Schools

Chappaqua BOE, Teachers Approve Evaluation Plan

Self-reflection, local assessment, are major parts of district's compliance with state's change to teacher evaluation system.

Chappaqua's school board and teachers' union have agreed to a new evaluation plan to comply with tougher state requirements.

The agreement, which was approved Feb. 28 by both the board and the Chappaqua Congress of Teachers (CCT), involves a 100-point system that takes into account a mix of state testing achievements of students (20 points), local assessments of students (20 points), an evaluator's assessment of the teacher (40 points) and a self reflection and goal setting process from the teacher (20 points).

Eric Byrne, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, described there being a "collaborative effort" in coming to the agreement. He noted that a big part of the new evaluation involves the self reflection and goal setting. Under the process, teachers will come up with an inquiry question, then go through a self-reflection period, to determine their area for professional focus, he explained. Teachers will then work with their assessing supervisors - this can be a school principal - throughout the year.

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The assessing supervisor and the teacher will work on the evaluation through using a grading rubric, which is based on state teaching standards. The evaluator will make at least three annual classroom visits during the school year for probationary teachers, and at least two for those with tenure.

The 2012-13 school year will be the first in which teachers are required to comply to the state's new requirement. Currently, principals are subject to it through their own evaluation system, Byrne explained, while some teachers have volunteered for a pilot program. For this year, teachers are working under the existing evaluation plan.

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The approval of a revised evaluation process comes just weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is a New Castle resident and lives in the Chappaqua school district, and a state teachers' union came to an agreement that outlines its protocol and an appeals process.

Asked for a reaction, Byrne said he is interested in how it will impact districts outside of New York City, which the February deal places a particular focus on.

A copy of the Chappaqua evaluation agreement is attached to this story as a PDF. It listed as item 5.12 under the school board's meeting packet.


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