8.01 Objectives Philosophy of Evaluation
(a) The Springboro Community School District believes that staff evaluation is an ongoing process. Evaluations are used to improve the quality of instruction, to enhance job performance responsibilities and to focus on and emphasize professional development. Effective student learning is the ultimate goal of evaluations. It is a continuous, constructive and cooperative process wherein the individual being evaluated and the evaluator share a join responsibility to work together to recognize effective instructions and the means and methods by which to improve student learning. It is a process meant to commend where commendation is warranted and create specific professional developmental plans and suggest means of improvement when needed. It is also a means for making decisions regarding employment.
8.02 Purpose of Evaluation
(a) To help staff gain a better understand of the scope of their duties and responsibilities as reflected in the job description.
(b) To increase overall job performance with support form the administrator.
(c) To provide staff with feedback necessary to develop a professional growth plan.
(d) To provide a means for making appropriate contract recommendations.
8.03 Frequency of Evaluation
(a) It is the desire of the BOARD that each employee be evaluated annually, with the exception of newly hired employees who shall be evaluated two (2) times during their initial year of employment.
However, at a minimum, each Building Principal/Administrator is responsible for evaluating employees according to the following schedule:
(1) Employees new to the district shall be evaluated no less than two (2) times during their initial year of employment.
(2) Employees working under a one year limited contract shall be evaluated at least one (1) time during the current contract year.
(4) Employees working under a two year limited contract shall be evaluated at least one (1) time during the last year of their contract.
(5) Employees working under a continuing contract shall be evaluated at least one (1) time every three (3) years.
(b) By September 30 of each school year, each building principal/administrator will provide written notice to employees who are scheduled to be evaluated that school year that they will be evaluated. Building principals/administrators have the option of evaluating any employee regardless of whether or not they have provided the notice identified herein.
8.04 Evaluation Procedures
(a) All observations and evaluations of work performance of an employee shall be conducted with full knowledge of the employee. Notification of the date and time of any announced observation shall be given to the employee in advance of the announced observation..
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of the Ohio Revised Code which requires two (2) cla**room observations, it is understood and mutually agreed by the ASSOCIATION and the BOARD that during the term of this Contract a formal "evaluation" shall be defined as at least one (1) announced observation of at least 30 minutes, but that other unannounced observations may occur. Evaluations shall reference employee strengths and deficiencies, as applicable, as well as one other documentation properly placed in the employee's personnel file.
(c) Employees who travel between buildings shall be evaluated by the principal/administrator as designated by the Superindendent, with written input from the principal(s)/administrators of the other building(s) to which the employees are a**igned. The evaluation and any written input shall be placed in the employee's personnel file.
(d) Employees who are not new to the district may be evaluated more than one (1) time during a school year if deficiencies are noted on the first evaluation or at the discretion of the Administrator.
(3) A pro observation conference before announced observation between the observer and the employee to discuss observation/evaluation procedures and/or the focus of the observation/evaluation shall be held if the employee or building principal/administrator submits a written request.
(f) Within seven (7) days after an announced observation, written observation notes shall be provided to the employee. If an evaluator takes written observation notes during an unannounced observation, regardless of it's length, those notes shall be provided to the employee within seven (7) days of the observation.
(g) Within twenty one (21) days after the first announced observation, the written evaluation report shall be completed and a final evaluation conference shall be held between the evaluator and the employee. If a second evaluation is required, the written evaluation report and final evaluation conference will be held within twenty one (21) days of this second announced observation. At the conclusion of this final evaluation conference, the evaluator(s) and employee shall sign the evaluation report and the employee shall be given a copy of the signed and dated report. The signature of the employee will not indicate acceptance of the substance of the evaluation, but merely indicates that the employee has seen the evaluation.
(h) The employee may attach any comments concerning the evaluation he/she deems necessary. Such comments must be affixed within twenty-one (21) calendar days after the initial final evaluation conference but no later than the first Thursday in April for employees whose contracts expire, whichever date is earlier.
(i) The final, signed evaluation report, which shall be based on formal observations and other documentation properly judged for placement in the employee's personnel file (See Article VII), shall be forwarded to the Superindendent for review and placed in the employee's personnel file.
(j) The Self-Evaluation will be shared with the evaluator at the final evaluation conference of the year.
8.05 Evaluation Deficiencies
(a) Should deficiencies be recorded in the work performance of the employee on the evaluation, the evaluator and employee shall develop a propose plan of action. In the event mutual agreement on this plan of action cannot be secured, the evaluator shall recommend a plan of action. In either event, such a plan shall state the specific problem(s) and will incorporate specific guidance and/or recommendations for improvement.
(b) Should deficiencies be recorded on the evaluation, the level of progress towards improvement, if any, shall be addressed during the next observation and evaluation.
8.06 Evaluation Timelines
(a) The adopted evaluation form, evaluation procedures, and evaluation timelines shall be made available to the employees.
(b) Employees new to the district may be evaluated initially at any time during the period from September through December 10, with final evaluation conferences held within twenty-one (21) calendar days after the first observation but no later than December 15th. The second evaluation for employees new to the district shall be conducted at any time during the period from January through the last day of March, with final evaluation conferences held no later than the first Thursday in April.
(c) Employees, not new to the district, who are working under one year limited contracts or serving in the second year of a two year limited contract may be evaluated at any time during the period from September through December 10, with the final evaluation conferences held within twenty one (21) calendar days after the first observation but no later than December 15th. Any necessary subsequent evaluations shall be conducted at any time during the period from January through the last day of March, with the final evaluation conference held no later than the first Thursday in April.
(d) Employees working under a continuing contract or in the initial year of a two year limited contract may be evaluated at any time during the period from September through the first Thursday in May, with the final evaluation conferences held no later than May 25 of each school year.
(e) Observation and/or evaluation conferences shall not be scheduled the first week of school or on the day before or after a school holiday or vacation.
8.07 Evaluation Criteria and Instrument
(a) It shall be the responsibility of the Administration to develop the evaluation instrument and to determine the substantitive criteria employed in the evaluation process. In doing so, the Administration shall secure input from the ASSOCIATION. The Administration shall secure input from the ASSOCIATION. The Administration shall discuss with the ASSOCIATION President the means for securing input from the ASSOCIATION. The adopted evaluation instrument shall be the only evaluation instrument in use in the District. An evaluation instrument may be different for cla**room teacher, school psychologist, speech and language pathologist, media specialist, guidance counselor, school nurse and athletic director. A copy of the evaluation instrument utilized in the District at the date of this Agreement is attached for information purposes and not as a substantive part of this Agreement as Appendix F.
8.08 Evaluation and Grievance Procedure
(a) Substantive matters regarding the evaluation of an employee are not subject to the grievance and arbitration provisions of this Agreement, as such.
(b) Procedural issues regarding the evaluation of an employee are subject solely to the grievance procedure and such grievance shall be subject to arbitration provided, however, the failure to observe a procedural rule specified in this procedure shall not empower any arbitrator to change any substantive matter in this evaluation.
8.09 Contract Evaluation Procedures and State Statutes
The parties state that it is their express intention and agreement that the evaluation procedures set forth in this Article are the sole evaluation procedures applicable in the Springboro Community City School District for the employees in the bargaining unit covered by this AGREEMENT and that such evaluation procedures totally replace and are in lieu of evaluation procedures set forth in the Ohio Revised Code Section 3319.111.