ARTICLE 29 - EDUCATOR EVALUATION

West Warwick School District

Section 1 – Evaluation System and Structure

(a) The Rhode Island Innovation Consortium (RIIC) System for Educator Evaluation is the exclusive evaluation tool for all certified staff for which its design is intended. Implementation of the RIIC Evaluation System will be governed by a separate mutual agreement.

(b) Bargaining unit members who are certified in areas that the RIIC System for Educator Evaluation is not designed to assess will be evaluated by a mutually developed or selected instrument.

(c) Bargaining unit members shall not be evaluated more frequently than prescribed by RIGL 16-12-11; Subsections 1 and 2, as promulgated in the year 2014.

Section 2 – District Evaluation Committee

(a) A joint management / labor District Evaluation Committee (DEC) shall act as an advisory committee and will oversee the implementation of evaluation policy and practice. The DEC will consist of an equal number of members from both the administration, selected by the Superintendent, and the WWTA, selected by the Alliance President.

(b) The Evaluation Coordinator will be charged with coordinating evaluation training activities at the direction of the DEC and will serve as a liaison between the DEC and the certified staff.

Section 3 - General Provisions for the Evaluation of Teachers

(a) The West Warwick Public Schools will provide support and assistance to teachers in an effort to help ensure success and growth in their teaching assignment.

(b) For those teachers working in more than one (1) building, the Superintendent shall designate one (1) administrator to be responsible for the evaluation of that teacher.

(c) Technical guidance will be developed, as necessary, by the DEC to address special circumstances.

(d) No person(s), by photographic or digital means, shall record classroom proceedings or other activities conducted with students or other persons (such as parents, other teachers, etc.) for the purpose of evidence collection unless the teacher concerned has given his/her permission in writing.

Section 4 - General Procedures for the Evaluation of Teachers

(a) All teachers shall receive training through the WWPS Professional Development Academy concerning the RIIC evaluation system prior to any evaluation.

(b) No formal or informal observation shall occur on the school day preceding or the school day following a vacation period.

Section 5 - Termination Decisions Related to Teacher Evaluations

(a) No teacher shall be terminated on the basis of their evaluation unless all processes have been completed as outlined within this Article and all mutually adopted guidance documents have been followed.

(b) Final evaluation ratings may be appealed to the DEC when action is taken to terminate a teacher on the basis of his/her evaluation. An evaluation appeal process shall be defined by a mutually adopted evaluation implementation document pursuant to Section 1(a) hereinabove.

(c) All terminations may be appealed through the grievance procedure and all relevant statutes under the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island.