Personnel and Employee Relations AP 422: Teacher Growth Supervision and Evaluation

Background

The Board, Division and school administration, and teachers are responsible for facilitating acceptable professional practice through career-long professional growth. The Division's Teacher Growth, Supervision and Evaluation Administrative Procedure aims to ensure that each teacher's professional actions, judgements and decisions are in the best educational interests of students and support optimum learning.

All teachers are expected to meet the Teaching Quality Standard throughout their careers.

Definitions

In this Administrative Procedure:

Administrative Procedure means the Teacher Growth, Supervision and Evaluation Administrative Procedure implemented by the Division;

Division means the Fort McMurray Public School Division #5833;

Evaluation means the formal process of gathering and recording information or evidence over a period of time and the application of reasoned professional judgement by a Principal or Superintendent in determining whether one or more aspects of the teaching of a teacher meets or does not meet the Teaching Quality Standard;

Notice of Remediation means the written notice issued by a Principal or Superintendent to a teacher where the Principal or Superintendent has determined that a teacher's teaching does not meet the Teaching Quality Standard, or the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA'S) for Interim Certification and such a statement describes:

• The behaviours or practices that do not meet the teaching quality standard and the changes required,
• The remediation strategies the teacher is advised to pursue, and
• How the determination will be made that the required changes in behaviour or practice have taken place, applicable timelines, and the consequences of not achieving the required changes including, but not limited to, termination of a teacher's contract of employment;

Principal means a Principal as defined in the Education Act;

Superintendent means the Superintendent of Schools or designate in respect to fulfilling obligations under section 201 of the Education Act, or for purposes of making recommendations under the Certification of Teacher Regulations;

Supervision means the ongoing process by which a Principal or Superintendent carries out duties in respect to teacher and teaching required under section 197 of the Education Act, and exercises educational leadership;

Teacher means an individual who is required to hold a certificate of qualification as a teacher and who is responsible for the provision of instruction or supervision under section 196 of the Education Act;

Teacher Professional Growth means the career-long learning process whereby a teacher annually develops, implements and completes a plan to achieve professional learning objectives or goals that are consistent with the Teaching Quality Standard;

Teaching Quality Standard means the standard and descriptors of knowledge, skills and attributes consistent with the Teaching Quality Standard - Ministerial Order #002/2020.

Procedures

1. This Administrative Procedure applies to all teachers employed by the Division unless otherwise stipulated.
2. This Administrative Procedure does not restrict the Division or Superintendent:
   1. From taking disciplinary or other action, as appropriate, where the Superintendent has reasonable grounds for believing that the actions or practices of a teacher endangers the safety of students, constitutes a neglect of duty, a breach of trust or a refusal to obey a lawful order of the Board, or
   2. From taking any action or exercising any right or power under the Education Act.
3. Information about the implementation of this Administrative Procedure shall be reported to the public each year in the Division annual report.
4. Teacher Professional Growth
   1. A teacher employed by the Division under a:
      1. Probationary contract,
      2. Continuing contract,
      3. Temporary contract, or an
      4. Interim contract
         is responsible for developing, implementing and completing during each school year an annual Professional Growth Plan that meets the requirements of this Administrative Procedure.
   2. A teacher's annual Professional Growth Plan shall:
      1. Reflect goals and objectives based on an assessment by the individual teacher of his/her learning needs,
      2. Show a demonstrable relationship to the Teaching Quality Standard,
      3. Take into consideration the education plans of the school, the Division and Alberta Education.
   3. A teacher shall submit a copy of the annual Professional Growth Plan the teacher intends to pursue:
      1. To the Principal for review, or
      2. To a representative body of teachers (e.g. the school's Professional Development Committee) for review, where a majority of teachers in a school, including the Principal, are willing to establish such a body
      3. By October 15 or, where a teacher commences employment after September 15, within 45 calendar days of commencement of employment. If the teacher fails to submit an annual Teacher Growth Plan by the date specified, the teacher will be deemed to be in neglect of duty and subject to discipline.
   4. Subject to the approval of the Principal, a teacher's annual Professional Growth Plan may:
      1. Be a component of a long-term, multi-year plan;
      2. Consist of a planned program of supervising a student teacher or mentoring a teacher.
   5. A teacher's completed annual Professional Growth Plan shall be reviewed to ensure that the plan complies with the requirements of Section 4.
      1. If a teacher's completed annual Professional Growth Plan does not comply with the requirements of Section 4, the teacher may be subject to an evaluation.
   6. By June 1, a teacher shall provide the Principal or Superintendent or the representative body of teachers, where established by the school staff, a written or verbal culminating report.
   7. A completed annual Professional Growth Plan shall be returned to the teacher and no copies shall be retained by the Division without the consent of the teacher.
   8. The Principal shall, by June 30, submit to the Superintendent written verification that each teacher has developed, implemented and completed an annual Professional Growth Plan for the prior school year.
   9. Unless a teacher agrees, the content of an annual Professional Growth Plan shall not be part of the evaluation process of a teacher.
      1. Despite clause 4.9, a Principal or Superintendent may identify behaviours or practices that may require an evaluation under clause 6.2.3 provided that the information identified is based on a source other than the information in the annual teacher professional growth plan of the teacher.
5. Supervision
   1. Supervision has three purposes:
      1. Providing support and guidance to teachers,
      2. Observing and receiving information from any source about the quality of teaching a teacher provides to students, and
      3. Identifying the behaviours or practices of a teacher that for any reason may require an evaluation.
   2. Supervision shall be conducted on a continuing basis for all teachers employed by the Division. Through ongoing supervision, a Principal or Superintendent shall seek to be satisfied that a teacher’s teaching meets the requirements of the Teaching Quality Standard.
   3. In the normal course of duties, a Principal or Superintendent may receive information from any source and make observations about the quality of teaching a teacher provides to students. Relevant information and observations will be shared with the teacher on an ongoing basis.
   4. In exercising educational leadership, a Principal or Superintendent may provide guidance and support to a teacher to improve the teacher’s quality of instruction and this assistance may vary in nature depending upon the teacher’s learning needs and professional circumstances.
   5. Supervision is to be viewed as developmental and teachers are to be willing to receive collegial advice and assistance to improve professional performance, identify areas of strength and provide opportunities for further growth.
   6. When, through supervision, a Principal or Superintendent believes that a teacher’s teaching may not meet the requirements of the Teaching Quality Standard, the Principal or Superintendent may:
      1. Identify the behaviours to the teacher,
      2. Work with the teacher directly, as a part of the Principal or Superintendent’s program of supervision, to provide assistance to change the behaviours or practices that may be problematic, or
      3. Initiate an evaluation in accordance with this Administrative Procedure.
6. Evaluation
   1. Teachers on probationary contracts shall be evaluated on a regular basis and receive three written reports during the school year. Each of the first two reports will be completed after a minimum of two classroom visits with the teacher. The final report and recommendation shall be a culmination of the previous two reports. The reports are to be filed with Division Office on the following schedule:

      Preliminary Report	December 10
      Second Report	March 31
      Final Report and Recommendation	May 15

   2. The evaluation of a teacher by a Principal or the Superintendent may be conducted:
      1. And completed within 60 days of a written request of a teacher who holds a continuing contract and a permanent professional teaching certificate;
      2. For the purposes of gathering information related to a specific employment decision of a teacher who does not hold a contract or a permanent professional teaching certificate;
      3. For purposes of assessing the growth of the teacher in specific areas of practice identified by the Division for the purposes of program or school evaluation;
      4. When, on the basis of information received through supervision, the Principal or Superintendent has reason to believe that the teaching of the teacher may not meet the Teaching Quality Standard.
   3. A recommendation by the Superintendent that a teacher be issued a permanent professional teaching certificate or offered employment under a continuing contract must be supported by the findings of two or more evaluations of the teacher.
   4. On initiating an evaluation, the Principal or Superintendent shall communicate explicitly to the teacher:
      1. The reasons for and purposes of the evaluation,
      2. The process, criteria and standards to be used,
      3. The timelines to be applied,
      4. The possible outcomes of the evaluation,
      5. and shall proceed in accordance with this Administrative Procedure.
   5. Upon completion of an evaluation, the Principal or Superintendent must provide the teacher with a copy of the completed evaluation report, in accordance with the Division and Government Policies and Administrative Procedures.
   6. Where, as a result of an evaluation, a Principal or Superintendent determines that the teacher’s teaching does not meet the Teaching Quality Standard, the Principal must provide to the teacher a notice of remediation.
   7. Within 30 calendar days of the completion of the evaluation, the Principal or Superintendent shall draft a report and shall include the Principal or Superintendent’s recommendations pertaining to the teacher’s employment, certification or remediation (if applicable).
   8. The Principal or Superintendent and the teacher shall meet to discuss the evaluation and the teacher shall be given an opportunity to append any written comments to the report, and the evaluation, together with the teacher’s comments, shall be placed in the teacher’s personnel file.
      1. Despite clause 6.7, when an evaluation is conducted for the purposes of clause 6.2.1, the teacher shall receive the only copy of the report unless the teacher chooses otherwise.
   9. When, in the conduct of a program or school evaluation under clause 6.2.3 a Principal or Superintendent believes that a teacher’s teaching may not meet the Quality Teaching Standard for Interim Certification, the Principal or Superintendent shall consider the program or school evaluation to be supervision under this Administrative Procedure and may initiate an evaluation under clause 6.2.4.
   10. When, as a result of an evaluation conducted under clause 6.2.3 or 6.2.4, a Principal or Superintendent determines that a teacher’s teaching does not meet the Teaching Quality Standard for Interim Certification, the Principal or Superintendent issues a notice of remediation to the teacher and the following steps shall be taken:
       1. A program of assistance, consistent with the notice of remediation, is offered to the teacher,
       2. After no more than 100 school days, a subsequent evaluation is undertaken,
       3. If the Principal or Superintendent concludes that the teacher’s teaching exceeds or meets the Teaching Quality Standard for Interim Certification, the evaluation ceases,
       4. If the Principal or Superintendent concludes that the teacher’s teaching still does not meet the Teaching Quality Standard for Interim Certification, then, considering the best interest of the students, the teacher, the profession and the Division as a whole:
          1. An additional period of remediation is offered the teacher, or
          2. The teacher is given a change of assignment, or
          3. A combination of clauses 6.10.4.1 and 6.10.4.2, or
          4. A recommendation is made to the Superintendent to terminate the teacher’s contract of employment.
       5. Where a teacher’s contract of employment is not terminated under this Administrative Procedure, the evaluation cycle continues at clause 6.10.2 above,
       6. A notice of remediation shall comply with its definition and the remediation strategies outlined in the notice replace the teacher’s obligation to develop, implement and complete an annual Professional Growth Plan.
       7. Where the remediation plan addresses needed TQS for Interim Certification, a second probationary contract may be recommended.
7. Appeal
   1. A teacher may appeal an evaluation for procedure and/or content not later than 30 calendar days after the receipt of an evaluation report.
   2. Such an appeal shall be made to the Superintendent and shall include the reasons for the appeal.
   3. The Superintendent may assign a mutually acceptable person to conduct a re-evaluation and the new evaluator shall not be given the particulars of previous evaluations.
   4. The re-evaluation shall conform with this Administrative Procedure for evaluation and all aspects of the re-evaluation shall be subject to the rules of natural justice.