XI. Final Recommendation of Teacher-Employment Status
(Evaluation of Teachers)
Evaluation of the professional staff shall include all certificated teachers. Such evaluation shall be based on this Policy GCO.
The purpose of evaluation shall be:
A. To enhance and improve student learning;
B. To use the evaluation system and achievement data to drive professional development to enhance teaching, leadership, and student performance;
C. To increase data-informed decision-making for students' and teachers' evaluations, fostering school cultures where student learning and progress is a continual part of redefining goals for all;
D. To use the evaluation system and data to improve teacher performance;
E. To incorporate multiple measurements of achievement;
F. To communicate clearly defined expectations;
G. To reflect fairness, flexibility, and a research-based approach; and
H. To create a culture where data drives instructional decisions.
The District evaluation system will utilize the required elements listed in A.R.S.§15-537 (districts) relating to teacher evaluation.
All certificated teachers will be evaluated under this new system beginning with the 2020-21 school year. The teacher evaluation system includes the following elements and weighting:
A. The student academic progress element will account for twenty percent (20%) of a teacher's final evaluation rating and will be calculated through the use and review of data from one (1) or more approved student achievement assessments (See Exhibit GCO-EA).
B. The teaching performance element will account for eighty percent (80%) of a teacher's final evaluation rating and will be determined by the teacher's performance using, the Sunnyside Rubric (See Exhibits GCO-EC and GCO-ED).
C. At the conclusion of the evaluation system, each teacher shall receive a final rating of his or her overall performance calculated using the categories and weightings listed above (See Exhibit GCO-EE).
D. In alignment with state labels, the performance indicators of Highly Effective, Effective, Developing and Ineffective will be used to rate a teacher's overall performance.
E. Written Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance 1) may be issued to a teacher whenever a teacher receives a rating of "ineffective" on a teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating; and 2) must be issued when a teacher receives a rating of Developing or Ineffective on a teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating for two (2) or more school years, except for a new teacher or newly reassigned teacher. Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, and Ineffective ratings are defined as follows:
1. Highly Effective: A Highly Effective teacher consistently exceeds expectations. This teacher's students generally make exceptional levels of academic progress. The Highly Effective teacher demonstrates mastery of the State Board of Education adopted professional teaching standards, as determined by at least two (2) observations.
2. Effective: An Effective teacher consistently meets expectations. This teacher's students generally make satisfactory levels of academic progress. The Effective teacher demonstrates competency in the State Board of Education adopted professional teaching standards, as determined by at least two (2) observations.
3. Developing: A Developing teacher fails to consistently meet expectations and requires a change in performance. This teacher's students generally make unsatisfactory levels of academic progress. The Developing teacher demonstrates an insufficient level of competency in the State Board of Education adopted professional teaching standards, as determined by at least two (2) classroom observations. The Developing classification may be appropriate for new or newly reassigned teachers, but for all other teachers it is not considered to be an appropriate level of performance for more than a two (2)-year period.
4. Ineffective: An Ineffective teacher consistently fails to meet expectations and requires a change in performance. This teacher's students generally make unacceptable levels of academic progress. The Ineffective teacher demonstrates minimal competency in the State Board of Education adopted professional teaching standards, as determined by at least two (2) classroom observations.
A formal system for evaluating all certificated teachers will be implemented. Assessment and data/evaluation of teacher performance is a continuous and collegial system. It must be a continuing effort during which the teacher and qualified evaluator review data to form a cumulative view of the teacher's performance. It must be recognized that improvement of performance is a continuous expectation within the teaching profession.
A. Teacher Evaluation Committee:
1. The Governing Board is committed to involving teachers and administrators in the development of a sound evaluation system, and, in furtherance of this goal, it shall appoint members to serve on a Teacher Evaluation Committee. A majority of the members of the committee shall be teachers.
2. A continual review of the evaluation system will ensure the system meets the stated purpose. The Teacher Evaluation Committee will meet monthly for a review of the evaluation system for implementation, pursuant to A.R.S. 15-537.
B. Qualified Evaluator Procedures:
1. The Superintendent shall recommend qualified evaluators to the Board. The Board shall designate qualified evaluators by name or position.
2. The Human Resources Department will provide yearly qualified evaluator training. The training shall incorporate the purpose(s), procedure(s), knowledge and skills that ensure effective implementation of the evaluation system.
C. Teacher Orientation Procedures:
1. Each certificated teacher will receive an orientation regarding the evaluation policy within three (3) weeks of the beginning of each school year. Teachers hired after that time shall receive an orientation within three (3) weeks after their first day of employment.
2. A copy of the evaluation Policy GCO shall be given to each teacher at the orientation.
Each certificated teacher will also be notified of his/her assigned qualified evaluator at the orientation.
3. The Human Resources Department will issue an outline of information to site administrators that shall be presented during the orientation meetings. Site administrators will be responsible for orientation of their respective staffs.
4. With respect to multi-site personnel, this orientation will be held at the site of the primary qualified evaluator, as determined by the majority of contract time. Those multi-site personnel who spend an equal amount of time in each school will attend orientation at the site of the primary qualified evaluator as assigned by the assistant superintendent responsible for those personnel.
5. Each site administrator must document the occurrence of the teacher orientation and provide a record of those in attendance to the Human Resources Department.
D. Multi-Site Personnel Evaluation Procedures:
1. The primary qualified evaluator for personnel who work at multiple sites will be the administrator where the individual spends the majority of his/her contract time. An administrator from the other sites where the individual works will provide the primary qualified evaluator with data regarding performance of the teacher.
2. If multi-site personnel serve an equal amount of time in more than one (1) school, they shall be assigned a primary qualified evaluator by the first student contact day.
3. Clarification regarding evaluation procedures for multi-site personnel will be addressed by the assistant superintendent responsible for such personnel.
E. Working File:
The qualified evaluator has the right to maintain a working file on each staff member which is non-transferable from school to school.
F. Student Academic Progress:
Student Academic Progress will account for twenty percent (20%) of the teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-E-F). Student academic progress will be evaluated using the progress scores from the prior school year, as set out in the Student Academic Progress Form (Exhibit GCO-EC).
G. Performance:
1. The Sunnyside Rubric - Exhibit GCO-EC
The Sunnyside Rubric will be used as the teaching performance evaluation tool for each teacher. The Sunnyside Rubric will account for eighty percent (80%) of the teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating. The Sunnyside Rubric is organized into four (4) domains, eighteen (18) descriptors, and is set out in Exhibit GCO-EC. The four (4) domains used in the Sunnyside Rubric are as follows:
a. Design and Preparation
b. Classroom Culture and Structure
c. Instruction
d. Professional responsibilities and Contributions
H. Informal Observations:
Unscheduled informal walk-through observations of a teacher by the qualified evaluator are part of the continuous system to improve the quality of instruction and shall be conducted at the discretion of the qualified evaluator, but at least two (2) informal observations are required each year, one (1) before any formal observation. Qualified evaluators are required to provide written feedback to the teacher within five (5) working days after an informal observation of any identified areas of concern that may be notated in the future on the teacher's Sunnyside Rubric as unsatisfactory (Ineffective). (The evaluator may use a Formative Sunnyside Rubric for the feedback required in this paragraph.) The teacher shall be allowed five (5) days to write and submit comments to the qualified evaluator regarding the identified areas of concern.
I. Formal Observation and Post-Observation Conference:
1. Any formal observation of a teacher is to be conducted only by the assigned qualified evaluator.
2. Formal observations shall occur in a complete and uninterrupted lesson so as to ensure that the qualified evaluator has an opportunity to grasp an overall concept of the teacher's performance. A complete and uninterrupted lesson means a class that lasts from bell-to-bell within a secondary setting or a minimum of thirty to forty-five (30-45) minutes of uninterrupted instruction in an elementary classroom.
3. There shall be at least sixty (60) calendar days between the first and second formal observation.
4. An observation shall not be conducted within two (2) instructional days of any scheduled period in which school is not in session for one (1) week or more.
5. For any scheduled formal observation, the qualified evaluator or the teacher may request and shall be granted a pre-conference. The pre-conference may include, but is not limited to: determining the formal observation schedule, evaluating the teacher's planning skills, familiarizing the observer with the lesson, and asking and answering questions.
6. One (1) formal observation may be unannounced. All other formal observations will be mutually prearranged through initiation by either the qualified evaluator or the teacher providing options for date and time of observation. Formal observations shall be completed as scheduled or, if the need arises, rescheduled.
7. Within two (2) days after a formal observation, a teacher shall have the opportunity to request to have the formal observation rescheduled once if he or she is dissatisfied with the lesson.
8. Within five (5) working days after each formal observation, a teacher will be required to submit to the qualified evaluator a self-review of the teacher's performance.
9. Within five (5) working days after each formal observation, the qualified evaluator and teacher shall complete a post-observation conference. At the post-observation conference, the evaluator must provide written feedback to the teacher, including any identified areas of concern that may be notated in the future as Unsatisfactory on the teacher's Sunnyside Rubric. (The qualified evaluator may use a formative Sunnyside Rubric for the feedback required in this section.) The teacher shall be allowed five (5) working days to write and submit comments to the qualified evaluator regarding any area of concern.
10. The requirement of a second formal classroom observation is waived for a continuing teacher whose teaching performance based on the first formal classroom observation places the teacher in one (1) of the two (2) highest performance classifications for the current school year, unless the teacher requests in writing a second observation.
J. Sunnyside Rubric Form (Exhibits GCO-EC and GCO-ED):
1. A teacher will be evaluated using the Summative Sunnyside Rubric, based on the evidence collected from pre- and post- observation conferences, informal and formal observations, and teacher self-reviews.
2. Using the Sunnyside Rubric (Exhibit GCO-EC), and the total score received on the assessment, the evaluator shall complete the teacher's Teacher Performance Form (Exhibit GCO-ED).
K. Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating and Conference - Exhibit GCO-EE:
1. As set out in Exhibit GCO-ED, using a teacher's Student Academic Progress score (twenty percent [20%]) - Exhibit GCO-EB) and a teacher's Teacher Performance score (eighty percent [80%] - Exhibit GCO-ED), the evaluator will determine a Final Teacher Evaluation Rating for the teacher of Highly Effective, Effective, Developing or Ineffective (Exhibit GCO-EE).
2. The final teacher evaluation conference shall be held within five (5) working days of the evaluator completing the Sunnyside Rubric and at least five (5) working days before the end of any semester.
3. The final teacher evaluation conference will be mutually prearranged through initiation by the qualified evaluator providing options for date and time.
4. At the final teacher evaluation conference, the evaluator shall give the teacher a copy of the teacher's:
a. Student Academic Progress Form (Exhibit GCO- EB). Note: Teacher should have already received this form in the third quarter.);
b. Sunnyside Rubric (Exhibit GCO-EC);
c. Teacher Performance Form (Exhibit GCO-ED); and
d. Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-EE).
5. The documents referenced in this section are to be signed by the qualified evaluator and the teacher. The teacher's signature shall not imply concurrence.
6. The teacher shall be allowed ten (10) working days to write and submit any comments that shall then be attached to the documents referenced in this section.
7. A copy of the documents referenced in this section will be placed in the principal's file and the teacher's personnel file. The teacher's personnel file will be made available to authorized District officers and employees. All documents referenced in this section shall remain confidential subject only to the exceptions set out in A.R.S. § 15-537(I).
At the final evaluation conference and as part of the evaluation system, the qualified evaluator, in collaboration with the teacher, will develop a Professional Development Plan to target areas for the teacher to refine. The Professional Development Plan will be implemented throughout the next evaluation cycle. Exhibit GCO-EF is the form for the Professional Development Plan.
A. Appeals: An appeal will only occur during the school year unless an extension is mutually agreed upon by the qualified evaluator and teacher. Subject to the limitations set forth below, any of the following may be appealed:
1. Student Academic Progress Form (twenty percent [20%]) - Exhibit GCO-EB);
2. Sunnyside Rubric (Exhibit GCO-EC);
3. Teacher Performance Form (eighty percent [80%]) - Exhibit GCO-ED); and the Final Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-EE).
The above-referenced documents shall remain in full force and effect during the appeal system. A Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Performance may be given to a teacher during the appeal system, and/or a teacher may begin an improvement period pending an appeal.
B. Issues Which Can Be Appealed
The following issues may be appealed in the Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-EE):
1. Alleged violation of procedures, such as timelines that bias the teacher or result in an allegedly inaccurate evaluation;
2. Allegations of qualified evaluator bias;
3. Conflicting evidence or data from the assigned qualified evaluator;
4. Lack of documentation or data from the assigned qualified evaluator;
5. Inaccurate documentation or data from the assigned qualified evaluator; and
6. Environmental factors outside the control of the teacher.
7. Only evaluator computation errors may be appealed in the teacher's Student Academic
Progress Form (Exhibit GCO-EB), Teacher Performance Form (Exhibit GCO-ED) and/or Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-EE). Matters that may be appealed pursuant to this Policy GCO may not be grieved pursuant to Policy GBK or Regulation GBK-RA.
C. Appeal to Qualified Evaluator:
1. The teacher must request an appeal to the qualified evaluator in writing within ten (10) working days after the teacher receives any of the completed documents subject to appeal under this policy. The request for appeal shall state in detail the grounds for appeal and shall request a meeting with the qualified evaluator to discuss the matter.
2. The qualified evaluator shall meet with the teacher within five (5) working days after the request for appeal. Within ten (10) working days of the meeting, the qualified evaluator shall issue a written decision regarding the appeal. The written decision shall state the basis for the conclusions reached in the decision. The qualified evaluator may confirm or modify any of the documents subject to appeal under this policy.
D. Appeal to Superintendent:
1. The teacher may appeal the qualified evaluator's appeal decision to the Superintendent within five (5) working days after receipt of the qualified evaluator's written decision. The teacher shall provide in writing the reason(s) why he/she disagrees with the qualified evaluator's decision.
2. Within five (5) working days of receipt of the appeal, the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee, who shall be a qualified evaluator, shall meet with the teacher and the qualified evaluator, jointly or individually, to discuss the grounds for appeal.
3. The Superintendent or Superintendent's designee shall issue the final decision in writing within five (5) working days of the meeting, and the decision shall not be subject to further appeal. The Superintendent or Superintendent's designee may confirm or modify any of the documents subject to appeal under this policy.
A professional support plan will be established for every teacher who after the first formal observation is at risk of receiving an ineffective score on his or her Summative evaluation.
A teacher with three (3) or more years of experience who has received a rating of Developing for two (2) consecutive years can be placed on a Professional Support Plan.
A teacher may not receive a Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance without being offered the opportunity to participate in the process of a Professional Support Plan.
The evaluator, in collaboration with the teacher, will develop a plan to target the areas(s) of deficiency. The plan will include a goal, strategies, and action steps. The professional support plan must run for a minimum of forty-five (45) instructional days.
"Inadequate Classroom Performance" means 1) a rating of Ineffective on a teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating; or 2) a rating of Developing on a teacher's Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating for two (2) or more school years, except for a new teacher or newly reassigned teacher.
A probationary teacher means a certificated teacher who is not a continuing teacher.
A continuing teacher who has been designated after an evaluation as Ineffective for the current school year shall become a probationary teacher for the subsequent school year and shall remain a probationary teacher until that teacher's performance classification is designated as either Effective or Highly Effective. Nothing in this paragraph limits the ability of the Governing Board or Superintendent to issue a teacher a Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance.
A. The Governing Board, the District Superintendent, or the Chief HR Organizational Development Officer may issue a written Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance to any teacher who receives a rating of Ineffective on any Final Teacher Evaluation Rating.
B. The Governing Board, or the Superintendent, or the Chief HR Organizational Development Officer shall give a Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance to any teacher who has two (2) consecutive yearly evaluations rating the teacher as either Ineffective or Developing, unless the teacher is 1) a first or second-year teacher or 2) has been reassigned to teach a new subject or grade level for the preceding or current school year.
C. A Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance shall clearly identify the nature of the inadequacy of classroom performance and give the teacher an improvement period of at least forty-five (45) instructional days to correct any inadequacies and maintain adequate classroom performance. The teacher will receive an opportunity to correct the inadequacy with the assistance of an Instructional Improvement Team.
D. A copy of all documents relevant to the evaluation system will be included in the Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance.
E. A Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance must be reported to the Governing Board within ten (10) working days.
A. Within five (5) working days of a teacher receiving a Preliminary Notice of Inadequate Classroom Performance, the qualified evaluator will coordinate the selection of a four (4)-member Instructional Improvement Team.
B. The Instructional Improvement Team will consist of two (2) members chosen by the teacher, one (1) by the qualified evaluator, and one (1) by the Superintendent or Superintendent's designee. The Instructional Improvement Team will meet with the qualified evaluator and the teacher to develop the Instructional Improvement Plan within five (5) working days after team selection.
C. The Instructional Improvement Plan will address each element rated as Unsatisfactory on the Sunnyside Rubric and will include the following:
1. Clear, observable, and reasonable objectives;
2. Measurable specific outcomes;
3. Resources the District will make available to the teacher; and
4. Timelines for the system of improving classroom performance.
D. The Instructional Improvement Team will meet with the qualified evaluator and teacher to discuss the Instructional Improvement Plan to make revisions and updates. It is suggested that this meeting occur approximately half-way through the improvement period.
E. Additional meetings can be held at the request of the teacher, the qualified evaluator or the Instructional Improvement Team.
An Instructional Improvement Team Report will be developed at the conclusion of the improvement period. An Instructional Improvement Team Report will include the following:
A. The Instructional Improvement Plan;
B. Summary of District resources provided to the teacher; and
C. Summary of District resources used by the teacher.
XI. Final Recommendation of Teacher-A Notice of the Governing Board's Intention to Dismiss or not to Reemploy for Inadequacy of Classroom Performance shall not be issued until the District has completed a formal observation at the conclusion of the improvement period.
After the improvement period, the qualified evaluator will conduct a formal observation of the teacher and a final conference with the teacher and complete a post-improvement period Sunnyside Rubric (Exhibit GCO-EC); and Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating (Exhibit GCO-EE).
Final recommendations to the Governing Board relative to the employment of for a teacher will be based on informal and formal observation data, the Instructional Improvement Team Report, the post-improvement Sunnyside Rubric and Final Summative Teacher Evaluation Rating.
Adopted: April 26, 2022
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-153
15-203
15-502
15-503
15-512
15-536
15-537
15-537.01
15-538
15-538.01
15-539 et seq.
15-544
15-549
15-918.02
15-977
A.A.C.
R7-2-605
CROSS REF.:
GBEB - Staff Conduct
GCB - Professional Staff Contracts and Compensation
GCF - Professional Staff Hiring
GCJ - Professional Staff Non-continuing and Continuing Status
GCK - Professional Staff Assignments and Transfers
GCMF - Professional Staff Duties and Responsibilities
GCQF - Discipline, Suspension, and Dismissal of Professional Staff Members
GDO - Evaluation of Support Staff Members