New teacher and principal evaluation system takes effect in 2011

   Starting with the 2011-12 school year, New York State law requires teachers of English language arts and math in grades 4-8 and their building principals to adhere to a new evaluation system intended to improve teacher performance and accountability.

The new state-mandated evaluation system – dubbed the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) – is designed to measure teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance and ranks them with a point value on a scale of 1 to 100.

The APPR results would play a large role in deciding promotions, tenure, terminations, retention, and supplemental compensations. It would also help determine if teachers and principals need professional development (think coaching and support).

The APPR criteria was a condition to the state receiving $696 million in federal Race to the Top money last year. Under the new law, New York State plans to annually evaluate teacher and principal effectiveness by using four rating categories: highly effective, effective, developing, and ineffective.

Teacher and principal evaluations will be based on three components: assessments of teacher professionalism (up to 60 points); student growth measured by state tests (up to 20 points); and student growth judged on a local level (up to 20 points). For teachers, the evaluations will include multiple classroom observations, and for principals, the evaluations must be comprised of one or more school visits by a supervisor.

Some aspects of the evaluation system remain a topic of debate. In June, the New York State United Teachers union filed suit against the Board of Regents contending that the Regents wrongfully allowed school districts to double the weight of state standardized test scores in teacher evaluations. That means the schools could use the state assessments for both the first and second 20 percent (or 40 percent total) of a teacher's evaluation,

Regardless, nine teachers at Harry Hoag Elementary in Fort Plain and a building principal will still be affected by the law. Teaching assignments are still being finalized at Fort Plain Jr. /Sr. High School and an exact number of teachers affected will be available in August. For the 2012-13 school year, all classroom teachers and building principals will be subject to the new system.

Focusing on student success

Fort Plain Superintendent Douglas C. Burton says the new standards are meant to improve student learning and although they may challenge teachers by focusing on accountability, he believes they’re up to the task.

“We already have great teachers here and in the long run, this law will just help them become even better teachers, which will ultimately help our students,” he said. “We hope this positively fosters their professional growth and enhances the teaching and learning process.”

Fort Plain has had a professional development plan in place for the last five years. Each of the district’s schools has a building improvement team, which works with teachers on curriculum mapping. During curriculum mapping, teachers record what content and skills are actually taught in a classroom over a period of time.

“We started our building improvement teams looking for gaps in learning that we identified by analyzing data from assessments,” Mr. Burton said. “So by adjusting our instruction, I believe that is what kept our schools in good standing.”

Moving the pieces into place

For much of the summer, district leaders in Fort Plain have been hurrying to work out the details of putting the system into effect.

A networking team hired by HFM BOCES is currently training in Albany and learning about the evaluation system. They will then pass the information on to inquiry teams from each district.

“The belief is there should be consistency with what is being negotiated,” said Mr. Burton. “We want our component districts to have the same negotiating process, rubric models for teacher and principal assessments, and for the appeals process.

“The networking team will train local inquiry teams headed by building principals and staffed by teachers. Their goal is then to analyze student test scores and work on professional development.”

Mr. Burton said the new system must be implemented by Sept. 1 and the APPR plan must be posted to the district website Sept. 10. To see the plan, click here.

The procedures for evaluating teachers are a mandatory part of collective bargaining and the current collective bargaining agreement for Fort Plain teachers doesn’t end until June 30, 2012.

According to the New York State Education Department, the new law requires that all collective bargaining agreements for teachers and building principals entered into after July 1, 2010 be consistent with its provisions. If a collective bargaining agreement that has been in effect on July 1, 2010 contains evaluation provisions that are inconsistent with the APPR law, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement can stay in place and aren’t affected by the new law. However, APPR negotiations would then be required for next contract.

Also, if the current collective bargaining agreement has no evaluation language or has language that is not inconsistent with the new legislation, then the new law applies.

Fort Plain’s collective bargaining agreement currently has language consistent with the law.

“All of APPR has to be collectively bargained, and we are collaborating with all the other HFM BOCES districts” Mr. Burton said. “The timeline is so fast, the lawyers are the ones charged with deciphering this information.”