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Evaluation System for Contracted Staff

Welcome. Here you will find information to support your participation in the Grant Wood AEA Evaluation System for Contracted Staff. This system was introduced in 2004-05 to provide clear performance expectations, to increase professional learning, and to increase student learning. Toward these ends, key components of the Evaluation System include standards of performance, professional development, and performance review.

This website is organized by the differentiated cycles that are part of the Evaluation System.

• Induction Cycle: for staff new to GWAEA
• Development Cycle - Annual Review: for staff with experience at GWAEA and in their Annual Review year
• Development Cycle - Performance Review: for staff with experience at GWAEA and in their Performance Review year
  
• Assistance Cycle:  for staff needing additional support to maintain or achieve an acceptable level of performance

The Evaluation System is outlined in a printed manual titled Evaluation System for Contracted Staff, which has been provided to each contracted staff member and includes hard copies of the information available here. For additional information or questions, please contact your evaluator.

Evaluation System for Contracted Staff - July 2010

Evaluation Manual

These pages provide general information about the Evaluation System, which is taken directly from the Evaluation System for Contracted Staff manual. Other materials and forms associated with this system are included in the Appendix of the printed manual and can also be found elsewhere on this web site. See the link for each specific cycle to review the forms and materials related to that particular cycle.

The documents below are available as portable document format (PDF) files
and require Adobe Reader to view and print.

Evaluation System for Contracted Staff
Introduction to the Evaluation System
GWAEA Standards and Criteria for Contracted Staff
Description of the Induction Cycle
Description of the Development Cycle
Description of the Assistance Cycle
Glossary of Terms

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Induction Cycle

The Induction Cycle is designed to meet the needs of staff new to the Agency. All new staff, including those with previous experience, are placed in this cycle for two years. A third year is optional if determined by the evaluator as evidenced by competence on the Standards and Criteria.

This cycle supports new employees through the processes of
1). professional development, in the form of orientation, mentoring by a colleague and coaching conversations with the evaluator and
2). performance review, in the form of observations by the evaluator and conferences with the evaluator to document competency in the Standards.

Required Forms

Evaluation Summary Form
(Year One - no standards listed)
To be completed by the evaluator at the end of the employee's first year on the Induction Cycle.

Evaluation Summary Form
(Final Year - with standards listed)
To be completed by the evaluator at the end of the employee's final year on the Induction Cycle.

Professional Development Plan
(Final Year)
To be completed by the employee and evaluator at the end of the employee's final year as the employee moves from the Induction Cycle into the Development Cycle.

Working Documents and Optional Tools for Employees and Evaluators

Standards Reflection Worksheet
To organize evidence of competency in each standard.

Examples of Evidence for Meeting the Standards

Professional Development Log

Professional Contributions Log

Agency Participation Log

Examples of Professional Development Plans

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Development Cycle - Annual Review Year

Staff who have successfully completed the Induction Cycle participate in the Development Cycle. This cycle focuses on developing and supporting the professional knowledge and skills of Agency staff. It also provides for ongoing review of the employee's competence in the Agency's Standards.

Note that staff in this cycle will either be in their Annual Review Year, in which the Professional Development Plan is reviewed and revised in collaboration with their evaluator, OR in their Performance Review Year, in which they have a formal performance review with their evaluator.

The Annual Review Year supports employee professional growth through 1). collaborative development of a Professional Development Plan that is based on the Agency goals and Standards and Criteria; 2). employee implementation of the plan; and 3). employee reflection on the plan’s progress.  At least annually, the plan is reviewed through coaching conversations with the employee’s evaluator.

Required Forms

Professional Development Plan - Annual Review Form
To be completed by the employee and the evaluator during the Annual Review Year.

Professional Development Plan
To be completed by the employee and the evaluator during the Annual Review Year, following annual review of the most recent plan.

Working Documents and Optional Tools for Employees and Evaluators

Guided Conversations Outline for Annual Review
To guide the Annual Review conference.

Examples of Professional Development Plans
Professional Development Log
Professional Contributions Log
Agency Participation Log

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Development Cycle - Performance Review Year

Staff who have successfully completed the Induction Cycle participate in the Development Cycle. This cycle focuses on developing and supporting the professional knowledge and skills of Agency staff. It also provides for ongoing review of the employee's competence in the Agency's Standards.

Note that staff in this cycle will either be in their Annual Review Years, in which the Professional Development Plan is reviewed and revised in collaboration with their evaluator, OR in their Performance Review Year, in which they have a formal performance review with their evaluator.

The Performance Review Year supports and provides direction for employee professional development through a formal performance review that is conducted at least once every three years.  During the Performance Review Year, a minimum of two conferences between the employee and evaluator are to be held to discuss the following components of the Performance Review:  1). a self-assessment and an evaluator assessment of continuing competence for each Standard; 2). evidence of competence in each standard; 3). at least one planned site visit; and 4). the establishment or revision of the Professional Development Plan.

Required Forms

Professional Development Plan - Annual Review Form
To be completed by the employee and the evaluator during the Performance Review Year.

Evaluation Summary Form (with standards listed)
To be completed by the evaluator at the end of the Performance Review Year.

Professional Development Plan
To be completed by the employee and the evaluator at the end of the Performance Review Year.

Working Documents and Optional Tools for Employees and Evaluators

Guided Conversations Outline for Annual Review
To guide the Annual Review conference.

Standards Reflection Worksheet
To organize evidence of competency in each standard.
Examples of Evidence for Meeting the Standards
Examples of Professional Development Plans
Professional Development Log
Professional Contributions Log
Agency Participation Log

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Assistance Cycle

The Assistance Cycle is designed to meet the needs of staff requiring additional assistance and support to maintain or achieve an acceptable level of performance as identified by the Agency’s Standards and Criteria and in the job description.  This cycle includes a Collaborative Level and a Directed Level.

Refer to the Master Contract for more details about this cycle.

Collaborative Level: Assistive Action Plan

Directed Level: Remediation Plan

Professional Development Plan

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Off-Site Teachers: Essential Information

Essential Information
Iowa Teaching Standards and Criteria

History

This Evaluation System for Contracted Staff was developed by the Standards Committee during the 2003-04 year. Eight contracted and four management staff served on the original Standards Committee. Standards Committee members were selected to provide broad participation, a mix of staff and administrators, and a variety of disciplines.

The purpose of the original Standards Committee was to:

1. Review best practice in education evaluation and summarize findings in a 1-2 page paper
   
2. Recommend a single set of standards and criteria for Grant Wood AEA contracted staff
3. Recommend a professional growth system that includes, for each standard, both self-assessment and supervisor assessment of performance.

In addition to their specific work objectives, the Standards Committee was responsible for communicating progress and seeking feedback from agency colleagues. This was done on an ongoing and systematic basis throughout the year through presentations at discipline and regional meetings, voice mails, Committee memos, Bulletin Board features, and web page updates.

The Standards Committee finished their work and forwarded it to the Agency’s Executive Team for consideration in Spring 2004. The Executive Team approved the Committee’s work with only minimal changes. The system is described in the printed manual, Evaluation System for Contracted Staff, which was given to each staff member.

The Committee continued to function in 2004-05 to orient staff to the new system via Common Agency Learnings, to study the results of the system via focus groups and an agency-wide Zoomerang survey, and to recommend any needed changes to the Management Team as a result of this study.

The committee’s recommended actions for fine-tuning the evaluation system were submitted to the Agency Executive Team for consideration in May 2005.

Archives of articles in The Bulletin Board

Oct. 17, 2003

Oct. 17, 2003

Nov. 21, 2003

Archives of Standards Committee Updates

Update, Oct. 13, 2003 Update, Nov. 5, 2003 Update Nov. 19 and Dec. 1, 2003

Update Dec. 17, 2003 and Jan. 7, 2004 Update February 2004 Update, March 2004

Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains questions that were raised during the 2003-04 work of the Standards Committee, in reverse chronological order.

1. How will the new system be “grandfathered” into place? (9/04)
   For the 2004-5 year, staff “new to Grant Wood” last year (2003-4) will be in the Development Cycle.
   
   In terms of the Performance Review Component within the Development Cycle, the Human Resources office sent out a letter explaining the process for determining staff in each of the three year cycles (2004-5, 2005-6, and 2006-7) in September 2004. If you have a question about your Performance Review date, contact your RF or Human Resources.
   
   

2. How long is an employee on probation? (3-04)
   This question has two answers because there is a trial period for licensure as well as a probationary period for employment.
   
   Licensure: Most AEA contracted staff are licensed through the Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE). The BoEE first issues an Initial License that is valid for two years. AEA employees (except for off-site teachers) are to verify at least three years of experience in order to convert to a five-year Standard License. To do this, individuals must renew their Initial License to provide service for the third year of experience. (For off-site teachers to convert from the Initial License to the Standard License, they must verify two years of successful teaching experience and competence in the eight Iowa teaching standards.)
   
   Employment: For contracted staff in positions that require a license, the first three consecutive years of employment are a probationary period. If the employee has successfully completed this probationary period in another school district or AEA, the probationary period in the current district or AEA shall not exceed one year. It may be extended for an additional year with the consent of the licensed employee.
   
   If you have questions about your status, please contact your supervisor or the Human Resources office.
   
   

3. Is there an expectation for each individual to use data and analysis methods?
   Yes. Even without the proposed Standards and Criteria, we live in an age of accountability both nationally and at state and local levels. There is an increasing need for all of us to keep records, track progress, understand data and use this information in order to improve our services and meet the Agency’s goals. How this looks for an individual will vary by job category, roles, and responsibilities.
   
   

4. Will we have to make a portfolio like the teachers are doing? (3-04)
   Undetermined. At some point, contracted staff most likely will be asked to provide some evidence or documentation of selected standards or criteria. This would be decided through a collaborative discussion with one’s supervisor. How the documentation is organized is undecided.
   
   

5. Does management have standards and criteria that apply to them? (3-04)
   Yes. There are Leadership Standards for Management Staff that apply to Executive Directors, Regional Facilitators and other supervisors. The six standards, each with three or four indicators, are based on the Iowa Standards for School Leaders. You can see them on the Standards Committee web page under “Documents.”
   
   

6. How will we learn what the Standards and Criteria mean? (3-04)
   We envision there will be a variety of learning opportunities for both contracted staff and supervisors. They could be set up as region, discipline, team or other meetings. Staff will have a chance to discuss what the Standards and Criteria might look like in their job category.
   
   

7. How can one set of standards and criteria represent all groups when we’re so different? (1/04)
   The standards and criteria will reflect the essential professional behaviors needed by all staff to achieve the Agency’s goals:
   
   - Increase the academic performance of all students an
   - Increase the percentage of students who perform at the proficient level.
   
   The Standards Committee will use the Iowa Teaching Standards as a conceptual model when developing standards and criteria for AEA contracted staff. Examples from various areas and disciplines will also be reviewed.
   
   

8. What happens to the job descriptions we worked on last year? Will they be eliminated? (1/04)
   The job descriptions, which serve a different purpose than standards, will stay in place. They are periodically reviewed and revised in an on-going process as the work of the Agency changes.
   
   

9. Who will be covered by the standards and criteria? Will they apply to other employee groups? (1/04)
   The work of the Standards Committee applies to contracted staff only. Other employee groups, such as classified staff, are not affected.
   
   

10. Why is the Agency doing this? (10-03)
    There are several reasons:
    
    a. Need for clear expectations
    AEA staff responses in the last employee survey indicated a need and desire for more clarity related to the expectations for their work.
    
    b. Standardization of processes
    The Agency continually strives to improve services and customer satisfaction. Research in the quality arena indicates that standardization of process is one way to increase the likelihood that customers will receive a consistently high level of service regardless of the provider or setting. We anticipate that, through this effort to clarify expectations and bring greater satisfaction to our practice, consistency of service for our clients will be improved.
    
    c. Accountability
    Accountability has been called "the single most durable education reform in the history of this country." The national call for accountability has reached Iowa's schools and educators. GWAEA districts must comply with rigorous state and federal accountability requirements (Chapter 12, Teacher Quality, NCLB, IDEA).
    
    
    These mandates require that districts establish standards for learning and that all students are assessed on those standards. State legislation also requires the establishment of standards for teaching and leadership. Iowa has established eight teaching standards on which all K-12 teachers are assessed, and six leadership standards on which superintendents and principals are evaluated.
    
    Standards, assessments and performance accountability are pervasive in our work. AEA staff work within this context of accountability whenever they are in a school. The Agency itself must meet state standards to remain accredited.
    
    In response, the GWAEA management team has established leadership standards for managers, and in 2003-04 is piloting the use of a management evaluation instrument that reflects these standards. Establishing standards for contracted staff is a natural outgrowth of this work and the broader educational context.
    
    

11. When will the new system be implemented? (10/03)
    Anticipated implementation is fall 2004.
    
    

12. What will happen to the committee's recommendations? (10/03)
    In spring of 2004, committee recommendations will be forwarded to the Agency's Executive Team for consideration. While evaluation standards, criteria, and evaluation instruments are determined by the agency, any recommendation related to orientation meetings, observations, notices, etc., would fall within the purview of negotiations and will be considered as a part of the collective bargaining process.
    
    

13. What will they do? (10/03)
    The charge to the Standards Committee follows:
    
    a. Review best practice in education evaluation and summarize findings in a 1-2 page paper.
    
    b. Using the Iowa Teaching Standards as a model, recommend a single set of standards and criteria for each standard, for GWAEA professional (contracted) staff. The standards will reflect the essential professional behaviors of all staff that will lead to the achievement of Agency goals: 1) Increase the academic performance of all students and 2) Increase the percentage of students who perform at the proficient level. The standards will reflect the essential professional behaviors that will increase student success and decrease student failure.
    
    c. Recommend a professional growth system that includes, for each standard, both self-assessment and supervisor assessment of performance.
    
    

14. Who is on the Standards Committee? (10/03)
    Eight contracted staff and four management staff representatives serve on the committee. They are responsible for communicating progress and seeking feedback from the groups the represent.
    
    

15. What is the Standards Committee? (10/03)
    During the 2003-2004 school year, Grant Wood AEA convened a committee to recommend standards for contracted staff and to recommend a professional growth system to reflect these standards.