Request for Teacher/Principal APPR Composite Score and Rating

In accordance with New York Education Law Section 3012-c(10), parents and legal guardians may request the final quality rating and composite effectiveness score for each of the teachers and for the principal of the school building in which your student(s) is assigned for the current school year.  The District will also provide you with an oral or written explanation of the composite effectiveness scoring ranges for final quality ratings, and an opportunity to understand such scores in the context of teacher evaluation and student performance.

If you are interested in obtaining this information you should contact Ms. Jessica Legere, (716) 679-1581, Ext. 2701, to obtain the request form that needs to be completed before any information can be released.

Fredonia Central School District
Annual Professional Performance Review Plan
Philosophy of Teacher/Principal Evaluation

The primary goal of the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Plan is to foster a culture of continuous professional growth which in turn promotes student achievement. The APPR will be used to foster ongoing professional growth and development, reflection, and refinement of professional practice for all faculty and staff in order to improve teaching and learning.

Principal Effectiveness: Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards

Evaluations of building principals are to be based on multiple measures, aligned with the Educational Leadership Policy Standards (ISLLC 2008). A principal’s performance must be assessed using a principal practice rubric approved by the NYS Education Department.

Any of the Educational Leadership Policy Standards (ISLLC 2008) not addressed in the broad assessment must be assessed at least once a year.

Teacher Effectiveness: NYS Teaching Standards

Evaluations of classroom teachers are to be based on multiple measures, aligned with the NYS Teaching Standards (adopted 1/11/11). A teacher’s performance must be assessed using a teacher practice rubric approved by the NYS Education Department.

In the 2011-2012 school year, the new evaluation system must include teachers of English Language Arts or mathematics in grades 4-8 (including common branch teachers who teach ELA or mathematics). Beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, the evaluation system must include all classroom teachers.

Any of the NYS Teaching Standards (adopted 1/11/11) not addressed in the broad assessment must be assessed at least once a year.

Teacher/Principal Effectiveness Composite Score

In accordance with NYS Education Law §3012c regarding Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR) for teachers, the district will differentiate teacher and principal effectiveness using four rating categories – Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, and Ineffective. Additionally, Education Law §3012-c(2)(a) requires annual professional performance reviews (APPRs) to result in a single composite teacher or principal effectiveness score, which incorporates multiple measures of effectiveness. The final composite score for teacher effectiveness shall be determined as follows:

The final composite score for principal effectiveness shall be determined as follows:

In the event a classroom teacher or principal receives a rating of “Developing” or “Ineffective,” the evaluator will schedule a meeting to discuss the overall performance rating and begin development of either a Teacher Improvement Plan (TIP) for teachers, according to FTA contract, or Principal Improvement Plan (PIP) for principals, according to the FAA contract, and the process outlined in this document. Teachers and principals who receive Highly Effective/Effective ratings will receive constructive feedback through a post-conference.

Locally Selected Measures of Student Achievement

Sections 3012-c(2)(e)(ii) and (f)(ii) require that 20% of an APPR be based on other locally selected measures of student achievement that are determined to be rigorous and comparable across classrooms in accordance with the Commissioner’s regulations.

Other Measures of Teacher Effectiveness

Pursuant to Section 3012-c, evaluations of classroom teachers are to be based on multiple measures, aligned with the New York State Teaching Standards. Teacher performance will be assessed based upon one of the rubrics approved by NYSED on July 19, 2011.

Types of Evaluation and Documentation for Teachers

Using the NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric, teachers will demonstrate evidence of effective teaching practices through the use of multiple measures.  Each sub-component in the rubric will be evaluated on a #1 to #4 scale.  This will include direct observation, student work, teacher artifacts, and pre/post conferencing.

Teachers will self-reflect using the NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric by reviewing the NYS Teaching Standards and the Common Core State Standards in consideration of the needs of their incoming student population, changes in curriculum, and developments in content area, assessments, and school and community contexts.  Self-reflection bridges the goal setting from the previous year's evaluation to a new school year context.

Scores will be collected for each category throughout the year and recorded on the Teacher Evaluation Form.  Teachers may earn up to 60 points through this process.  A teacher's final HEDI rating will always round up to the nearest whole number

Types of Evaluation and Documentation for Principals

Using the LCI Multidimensional Rubric, the Superintendent will check the descriptor for each item that best matches the principal's performance.  Using the rubric checklists contained in the attached tables and then followed by a holistic approach using the averages of the ratings, a HEDI rating shall then be determined for each domain and an overall rating on the rubric.

Evaluators

The primary responsibility for evaluation of each employee rests with the immediate supervisor, who is normally that employee’s building principal or designee. For building principals, the immediate supervisor is the Superintendent or designee. The district will ensure that all evaluators are properly trained and certified to complete the performance reviews of professional employees.

Evaluator training will include the following, consistent with the New York State regulations:

• NYS Teaching Standards and ISSLC Standards

• Evidence-based observation

• Application and use of Student Growth Percentile and Value- Added Growth Model data

• Application and use of the State-approved teacher or principal rubrics

• Application and use of any assessment tools used to evaluate teachers and principals

• Application and use of State-approved locally selected measures of student growth/achievement

• Use of the Statewide Instructional Reporting System

• Scoring methodology used to evaluate teachers and principals

• Specific considerations in evaluating teachers and principals of English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities.

The Superintendent will certify that evaluators have received the training required to complete the performance reviews as described in this document. The district will ensure that the evaluators maintain inter-rater reliability over time and that they are re-certified on an annual basis.

Teacher/Principal Improvement Plans (TIP/PIP)

Upon rating a teacher or principal as “developing” or “ineffective” through an annual professional performance review, the district must develop and commence implementation of a teacher (TIP) or principal (PIP) improvement plan for such pursuant to Section 3012-c.

A TIP or PIP must be implemented no later than 10 days after the date on which teachers are required to report prior to the opening of classes for the school year.

Appeal Process

In the event a teacher or principal wishes to challenge a performance review and/or improvement plan under the new evaluation system, he/she will follow the negotiated APPR appeal process as outlined in the Fredonia Teachers' Association and Fredonia Administrative Association APPR negotiated agreements.

Data Management

The district will work with WNYRIC and NYSED to develop a process that aligns its SIS eSchool Data, TEACH (NYSED Portal), and HR WinCap systems to ensure that NYSED receives timely and accurate teacher and student data, course and student “linkage” data, other data required by the regulations, as well as process for teacher and principal verification of the courses and/or student rosters assigned to them.

The district will work with WNYRIC and NYSED to develop a process that aligns its SIS eSchool Data, TEACH (NYSED Portal), and HR WinCap systems for reporting to NYSED the individual subcomponent scores and the total composite effectiveness score for each applicable educator.

The district will store all Regents exams in the district vault prior to test administration. Regents administration will follow all NYSED protocols for test administration and scoring to ensure assessments are not disseminated to students before the administration date and that teachers or principals do not have a vested interest in the outcome of the assessments they score.

The district will store all 3-8 Assessments in the district vault prior to test administration. All administrations of 3-8 assessments will follow NYSED protocols for test administration and scoring to ensure that neither teachers nor principals have a vested interest in the scoring process.

Review of APPR Plan

The processes and procedures contained in this document may be reviewed annually by the district. Items identified as subject to negotiations will be reviewed and amended as soon as possible upon completion of negotiations. Until such time, the previously Board approved APPR plan will be followed.