Along with the state budget, legislation passed that establishes a new system for evaluating public school employees. This new system uses student performance as a rating factor. For teachers and principals, the bill requires 50% of the overall rating to be based on student performance; for nonteaching professional employees, the bill requires 20% of the overall rating to be based on student performance.  The bill requires the Department of Education to develop the evaluation tool, and states that any provision of a contract in effect on the effective date of the bill in conflict with the new evaluation rating tool must be discontinued in a new or renewed contract.

The revised bill states that when an employee receives a “needs improvement”? rating twice within a ten year period, the overall rating of the employee shall be unsatisfactory.  It also clarifies that an employee cannot receive a “failing”? rating based solely on test scores, and that an employee who receives a “needs  improvement”? or “failing”? rating must participate in a performance improvement plan. An employee’s rating form shall not be subject to disclosure under the Right to Know Law.

50% of the evaluation will be based on observation and evidence. This includes planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities of the teacher.

The other 50% will be based on multiple measures of student performance as follows:

 · 15% building level data:  includes student improvement school-wide on performance on PSSA assessments,  PVAAS growth, graduation rate, promotion rate, attendance, AP course participation and SAT/PSAT data.

 · 15% teacher specific data: includes student improvement attributable to that teacher on performance on PSSA assessments, PVAAS growth, IEP growth of special education students and district rubrics.

 · 20% elective data: includes measures of student achievement  that are locally developed and selected by the school district  from a list approved by PDE and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin by June 30 of each year, which includes district-designed measures and examinations; nationally    recognized standardized tests; industry certification examinations and student projects and portfolios.

Source: PenSPRA e-Comm Alerts, July 3, 2012.