Ribas Associates Publications

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION	1
The Educational, Legal, Public Relations (Political) and Social–Emotional Processes and Standards of Supervision and Evaluation	5
Sources	6

CHAPTER 1
Ascending the E.L.P.S. (Educational, Legal, Public Relations [Political] and Social–Emotional) Toward Excellent Supervision and Evaluation	7
E-The Educational Process and Standards	7
L-The Legal Process and Standards	8
P-The Public Relations (Political) Process and Standards	9
S-The Social–Emotional Process and Standards	10
Teacher Social–Emotional Processes and Standards	10
Evaluator Social–Emotional Processes and Standards	11
Figure 1: Social–Emotional Components and Processes—Teacher	12
Figure 2: Social–Emotional Components and Processes—Evaluator	13
Conquering the E.L.P.S.	13
Figure 3: Supervision and Evaluation	14
Sources	15

CHAPTER 2
District-Level Systems for Training, Coaching and Assessing an Effective Program of Supervision and Evaluation	17
Training the Evaluators in Your District in Supervision and Evaluation	21
The Archaeological Dig	25
Figure 4: Evaluator Training and Support Cycle	26
The Role of Superintendents and Senior Administrators Beyond Providing Evaluators With Training (Teaching) and Coaching in Supervision and Evaluation	27
Figure 5: Identifying the Role the Various Central Office Administrators Play in Supporting Building-Level Administrators	28
Who Dropped the Ball?	29
Make Your Senior Administration User Friendly for the Evaluators	30
Assessing and Reteaching the Implementation of Supervision and Evaluation in Your District	32
Teacher’s Assessment of His/Her Evaluator’s Performance as a Supervisor and Evaluator	35
One District’s Experience With Teaching, Coaching, Assessing and Reteaching the Concepts of Effective Supervision and Evaluation	37
Evaluator Survey of Potential Areas for Training and Support for Your District’s Teacher Supervisors and Evaluators	39
Criteria for Effective Observation Write-Ups	43
General Comments, Notes and Reminders for Improving Supervision and Evaluation Practices	46
Sample Needs Assessment Report	48
Sources	59

CHAPTER 3
The Educational Skills and Knowledge Needed to Be an Effective Supervisor and Evaluator	61
Analyzing Observations in Terms of Claims, Judgments, Evidence, and Impact Statements and the District’s Performance Standards	61
Excerpts From Sample Write-ups That Include Subjective Conclusions Supported by Observable and/or Verifiable Data	68
Sample Observation Write-up That Includes Subjective Conclusions (Claims, Interpretations and Judgments) Supported by Observable and/or Verifiable Data	70
Data Sources	73
Developing Your Note-Taking Skills	83
Peer Support With Writing Observation Write-ups and End-of-Year Evaluation Reports	95
Common Language and Standards	96
Time-Saving Tips for Supervisors and Evaluators	98
Time Study Survey	100
Sample Minimum Contract Compliance Observation Write-Up for a High-Performing Teacher by a Principal With a Large Evaluation Load	110
Peer Review/Evaluation/Supervision/Coaching (All of the Above)?
Figure 6: The Role of Peers in Supervision, Evaluation and Staff Development	114
Example 1	115
Example 2	117
Example 3	118
Example 4	118
Conclusions	120
Sample End-of-Year Report That Includes Subjective Conclusions (Claims, Interpretations [Impact Statements] and Judgments) Supported by Observable and/or Verifiable Data	121
Sources	129

CHAPTER 4
Sources of Observable and/or Verifiable Evidence Other Than Classroom Observations	131
Conferencing to Create Change: What You Ask a Teacher and Hear From a Teacher Is Often More Important Than What You Tell a Teacher	137
Converting Performance Standards to Conference Questions	139
Pre-Conference Form	140
Post-Observation Conference	141
Figure 7: Response to Teacher Performance	142
Post-Conference Preparation Sheet	143
Final Evaluation Conference	146
Six Stages of Listening and Questioning to Promote Behavioral Change	146
Questions an Evaluator May Ask a Teacher About the Following Performance Standards on Assessment	149
Questions an Evaluator Asks a Teacher about Professional Development Portfolios	149
Sources	150

CHAPTER 5
The Public Relations (Political) Skills and Knowledge Needed to Work Effectively With Teachers’ Associations/Unions and Other Constituencies	151
Many Teachers’ Associations/Union Leaders Are Leading the Way	153
Figure 8: The Pressures on Teachers’ Associations/Union Leaders as They Balance Their Role in Supervision and Evaluation Between Advocating for More Teacher Performance Accountability and Advocating for Job Protections: Prior to 1995	155
Figure 9: The Pressures on Teachers’ Associations/Union Leaders as They Balance Their Role in Supervision and Evaluation Between Advocating for More Teacher Performance Accountability and Advocating for Job Protections: After 1995	156
Supervision and Evaluation: Quality Control for Public Education	156
The Public Relations (Political) Solution.	157
The 33rd Annual Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools	157
Each Party Must Own Its Part of the Problem! A Case of Institutional Finger Pointing	160
Sources	163

CHAPTER 6
The Legal Processes and Standards as They Relate to Supervising and Evaluating Low-Performing Teachers	165
What Do Due Process and Just Cause Mean?	168
The Duty of Fair Representation	170
Legal Standards for Determining if the Union/Association Has Violated Its Duty of Fair Representation for a Member	171
Weingarten Right	172
An Evaluator’s Guide to Gathering and Verifying Evidence	173
Case Study: Using the Various Types of Evidence	176
Harassment?	179
Decision Tree for Administrators Responding to Indirect Claims	180
Figure 10: Indirect Data Decision Tree	181
The Team Approach to Supporting and Coaching Evaluators Involved in Difficult Evaluations or Reducing the “Ghost Town” and “Goldilocks” Effects	182
Difficult Evaluation/Progressive Discipline Support and Coaching Seminars	183
Peer Conferencing to Help Your Peers With Write-Ups of Low-Performing Teachers (Evaluations, Memos, Observations, etc.)	185
Case Study of a Difficult Seventh and Eighth Grade Science Teacher Evaluation (Sample of a Four-Year Cycle)	186
Case Study of a Difficult Third Grade Evaluation (Sample of a Two-Year Cycle)	188
Case Study of a Difficult High School Evaluation (Sample of a Three-Year Cycle)	189
Case Study Activity	191
A Second Evaluator–Supervisor Model	192
Questions to Ask Yourself When You Are Supervising and/or Evaluating a Teacher You Suspect Is Unsatisfactory (or Barely Satisfactory)	193
Reasons Contributing to Teachers and Teachers’ Associations Not Believing Just Cause Has Been Demonstrated in an Evaluation	195
Format for an Improvement Plan	196
Sample Improvement Plans	198
Open Book Assessment on Improvement Plans	213
Sources	214

CHAPTER 7
Progressive Discipline	215
What Is Progressive Discipline?	215
Steps in Progressive Discipline	216
The Exceptional Situation	218
Do’s and Don’ts Related to Investigating an Employee Discipline Situation	218
Knowing How to Use Progressive Discipline Is Often Easier Than Actually Doing It	221
Documenting Your Progressive Discipline Actions	222
Components of a Written Reprimand (and Memo Following an Oral Reprimand)	222
Peer Conferencing to Help Your Peers With Memos After Oral Reprimands and/or Written Reprimands	223
Study Guide on Progressive Discipline	226
Progressive Discipline and Evaluation	226
Sources	233

CHAPTER 8
Creating a Culture of Openness to Change and Receiving Feedback About Areas for Improvement	235
Sample File Cabinet Assessments of Observation and Evaluation Write-Ups	238
Evaluators Teaching Sample Lessons as a Method of Modeling a Culture That Is Open to Change and Receiving Feedback About Areas for Improvement	268

CHAPTER 9
Supervision and Evaluation Documents and Contract Language	271
The Problem With a Poorly Functioning Evaluation Program Is Usually Not the Document!	272
Developing a Supervision and Evaluation Document	274
Tale of Two Documents	281
The Brookline Document	282
The Lexington Document	282
Analyzing the Documents	283
Brookline Contract Language on Supervision and Evaluation	285
Article 6 – Evaluation and Supervision	285
The Public Schools of Brookline, Massachusetts Evaluation Criteria and Format	291
Annual Report of Teacher Effectiveness	291
Principles of Effective Teaching (Massachusetts Department of Education)	294
Brookline High School Student Comment Sheet	303
Evaluation Assignments for Integrated Services Staff	308
Timelines for Teacher Evaluations	310
Lexington Public Schools	312
Article 10 – Evaluation and Supervision	312
Chart of Evaluative Responsibilities	313
Professional Growth Plan	322
Final Report on Professional Growth Plan	323
Suggestions for a Professional Growth Plan	324
Teacher Performance Standards	326
School Nurse Performance Standards	329
Special Education Teacher Performance Standards	332
Language Arts/Reading Specialist Performance Standards	335
Psychologist Performance Standards	339
Speech and Language Pathologist Performance Standards	342
Library Media Specialist Performance Standards	346
Counselor/Social Worker Performance Standards	349
Occupational Therapist Performance Standards	352
Elementary Consulting Specialist	356
Curriculum Leader Performance Standards	358
Lexington Public Schools Observation Form	362
Lexington Public Schools Final Evaluation Form	363
So What Are the Correct Answers?	365
Brookline Document	365
Lexington Document	366
Texas Professional Development and Appraisal System	369
Summary	426
Sources	427

CHAPTER 10
Ensuring Inter-rater Reliability and Permanent, Positive Change in Your District’s Supervision and Evaluation System	429
Please Don’t Make Me Train the Administrators!	431
Keep Them Interested	432
Creating Training Groups	432
Changing the Groups When Confronted With a Negative Dynamic	433
Assigning Tasks to Group Members	434
Getting Started	435
Why Am I Here? (Think, Pair, Share)	435
Sample Introductory Activity	436
Procedures	436
Handouts	437
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 1: Climbing the E.L.P.S.	438
Steps of the Lesson	438
Increasing Inter-rater Reliability Using Your District’s Performance and Curriculum Standards	439
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 2: High-Performing Teachers and the District’s Teacher Performance Standards	440
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 3: Recommendations for Improvement Are Hard to Hear! or Saying the “Hard-to-Say Stuff” Verbally and in Writing!	440
Assigning Homework	441
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 4: Low-Performing Teachers and the District’s Teacher Performance Standards	443
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 5: The Way We Want Supervision and Evaluation to Happen Versus the Way It Really Happens	444
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 6: Learning From Our Mistakes and Our Successes	446
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 7: Developing an Improvement Plan	446
Inter-rater Reliability Activity 8: The Social–Emotional Components of Stone Soup	447
Extension Activities	448
Checking for Competency and Understanding	451
“Hot Seat” Open Book Assessment	451
Study Guide for Open Book Test 1	451
Conclusion	454
Sources	455
Index	457