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Evaluation FAQ

Q: What Forms need to be prepared and when should they be submitted by.

A: No forms are required for a short observation. For extended observations, a pre-observation and a post-observation form are required. The pre-observation form should be submitted before the pre-observation conference with the administrator. The post-observation form should be submitted prior to the post observation conference with the administrator.
Q: What information should be submitted as artifacts, and how many should I submit?

A: An artifact can be submitted for any competency that was not observed or discussed with an administrator. Specific artifacts should be discussed with your evaluator to determine what should be submitted. Submitting more artifacts will not necessarily cause an administrator to give a higher rating for a competency. The evaluation system is very time intensive, and you should not submit numerous artifacts if one will suffice. Speak with your evaluator about what specific artifacts you should submit.
Q: How do I know that an administrator has reviewed and rated my submitted artifacts?

A: An artifact will remain gray until an administrator actually assigns a rating. Once a rating is assigned, the artifact will change color to indicate the rating (blue, green, yellow, etc.). An administrator may choose not to rate an artifact if it does not supply the information needed or if it is redundant. If an artifact remains gray, please contact the administrator conducting your evaluation for more information.
Q: Can I use artifacts to help improve my rating for a specific competency?

A: Artifacts can be used if an administrator cannot observe a specific competency. An example would be Competency 4C: Communicating with Families. An administrator will not be able to observe this. Teachers can submit one copy of a newsletter, parent emails, Moodle pages, etc. Many competencies for Domains 1 and 4 may need an artifact. Artifacts can be used for Domains 2 and 3 if a teacher received a lower rating, and the teacher wanted to show an administrator where improvements have been made.
Q: Is a specific template required for lesson plans?

A: No, A specific lesson plan format is not required. Teachers are encouraged to use a lesson plan format that they are comfortable with.
Q: Do you have sample lesson plan templates that I can use?

A: The link below has several lesson plan templates submitted by teachers and administrators

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATES
5E Learning Cycle Template.doc
Lesson Plan Template Aligned to Danielson.doc
Two 3E LP Template.doc

LESSON PLAN SAMPLES
Danielson Sample Lesson plan.doc
Sample Lesson Plan.docx
Q: What is the time frame to schedule observations?

A: The Evaluation Plan does not specify specific timeframes for scheduling observations. Short observations are not required to be announced and can occur at any time. Teachers are not required to complete any forms for a short observation so no pre-observation activities are necessary. Extended observations require a pre-observation conference so some advanced planning is needed. The specific timeframe will be determined by the specific administrator.
Q: At the end of the school year, will I have a rating for all 22 competencies?

A: Yes, and you will also receive ratings for the 4 indicators within Domain 5. Domain 5 is not part of the Danielson rubric but is required by the State of Indiana to be eligible for the Teacher Performance Grant issued by the state.
Q: Is it my responsibility to be sure that all 22 competencies are rated by the administrator?

A: No, it is the administrator’s responsibility to gather data for each of the 22 competencies. The administrator may need to conduct more observations or meet with a teacher to discuss specific competencies. The administrator also may request that a teacher submit a specific artifact so that a rating can be assigned. It is the administrator’s responsibility to request this if it is needed.
Q. How is the Danielson Effectiveness Rubric Score calculated?

A. The evaluator will determine a rating for all 22 competencies. Those ratings will then be used to determine a rating for each of the 4 domains. The final rating is then determined by a weighting system. The weights for calculating the rubric score are:

       Domain 1: 15%
       Domain 2: 15%
       Domain 3: 60%
       Domain 4: 10%
Q: How and when is my final evaluation determined?

A: The final evaluation must include the Danielson Effectiveness Rubric score, the state required Domain 5, the school letter grade for the current school year, and student growth scores from the ISTEP if applicable to the teacher. For the formula see pages 7 through 9 of the Teacher Evaluation Plan located under Human Resources on the District web page. Use this link to access the document STM Evaluation Plan. Because the ISTEP data is not released until the fall, the final evaluation will not be completed until the next school year.
Q: Can I calculate my evaluation score during the school year?

A: Yes, a teacher may request a midyear conference with their evaluator in January. At that conference the evaluator will communicate ratings, but this conference is not part of the official evaluation. It is only an informational meeting. This midyear conference is required for teachers with less than 3 years of experience at STM.
Q: How does the evaluation affect my compensation?

A: The evaluation can affect compensation in three ways. Below is a summary of the three ways.

   1. The Compensation Model of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

With the new collective bargaining laws, only teachers who are rated as effective or highly effective can receive raises or stipends through the CBA. A formula within the bargained CBA will be used to determine individual amounts for teachers. The School District and the MTA bargain an amount of money that would be used with this formula to provide either raises or stipends.    Please contact an MTA representative if you would like more information about this.

   2. State Performance Grant:

Now that we have instituted the new evaluation plan, teachers rated as effective and highly effective will be eligible, annually, for a stipend from the state based upon our district’s performance. This stipend is provided by the state between October and February of the next school year. Teachers earn this stipend for performance during the 2015-16 school year, but do not receive the stipends until the 2016-17 school year. Sometime next fall, the state will inform the school district of the amount, and then the School Board must distribute the entire amount to all certified staff in the district. By law, the School Board must differentiate amounts of stipends between teachers rated “Effective” and teachers rated “Highly Effective.” At this time the difference in amounts between “Effective” and “Highly Effective” has not been determined. If the STM would have been eligible for the grant this year, it was estimated that we would have received approximately $220,000 to divide among certified staff.

   3. Teacher of Merit Award:

Through a generous donation from an alum, a fund has been established to provide awards to STM teachers rated as “proficient” or “distinguished” within the Danielson Effectiveness Rubric. This award is only based upon the effectiveness rubric rating. No state test scores or school letter grades are used. The money is managed by a nonprofit organization so the School District does not have any involvement with the awards given to teachers. After a teacher receives a final rubric rating in May, the teacher can apply for this award if that teacher’s rubric score designated him or her as proficient or distinguished. Teachers must apply with a form that will be provided at the end of the school year. At this time the account has $240,000 to distribute for the 2015-16 school year. The award distribution date has not yet been determined, but should occur before the state performance grant is distributed by the State of Indiana. Again, to be eligible for this award, teachers must complete an application form. Our goal is for the evaluator to provide the teacher an application form during the end of year conference. More specific information will be provided as it is communicated to the school district.

For future reference, this award will have no less than $200,000 available each year for the next four years.
Q: Will the final evaluation results be used in any possible Reduction in Force (RIF).

A: The district does not anticipate any RIF’s at the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year. The Administration and the MTA are currently working through discussion to finalize a RIF process. At this time no RIF process has been finalized. When the process is finalized, it will be included in this answer.