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Running head: PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND ACTION PLAN

Performance Evaluation and Action Plan

Michelle A. Kuby

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-533: Developing and Empowering Instructional Leaders

Professor James Russo

April 6, 2022
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PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND ACTION PLAN

Part 1: Analysis

As the school principal in an elementary school, it has come to my attention that one

teacher on the third-grade team has been identified as an outlier with regards to assessment, is

behind on the pacing guide and does not actively engage with her teammates. There is no

indication that this teacher has been approached with these concerns yet, therefore, I believe that

the team lead has the responsibility to begin the conversation with the outlier teacher, Ms.

Monroe, and provide assistance to support her growth. According to 5 (Good) Ways to Talk

about DATA, “Teachers share responsibility and leadership for improving student achievement.”

(Datnow & Park, 2015)

There are several stakeholders involved in Ms. Monroe’s case such as the entire third-

grade team, Ms. Monroe’s group of students, the principal, and the district’s assessment

coordinator. Not all of these stakeholders need to be included in the next steps, but they do have

relevance with regards to Ms. Monroe’s scenario. The stakeholders that should be included in the

conversation are the other third grade teachers, Ms. Monroe, and the principal. The principal

should conduct a one-on-one conversation with Ms. Monroe to discuss the concern. Prior to that

conversation, the principal and the team lead need to meet to discuss the data and determine what

actions have already been taken.

The third-grade team lead, Ms. Juarez, should conduct a PLC with her entire team to

review the data and have a collaborative discussion on next steps to support the students. This

PLC should occur after the one-on-one conversation between Ms. Monroe and the Principal so

that Ms. Monroe understands her responsibility in making an effort during the PLC.

There are a few questions that need to be considered before moving forward with this

scenario. The main question that needs to be considered is how long the data has been trending in
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this direction. In addition, have there been any influences in Ms. Monroe’s personal life that may

have impacted her work, such as a family emergency. I also believe that it is important to ask the

third-grade team members if Ms. Monroe has been making an effort to plan with them outside of

scheduled meetings, to either solidify my belief or debunk it.

Part 2: Identify the Larger Issues

Since Ms. Monroe has been identified as an outlier by the district’s assessment

coordinator, it would be assumed that district policy states that data should be consistent across

the board. This policy would affect my decision by making it a priority to improve the data and

involvement of Ms. Monroe. There are a few additional items that I would need to make the best

decision possible. First, I would like to know more information about Ms. Monroe. Knowing

how long she has worked at this school, specifically how many years she has been on the third-

grade team may give some insight to her resistance to engage with her team. In addition, I would

look at the student demographics in her class compared to the other four classes. This

information would give me a better idea as to why she may be behind in the pacing guide

compared to her colleagues.

There are no potentially positive outcomes by taking no action in this situation. Not

taking any actions can have significant negative impacts to the school culture and the students

learning. If no actions are taken, the gap between Ms. Monroe’s students and the other four

classes will increase. In addition, Ms. Monroe will not understand that her instruction is not at

the academic level it needs to be and will continue to struggle.

Taking action is crucial to improve this scenario but can possibly result in some negative

outcomes in addition to positive outcomes. Ms. Monroe may become defensive in her
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instructional strategies, the third-grade team could potentially ostracize her, and the school

culture could be impacted negatively because of these tensions. On the other hand, there are

many positive outcomes that could occur from taking action. First and foremost, the students’

academics will improve. In addition, Ms. Monroe may engage more with her team members

which would create a more collaborative environment.

Part 3: Action Plan

A principal should have procedures set in place to handle situations such as this scenario.

My first step moving forward is to have a conversation with the third-grade team lead, Ms.

Juarez to discuss my findings. During this meeting, Ms. Juarez may be able to give me more

insight as to how she views the situation and steps that she has already taken to try to improve

the data and relationships. I will explain my expectations of not only Ms. Monroe, but also of

Ms. Juarez being the team lead. I trust that I have selected a strong team lead who understands

how to approach a struggling teacher and provide assistance when needed. Showing that trust for

Ms. Juarez shows that I respect her efforts and know that she is able to sustain the positive

school culture without much assistance from me.

After my meeting with Ms. Juarez, I would then take time to observe Ms. Monroe’s class.

My observations will focus on what I learned from Ms. Juarez as well as my findings from

analyzing data. I would then invite Ms. Monroe to have a post-observation conference where I

would review the data, discuss what I observed and suggest next steps for her. Feedback for

Teacher Growth discusses how to conduct conversations with high-performing, mid-performing,

and low-performing teachers. For the conversation with Ms. Monroe, I would follow the low-

performing strategies outlined, “D= Describe: Describe what has been observed. E= Evaluate:
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Evaluate what it means S= Show: Show what needs to be done. K= Know: Know the

consequences of the same performance.” (Fisher & Frey, 2015) Following this structure for our

conversation allows me to potentially avoid any challenges from Ms. Monroe.

Once these meetings have been completed, the timeline will be expanded, as the data will

not improve overnight. Ms. Monroe, Ms. Juarez, and the rest of the third-grade team need to

continue meeting regularly to analyze student data to ensure there is growth and collaborate on

ways to support one another. I, too, will continue to meet with Ms. Monroe regularly as well as

observe her classroom on a regular basis to make sure that progress is being made. This process

will last the entire year, if not longer.

In reflection, this scenario will take time to fully address but if the right steps are taken

the outcome will be positive. Ms. Monroe will be provided with strategies to improve her

instruction, the third-grade team will become closer and collaborate more with her involvement,

Ms. Juarez will feel supported as a team leader, and the overall school culture will improve.
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References:

Datnow, A., & Park, V. (2015). 5 (Good) Ways to Talk About DATA. Educational Leadership,

10-15.

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2015). Feedback for Teacher Growth. Principal Leadership, 52-56.

Piro, J. (2016). 7 Steps for a Collaborative Data Chat. New Teacher Advocate, 2-3.