DHHS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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Section V:	Human Resources
Title:	Employee and Management Development
Chapter:	Licensed Educators-Non Teachers Evaluation Policy
Current Effective Date:	2/1/2011
Revision History:	4/6/09; 7/1/09
Original Effective Date:	2/10/06

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Purpose

This policy outlines the procedures for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) educator support services personnel such as librarians, school psychologists, counselors, audiologists, and speech language pathologists for the performance and professional development evaluation system. Employees shall refer to the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Educators for additional information.

Policy

DHHS educators licensed by the State Board of Education and employed in NCGS 115C-325 positions shall be evaluated using approved instruments per the evaluation cycle listed below and according to the best practices and forms in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Educators.

Definitions

1. School Administrator and administrator are used interchangeably throughout this policy to refer to the principal/assistant principal/superintendent’s designee, and they refer to the person who supervises and rates the performance of the educators covered
2. Instrument refers to the approved 115C educator evaluation process used by DHHS schools/programs. These are the NC Department of Public Instruction evaluations for 115C licensed support services personnel.
3. Probationary Educators are those educators who were hired from another state, from another local education agency (LEA) in North Carolina, or those with no qualifying experience. Educators coming from another state shall be probationary in DHHS for a period of four years. Teachers coming from another North Carolina LEA who obtained career status in that setting shall be probationary in DHHS for a period of one (1) year. Educators with no experience are probationary until they receive a continuing license and achieve career status which shall occur in no more than four (4) years.
4. Career status refers to 115C licensed educators who have worked a minimum of four (4) years in a LEA and been recommended by the local board of education for career status as outlined in NCGS 115C- 325 (c).
5. A Personal Growth Plan (PGP) shall be developed by every 115C licensed educator as outlined in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Educators.
6. Action Plans are plans for corrective action and professional growth that are put in place by the supervisor of an 115C licensed educator according to NCGS 115C-333 and outlined in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Educators.

Implementation

1. Overview
   The evaluation process occurs on an annual cycle in conjunction with the school year. The timeline below provides an outline of the key steps in the evaluation process. Additional information about the specific steps is presented in subsequent sections.


1. By October 1^st


• First observation completed for probationary educators
• Personal Growth Plans (PGPs) developed and signed for all 115C licensed educators


2. By October 31^st


• First observation completed for experienced educators


3. By November 30^th


• Second observation completed for probationary educators


4. Between December 1st and February 1^st


• Mid-year review of PGPs reviewed and signed for all educators


5. By February 15th


• Second observation completed for experienced educators
• Third observation completed for probationary educators


6. By April 15^th


• Fourth observation completed for probationary educators
• Third observation completed for experienced educators


7. Between April 15th and May 15^th


• Evaluation of all educators completed
• Evaluations discussed with and signed by all educators


2. Observations


1. Shall be conducted according to the timeline above except in cases where deficits in performance need to be addressed during the course of the school year.
2. May include as many observations as the supervisor believes are needed to support the growth and professional development of the 115C licensed educator without the appearance of being arbitrary, capricious, or inordinately more for that educator than for others who may need similar improvement.
3. Shall follow the guidelines and best practices described in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Educators.


3. Evaluations


1. Shall be conducted according to the timeline above except in cases where deficits in performance need to be addressed during the course of the school year;
2. Shall be preceded by all required observations and post-observation conferences, and
3. Shall follow the guidelines and best practices described in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook.
4. Evaluative Consequences


1. An Action Plan shall be developed for any experienced teacher with career status who is rated Developing on any Standard.
2. An Action Plan shall be developed for any initially licensed teacher who is rated Developing on any Standard after two years of teaching in DHHS. Initially licensed teachers who are rated Developing on any standard after three years will not be recommended for a Standard Professional II license which will terminate their employment with DHHS.
3. Action Plans shall be developed in consultation with local HR staff and the Superintendent’s designee (Manager of Educational Services) and must be approved by the Superintendent’s designee (Manager of Educational Services) before being presented to the teacher.
4. Action Plans shall be no longer than 90 days in length and must specifiy the Standards and Elements to be improved, classroom practices which must be improved, the timeline in which this improvement must occur, and support provided for the improvement to date and through the course of the Action Plan.


4. Training and Feedback


1. The DHHS Manager of Educational Services shall conduct training for DHHS School Administrators to provide information regarding the use of performance and professional development and evaluation and any updates to those systems.
2. School administrators shall train their 115C licensed staff, ensuring that all staff have an update each year and that new staff receive training during their orientation period.
3. The DHHS Manager of Educational Services shall conduct periodic reviews of Educator Evaluation Files and provide feedback, in writing, on the use of the performance and professional development and evaluation system to each school administrator and his/her supervisor.


5. Records and Retention


1. School administrators should retain copies of Educator Evaluation Files for five (5) years. Files should be destroyed after that time.
2. At the end of each school year, school administrators shall turn over the original copies of the PGP, observations (including raw data), and evaluations to the program human resources office.

References

NCGS 115C-335; State Board of Education Policy TCP-C-004

For questions or clarification on any of the information contained in this policy, please contact the Manager of Educational Services -Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities. For general questions about department-wide policies and procedures, contact the DHHS Policy Coordinator.