The Wilkes County Board of Education places a high priority on securing the most competent personnel available and, once they are employed, in assisting them in their professional growth and development throughout their careers. An effective evaluation program that clearly describes an employee’s performance is a critical aspect of professional growth and assistance.
The superintendent is directed to develop and implement an effective evaluation system for licensed personnel that are consistent with State Board of Education policies. School administrators who are responsible for conducting evaluations shall comply with all state requirements with regard to the type and frequency of evaluation. The school principal shall evaluate teachers and may incorporate any guidelines or strategies developed by the State Board to assist in the evaluations. The superintendent or designee shall evaluate principals and assistant principals.
All licensed personnel must be evaluated at least annually using state-approved evaluation instruments in conformance with any processes established by the State Board for that class of personnel. For a career teacher who is in his or her license renewal year, the teacher must be evaluated by using the formal teacher evaluation process as set forth in State Board Policy TCP-C-004. For a career teacher who is not in his or her license renewal year, the abbreviated evaluation process established in State Board Policy TCP-C-004 is sufficient to satisfy the annual evaluation requirement; however, in any given year, the principal may use the formal evaluation process to evaluate a career teacher. The annual evaluation of principals and assistant principals must include a mid-year review.
The evaluation system must incorporate the following directives.
1. Evaluators must clearly identify exemplary performance as well as deficiencies in performance.
2. Evaluators are encouraged to use supplementary means of assessing and documenting performance in addition to the state performance standards, assessment rubrics and evaluation instruments, including, but not limited to, additional formal observations, informal observations, conferences, reviews of lesson plans and grade books, interactions with the employee, plans of growth or improvement and any other accurate indicators of performance.
3. Student performance and other student outcome data will be considered as a part of the evaluation of licensed personnel, as provided in the assessment rubric for the class of employees under evaluation. Multiple means of assessing student performance must be used whenever possible. If only one method is used to measure student performance, it must be a clearly valid tool for evaluating an employee’s impact on student performance.
4. Peer observations of probationary teachers must be conducted as required by law using the evaluation instrument and process established by the State Board and must be considered by the school administrator in evaluating teacher performance.
5. Supervisors and principals should facilitate open communication with employees about performance expectations.
6. An employee who is unclear about how performance is being assessed or who desires additional evaluation opportunities should address these issues with his or her immediate supervisor.
7. Evaluators will be held accountable for following the evaluation system and all applicable state guidelines on the evaluation of employees.
8. Evaluation data will be submitted to the central office personnel file in accordance with state law and policy 7820, Personnel Files.
9. Evaluation data will be used in making employment decisions, including decisions related to professional and staff development (see policy 1610/7800, Professional and Staff Development), career status (see policy 7410, Career Status) and suspension, demotion and dismissal of employees (see policy 7930, Professional Employees: Demotion and Dismissal, and policy 7940, Classified Personnel: Suspension and Dismissal). Employment decisions may be made by the board and administrators regardless of whether evaluators have followed the evaluation system, so long as there is a legally sufficient basis for the decisions.
10. The superintendent and all evaluators are encouraged to develop ways to recognize distinguished performance and to capitalize on the abilities of such exemplary employees in helping other employees. The superintendent and evaluators are encouraged to involve employees in developing these processes.
The superintendent shall develop any other necessary procedures and shall provide training, as necessary, to carry out the board’s directives and to meet state requirements.
Legal References: G.S. 115C-47(18), -286.1, -325, -333, -333.1; State Board of Education Policies TCP-C- 004, -005, -006, -022
Cross References: Professional and Staff Development (Policy 1610/7800), Career Status (policy 7410), Professional Employee: Demotion and Dismissal (policy 7930), Classified Personnel (policy 7940), Plans for Growth and Improvement of Licensed Employees (policy 7811)
Adopted: January 9, 2006
Revised: February 6, 2012