related student instruction and who is working under one (1) of the following:

A license issued under R.C. 3319.22, 3319.26, 3319.222 or 3319.226; or
A permanent certificate issued under R.C. 3319.222 as it existed prior to September, 2003; or
A permanent certificate issued under R.C. 3319.222 as it existed prior to September, 2006; or
A permit issued under R.C. 3319.301.

Substitute teachers and teachers not meeting this definition are not subject to evaluation under this policy.

The Superintendent, Treasurer, and any "other administrator" as defined by R.C. 3319.02 are not subject to evaluation under this policy.

"Credentialed Evaluator" - For purposes of this policy, each teacher subject to evaluation will be evaluated by a person who:

meets the eligibility requirements under R.C. 3319.111(D); and
holds a credential established by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for teacher evaluation; and
has completed State-sponsored evaluation training and has passed an online credentialing assessment.

The Board shall authorize the Superintendent/designee to approve and maintain a list of credentialed evaluators as necessary to effectively implement this policy.

"Core Subject Area" - means reading and English language arts, mathematics, science, foreign language, government, economics, fine arts, history and geography.

"Student Growth" - for the purpose of the District's evaluation policy, student growth is defined as the change in student achievement for an individual student between two (2) or more points in time.

"Student Learning Objectives" ("SLOs") - include goals identified by a teacher or group of teachers that identify expected learning outcomes or growth targets for a group of students over a period of time.

"Shared Attribution Measures" - student growth measures that can be attributed to a group.

"Value-Added" - refers to the EVAAS Value-Added methodology provided by SAS, Inc., which provides a measure of student progress at the District and school level based on each student's scores on State-issued standardized assessments.

"Vendor Assessment" - student assessments approved by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) that measure mastery of the course content for the appropriate grade level, which may include nationally normed standardized assessments, industry certification exams, or end-of-course examinations for grade level and subjects for which the Value-Added measure does not apply.

Standards-Based Teacher Evaluation

Teacher evaluations will utilize multiple factors, with the intent of providing meaningful feedback to each teacher and assigning an effectiveness rating based upon teacher performance, student growth, and other locally determined criteria.

Each teacher evaluation will result in an effectiveness rating of:

Accomplished;
Skilled;
Developing; or
Ineffective.

The specific standards and criteria for distinguishing between these ratings/levels of performance shall be the same as those developed by the State Board of Education, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The Superintendent shall annually cause to be filed a report to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) the number of teachers for whom an evaluation was conducted as well as the number of teachers assigned each rating as set forth above, aggregated by teacher preparation programs from which and the years in which the teachers graduated. The Board will utilize the ODE's guidelines for reporting this information.

The Board may elect not to evaluate a teacher who was on leave from the School District for fifty percent (50%) or more of the school year and/or submitted notice of retirement that was accepted by the Board no later than December 1st of the year the teacher was scheduled to be evaluated.

The Board may elect not to evaluate a teacher who is participating in the Ohio teacher resident educator program in the year during which the teacher takes at least half of the performance-based assessment as prescribed by the State Board of Education for the first time.

Formal Observation and Classroom Walkthrough Sequence

All instructors who meet the definition of "teacher" under R.C. 3319.111 and this policy shall be evaluated based on at least two (2) formal observations of at least thirty (30) minutes each and periodic classroom walkthroughs each school year.
Teachers on a limited contract who are under consideration for renewal/nonrenewal shall receive at least three (3) formal observations in addition to periodic classroom walkthroughs unless the Superintendent waives the third observation.
A teacher who has been granted a continuing contract by the Board and who receives a rating of "Accomplished" on his/her most recent evaluation may be evaluated every three (3) years, as long as the teacher's academic growth measure for the most recent year for which data is available, is average or higher. If the determination is made to evaluate every three (3) years, the teacher will nevertheless be provided with at least one (1) observation and post conference in any year that such teacher is not formally evaluated.
The Board may evaluate each teacher who has been granted a continuing contract by the Board and who received a rating of Skilled on the teacher's most recent evaluation once every two (2) years, so long as the teacher's student academic growth measure, for the most recent school year for which data is available, is average or higher.

Evaluations will be completed by May 1st and each teacher will be provided a written report of the results of his/her evaluation by May 10th. Written notice of nonrenewal will be provided by June 1st.

In evaluating teacher performance in these areas, the Board shall utilize the measures set forth by the Ohio Department of Education's OTES "Teacher Performance Evaluation Rubric" for instructional planning, instruction and assessment, and professionalism.

Each teacher evaluated under this policy shall annually complete a "Self-Assessment" utilizing the Self Assessment Summary Tool set forth herein as "Teacher Evaluation Form."

Formal Observation Procedure

All formal observations shall be preceded by a conference between the evaluator and the employee prior to the observation in order for the employee to explain plans and objectives for the classroom situation to be observed.
A post-observation conference shall be held after each formal observation.

Informal Observation/Classroom Walkthrough Procedure

A walkthrough is a formative assessment process that focuses on one (1) or more of the following components and results in brief written notes or a summary:

evidence of planning
lesson delivery
differentiation
resources
classroom environment
student engagement
assessment, or
any other component of the standards and rubrics approved for teacher evaluation

A walkthrough shall consist of at least two (2) consecutive minutes, but not more than ten (10) consecutive minutes in duration. The walkthrough should be of sufficient duration to allow the evaluator to assess the focus of the walkthrough.

Data gathered from the walkthrough must be placed on the appropriate designated form. Written feedback from walkthrough shall be provided after the walkthrough. The teacher and/or administrator may request a face to face meeting to discuss observations relative to the identified focus of the walkthrough.

Classroom walkthroughs shall not unreasonably disrupt and/or interrupt the learning environment.
A final debriefing and completed form must be shared with the employee within a reasonable amount of time.

Final Evaluation Procedures

Each teacher's performance rating will be combined with the assessment of student growth measures and any other locally determined alternative measures to produce the summative evaluation rating, based upon the criteria developed by the Ohio Department of Education.

The evaluator shall provide that each evaluation is submitted to the teacher for his/her acknowledgement by written receipt. If signed, by the teacher, the receipt is to be sent to the Superintendent as soon as received.

Professional Growth Plans and Professional Improvement Plans

Based upon the results of the annual teacher evaluation, each teacher must develop either a professional growth plan or professional improvement plan as follows:

Teachers whose final summative rating is "accomplished" will develop a professional growth plan and may choose their credentialed evaluator from those available to the Board for that purpose, utilizing the components set forth in the "Teacher Evaluation Form."
Teachers whose final summative rating will develop a professional growth plan collaboratively with his/her credentialed evaluator and will have input on his/her evaluator for the next evaluation cycle, utilizing the components set forth in the "Teacher Evaluation Form."
Teachers whose final summative rating is "developing" will develop a professional growth plan with their credentialed evaluator. The administration will assign the evaluator for the subsequent evaluation cycle and approved the professional growth plan, utilizing the components set forth in the "Teacher Evaluation Form."
Teachers whose final summative rating is "ineffective" will develop a professional improvement plan with their credentialed evaluator. The administration will assign the evaluator for the subsequent evaluation cycle and approve the professional improvement plan, utilizing the components set forth in the "Teacher Evaluation Form."

Retention and Promotion Decisions/Removal of Poorly Performing Teachers

Removal of poorly performing teachers will be in accordance with the nonrenewal and termination statutes of the Ohio Revised Code and/or the relevant provisions of the collective bargaining agreement in effect between the Board and the NEA.

Nothing in this policy will be deemed to prevent the Board from exercising its rights to nonrenew, terminate, or suspend a teaching contract as provided by law and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement in effect between it and the NEA. The evaluation system and procedures set forth in this policy shall not create an expectation of continued employment for teachers on a limited contract that are evaluated under this policy. The Board reserves the right to nonrenew a teacher evaluated under this policy in accordance with R.C. 3319.11 notwithstanding the teacher's summative rating.