VOORHEES TOWNSHIP TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM, SY 2009-2010

As part of the federal requirements for states receiving funding under Phase 2 of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds Program, all school districts in New Jersey are providing information to the public on the procedures they use to evaluate teachers and principals.  The information presented below will help you understand Voorhees Township Public Schools policies and procedures for evaluating teachers and educational specialists such as librarians and counselors. 

Section 1.  Description of Teacher Evaluation System

TENURED STAFF

The Board of Education recognizes that the continuing evaluation of tenured teaching staff members is essential to the achievement of the educational goals of this district.  The purpose of a program of evaluation will be to promote professional excellence and improve the skills of tenured teaching staff members, improve pupil learning and growth, and provide a basis for the review of teaching staff member performance.  The Board will provide leadership, adequate resources for supervision and professional development, time for the proper conduct of evaluations, and time for in-service training.

Each tenured teaching staff member shall be evaluated annually by appropriately certified and trained administrators or supervisors against criteria that evolve logically from the instructional priorities and program objectives set forth in the teaching staff members job description

NON-TENURED STAFF

The Board of Education recognizes the importance of implementing a program for the evaluation of nontenured teaching staff members in accordance with law for the purposes of identifying and correcting deficiencies, improving professional competence, improving the quality of instruction received by pupils of this district, and assisting the Board in determining the member's reemployment.

The program of evaluation of nontenured teaching staff members shall include the observation and evaluation of each such employee in the performance of his or her   duties by an appropriate supervisor no fewer than three times during each school year, but not less than once during each semester.  Evaluations are to take place before April 30 of each year.  The evaluations may cover that period between April 30 of one year and April 30 of the succeeding year except in the case of the first year of employment where the three evaluations must be completed prior to April 30.  The number of required observations and evaluations may be reduced proportionately when an individual teaching staff members term of service is less than one academic year.  Each evaluation shall be followed by a conference between the teaching staff member and his or her superior or supervisor(s).  The purpose of the observation and evaluation of nontenured teaching staff members shall be to improve professional competence, identify deficiencies, extend assistance for the correction of such deficiencies, provide a basis for recommendations regarding reemployment, and improve the quality of instruction received by the pupils served by the school(s) in the district. 

Supervisors shall make every effort to assist nontenured teaching staff members in the remediation of deficiencies disclosed by observation and evaluation and may conduct additional observations and evaluations. Supervisors should recognize the purposes of this policy cannot be realized by evaluations that do not record the weaknesses as well as the strengths of teaching staff members.  Assessments that are less than honest and candid serve neither the professional growth of the employee nor the interest of the district in building a staff of highly competent, well-trained personnel.

Evaluation Criteria are based upon Madeline Hunters Direct Instruction Model as well as the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers

Evaluation criteria for each position shall derive from the job description for the position and relate directly to each of the tasks described.  Wherever possible each set of evaluation criteria will be:

• Briefly stated and focused on major criteria of the position,
• Based on observable information rather than on factors requiring subjective judgment, 
• Generic, covering a number of specific positions, and  
• Written in the same format and in a direct, simple style 

Collection of Evaluation Data

• Data will be gathered any one or more of the following evaluation methods: 
• Direct observation of the teaching staff member in the course of performing an assigned duty; 
• Review of a product from the teaching staff member that results from the performance of his/her assigned duties; 
• Interviews of the teaching staff member regarding his/her knowledge of assigned duties; 
• Paper and pencil instruments (such as competency tests, pupil surveys, and the like); 
• Audio visual monitoring of the teaching staff member in the performance of his/her assigned duties; and 
• Reference to previous performance reports.

 Review of Pupil Progress and Growth

• A review will be made, at least annually, of pupil progress and growth in each class, for the purpose of determining whether or not changes in the performance of the teacher or in the program would lead to improved results by the pupils during the subsequent school year. 
• The review of pupil progress and growth will be made by a supervisor who is familiar with the pupils involved and the school context against indicators previously determined by the teacher and agreed upon by his/her immediate supervisor. 
• A summary of the pupil progress and growth data and its implications are to be placed in the teachers annual performance report.  The pupil progress and growth report will be one measure of the teachers annual performance evaluation. 
• If the review of the pupil data reveals that pupils have not made the progress expected, the supervisor and staff member shall jointly determine what changes shall be made to improve pupil performance.  Any such changes are subject to approval of the Superintendent before being implemented.

 Annual Performance Conference and Report

• An annual performance conference will be held with each tenured teaching staff member by the administrator or supervisor who prepared the annual performance report (whenever possible) before the staff members annual performance report is filed. 
• For tenured staff the annual performance conference will include a review of the: 

·      Staff members performance based upon his/her job description,

·      Staff members progress toward the objectives of his/her Individual Performance Improvement Plan developed at the previous annual conference, and

·      Available indicators of pupil progress and growth toward their program objectives.

The annual written evaluation will include a review of the nontenured teaching staff members total performance as an employee of the district, including, but not limited to: 

• Performance areas of strength; 
• Performance areas needing improvement based upon the job description;  
• An individual professional development plan developed by the supervisor and the teaching staff member; and 
• A summary of indicators of pupil progress and growth, and a statement of how these indicators relate to the effectiveness of the overall program and the performance of the individual teaching staff member.

The annual written evaluation contains narrative statements as well as rating on a variety of scales related to job performance and relies on no single overall rating scale.

Individual Performance Improvement Plan

An individual Performance Improvement Plan will be prepared annually for each teaching staff member to correct deficiencies and to continue professional growth.  The plan will derive from the applicable evaluation criteria and focus on the most important areas of professional growth for each staff member as determined from weaknesses identified in his/her evaluation

The Individual Performance Improvement Plan will be prepared in cooperation with the teaching staff member whenever possible and shall include: 

• Areas of required growth
• Methods of achieving that growth
• A schedule for implementation of those methods, and
• The responsibility of the teaching staff member and district for implementing the plan

Section 2. Evaluation Outcomes Tables

DISTRICT OFFICE : TEACHER EVALUATION RESULTS SY 2009-2010