DHHS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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Purpose

This policy outlines the procedures for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) teacher performance and professional development evaluation system. Employees shall refer to the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Teachers for additional information. This evaluation policy applies only to employees functioning in a teacher or vocational teacher position.

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 Teachers.

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 by this policy.
2. Probationary Educators are those educators who were hired from another state, another local education agency (LEA) in North Carolina, or with no qualifying experience. Educators coming from another state or North Carolina LEA who did not obtain career status in that setting shall be probationary in DHHS for a period of four (4) years. Educators with no experience are probationary until they receive a continuing license and achieve career status which shall occur in no more than five (5) years.
3. Instrument refers to the approved 115C educator evaluation process used by DHHS schools/programs. The North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process (NCTEP) approved by the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC State Board of Education is the tool for teacher evaluation.
1. Beginning or Probationary Teacher Cycle: Includes an Individual Growth Plan (IGP); four (4) formal observations with three (3) by the administrator and one (1) by a peer, and an evaluation at the end of the cycle.
2. Career Teacher in Years 2-5 of the Licensure Renewal Cycle: Includes an Individual Growth Plan (IGP) and an evaluation at the end of the cycle based on no less than 9 (nine) elements for evaluation chosen by the teacher and approved by the administrator and listed on the teacher’s Individual Growth Plan.
3. Career Teachers in Year 1 of the Licensure Renewal Cycle: Includes an Individual Growth Plan (IGP); three (3) formal observations - two [2] by the administrator and one [1] snapshot observation by a peer), and an evaluation at the end of the cycle.
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).
4. An IGP shall be developed by every 115C licensed educator as outlined in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Teachers.
5. 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 Teachers. Action Plans must be approved by the DHHS Superintendent.
1. ILTs and Probationary Teachers with no experience have until the end of their third year to obtain a rating of Proficient on all 5 standards. This is also a requirement to convert from a Standard Professional I License to a Standard Professional II License for ILTs. If these teachers do not obtain a rating of Proficient in all standards, their contracts will not be renewed.
2. Career Teachers shall be placed on an Action Plan for any standard that is rated below Proficient.

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
1. First observation completed for probationary teachers and ILTs (Initially Licensed Teachers)
2. Individual Growth Plans developed and signed for all 115C licensed educators
2. By November 30^th
1. First formal observation for career teachers in their first year of the renewal cycle
2. Second observation completed for probationary teachers and ILTs
3. Between December 1st and February 1^st
1. Mid-year review of IGPs reviewed and signed for all teachers
4. By February 15th
1. Third observation completed for probationary teachers and ILTs
2. Informal observation for career teachers in the first year of their renewal cycle
5. By April 15^th
1. Fourth observation completed for probationary teachers and ILTs
2. Second formal observation completed for career teachers in the first year of their renewal cycle
6. Between April 15th and May 15^th
1. Completion of all teacher evaluations
2. IGPs completed and signed for all teachers
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, and
3. Shall follow the guidelines and best practices described in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Teachers.
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
3. Shall follow the guidelines and best practices described in the DHHS Evaluation Handbook for 115C Licensed Teachers.
4. Can be responded to by teachers, in writing, in no less than 10 days from the time of the evaluation. The response will be attached to the evaluation form.
4. Training and Feedback
1. The DHHS Office of Education Services shall conduct training for DHHS School Administrators to provide information regarding the use of the NC TEP system of performance and professional development and evaluation and any updates to that system.
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 Office of Education Services shall conduct periodic reviews of Teacher 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 Teacher 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 Summary Evaluation Form for each teacher to the program human resources office.
6. 2009-2010
1. For the 2009-2010 School Year ONLY, career teachers in the second and fourth year of the licensure renewal cycle will have one informal observation by a peer using the new NC TEP in order to familiarize them with the overall process and the rubric by which their work will be formally judged in the first year of their new renewal cycle.
7. 115C Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
1. All teachers are subject to the Disciplinary Action and Grievance Procedures for DHHS Educators. These procedures can be found at http://info.dhhs.state.nc.us/olm/manuals/dhs/pol-50/man/Pol2_ER_DiscEduc.pdf.

References

NCGS 115C-335