Teacher Appraisal (Evaluation) Committee Update

October 2013


The Teacher Appraisal Committee, formerly known as the Teacher Evaluation Committee,
has been meeting regularly to review and revise our appraisal process and intends to
communicate regularly with teachers regarding our progress. The charge of the District
308 Teacher Appraisal Committee is twofold. First and foremost, the Teacher Appraisal
Committee desires to develop a teacher appraisal process that informs professional
development, focuses on school and student improvement and promotes self-reflection.
The committee is also responsible for aligning our teacher appraisal process to recent
legislative changes (PERA 315 and SB 7). The Teacher Appraisal Committee worked
collaboratively to develop the following belief statement:

We believe the District 308 appraisal process is a collaborative partnership that provides
continuous constructive feedback and promotes reflection leading to sustained growth in the
teaching profession and improved learning outcomes for students.

After reviewing legislative requirements and in recognizing the need to select a research
based evaluation instrument, the committee has selected the 2013 Danielson Framework
as our appraisal model. This model identifies research-based aspects of teacher
responsibilities that promote student learning and defines what teachers should know and
be able to do. Similar to our current evaluation instrument, the 2013 Framework divides
teaching responsibilities into 22 components, clustered into 4 domains:

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

The committee is currently discussing and defining processes and procedures related to;
formal and informal observations, the role of teacher reflection, the sharing of artifacts and
evidence, the determination of the summative rating, and overall timelines. The committee
will also be modifying some aspects of the process in recognition of non-classroom
teachers (such as but not limited to LRC Directors, Speech Pathologists, and Certified School
Nurses).

The committees goal is to have a defined appraisal process ready to share with teachers in
January 2014 with full implementation for the 2014-15 school year. Any changes in the
process that conflict with current contract language will be brought forward to the
teachers.

Members of the Teacher Appraisal Team: Andrew Gothelf, Collette Campasano, Edsel
Clark, Elizabeth Wycislak, James Seput, Katherine Barry, Kellie Sanders, Lisa Smith, Louis
Lee, Mindy Renier, Michael Linden, Paul Roberts, Susan Tiedt, Shannon Lueders, Faith
Scobbie, Carol Williams, Georgios Nassis, and Tami Maddox.