ARTICLE 15 TEACHER EVALUATION

Westerly School District

1. The teacher evaluation in the District will be the full implementation of the RIDE educator evaluation model. All methods of observation of the performance of a teacher shall be conducted openly with full knowledge of the teacher.

2. · The District shall ·establish and maintain a District Evaluation Committee ("DEC"), as required by law, which shall review implementation of the evaluation instrument and process and make recommendations to improve the same. The DEC may also make recommendations to the Superintendent to improve the process for implementation of Performance Improvement Plans and for the Mentoring of newly hired teachers, teachers moving to new positions, and for teachers on a PIP.

3. Evaluation Process:

A. The teacher's primary and complementary evaluator will be determined and disseminated prior to the beginning of the year conference.

B. Under normal circumstances, the beginning of the year evaluation meeting will be held before November 1. The mid-year meeting will be held by February 15, and the end of the year meeting will occur prior to the last week of the school year. All meetings will be held within the school day unless m tually agreed upon. Teachers will be notified twenty-four (24) hours in advance of evaluation meetings.

C. An announced observation will be defined as an observation where the teacher is informed forty-eight (48) hours in advance that their evaluator will be observing them. The teacher will be informed of which date/time/period they will be observed.

D. No teacher shall be observed for evaluation purposes except by a District approved evaluator.

E. Ideally, any teacher injeopardy of receiving less than an effective evaluation rating shall be notified not later than the mid-year conference.

F. The teacher evaluation online module will remain confidential within the District, except where mandated by RIDE.

4. Appeals

A. Disputes

i. In the event of a dispute on either an interim or final evaluation rating, the affected teacher shall inform the evaluating administrator, in writing, within five (5) school days. The affected teacher shall meet and discuss the dispute with the evaluating administrator within five (5) school days of notification of the dispute.

ii. Within five (5) school days of the meeting the evaluating administrator shall reduce to writing his/her basis for the rating.

iii. If the teacher is not satisfied with the administrator's rationale, he/she may appeal the matter within five (5) school days to the Superintendent or his/her designee. The Superintendent or his/her designee will notify the teacher of the hearing date within three (3) school days after receipt of the appeal. The hearing will be held within ten (10) school days of notification. The Superintendent or his/her designee, will respond in writing within five (5) school days of the hearing.

iv. No internal appeal may be initiated after the last day of the school year.

v. In the event that the teacher has achieved a rating of at least "effective," the decision of the Superintendent shall be final. In the event the teacher has achieved a rating of "developing," or "ineffective," the teacher may submit an appeal to the RIDE on procedural grounds only.