The APPR “Transition”

Update information about the APPR “transition” period is posted at the APPR microsite. You can find links to slides, explanations, check-lists, and other resources.

§3012-d To-Do List

If you are still working on the development of a new §3012-d plan (which has to be submitted for approval by July 1st), here’s a list to help you keep track of the decisions you have to make.

Survey Says

It’s probably not a surprise that teachers with positive ratings tend to be more positive about the evaluation process than teachers who are rated lower. It’s probably not a surprise, either, that teachers whose evaluation included student test scores were less positive about the process, too. Another finding in this report concluded that principal leadership is associated with teacher’s satisfaction with the process.

§3012-e?

Beginning in the spring of 2017, NYSED will create committees comprised of stakeholders, practitioners, and experts in the field to provide recommendations on assessments and evaluations that could be used for evaluations in the future. Committees organized by topic area will review all important components currently and potentially in teacher/principal evaluations including the current landscape of options being employed nationally as well as review the existing structure of the NYS evaluation system. A proposal for an evaluation system will be brought to the Board in the spring of 2018 for 2019-2020 implementation. This is according to a recent presentation to the Board of Regents.

Ask Your Teachers

Gathering feedback from teachers about the evaluation system in their school can help improve the implementation while also having a positive influence on school culture and climate. At the end of the year, prior to the provision of summative scores, principals might want to gather data from their teachers about the process in the school. It is easy to do with a Google form or SurveyMonkey. Here’s an example that a local principal developed. By doing this, you gather useful data and you express a number of positive things to your teachers.

End-of-the-Year Meeting

The End-of-the-Year meeting is your opportunity to reflect on the school year and look ahead to the next. Ideally, the meeting is not about a score, rather is about professional growth and continuous improvement. Here are some resources to guide you through those meetings:

• Organizers from Lead Evaluator and Principal Evaluator Training to help you plan your end-of-the-year message to staff (taking stock and message organizer)
• End-of-the-Year Meeting planner
• Timeline and explanation for an End-of-the-Year process. This is an example of guidance for End-of-the-Year meetings. You can change it to make it match the particular requirements and deadlines of your district.
• End-of-the-Year Meeting example (video)
• Example of a slideshow that can be customized and used district-wide when consistent communication of expectations for End-of-the-Year procedures and meetings.

It’s Almost SLO-time!

We will all soon be administering all sorts of SLO and LAT summative assessments – some of them locally or regionally developed. When administering SLO summative assessments it is important to follow security and integrity procedures (without going overboard). We’ve prepared some resources to help you with this, including a checklist, proctor rosters, scorer rosters, and even an example of what a student roster might look like.

Free eBooks about Leadership & Evaluation

Here are five of the dozens of eBooks in our Professional eBook Library about leadership and evaluation.  In case you need a password, try “ocmboces”

• Effective Supervision: Supporting the Art and Science of Teaching. Shows school and district-level administrators how to set the priorities and support the practices that will help all teachers become expert teachers.
• Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time. Explains the four critical areas of teaching and describes how educators can use an approach that increases student success.
• Insights into Action: Successful School Leaders Share What Works. This book focuses on relevant topics that face today's educational leaders, particularly those at the school level: teacher leaders, grade or department chairs, assistant principals, and principals.
• Never Underestimate Your Teachers: Instructional Leadership for Excellence in Every Classroom. In this book for school leaders, the author presents a new model for understanding teaching as a combination of skill and will and explains the best ways to support individual teachers' ongoing professional development. Real-life examples, practical tools, and strategies for managing time and energy demands will help you build your leadership capacity as you raise the level of instructional excellence throughout your school.
• Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results. Explains how teachers and administrators can make sure change efforts lead to better results. Topics include effective planning models for change that include highly focused goals and action plans.