TEACHER EVALUATION POLICY AND GUIDELINES
Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Academy
The Director, Principal, Head Teacher, LST or qualified School Board member will be responsible for the evaluation of teachers employed by Northgate Christian Education Society. Teachers will be evaluated in order to improve the quality and the direction of the instruction provided for students and to encourage professional growth and development. The primary purposes of the teacher evaluation policy are:
- To encourage the growth of a Christian community of learning at Gaglardi Academy;
- To assist teachers in discovering the strengths and weaknesses of their pedagogy, and to encourage professional and personal growth;
- To ensure the quality of educational instruction is present and in the best interest of the children;
- To note the appropriateness of the teacher's assignment and provide information to the Board on the quality of instruction at Gaglardi Academy.
- To enable teachers to identify their contributions to the School community.
1. Guidelines
- Evaluation of teachers shall be carried out by the Principal, or assigned designate qualified to undertake evaluations.
- Self-evaluation is considered to be an essential part of the final teacher evaluation.
- Formative and summative evaluations will occur at regular intervals. Formative evaluations emphasize encouragement in the day-to-day activities of teaching. It is an on-going process of consultation and assistance and is comprised of mutual discussion and self-evaluation. Summative evaluations are cumulative assessments of teachers' pedagogy and their professional and personal qualities as these relate to teaching.
- Written summative evaluations will be undertaken for teachers in their first, second and fourth year of employment at Gaglardi Academy and every subsequent fourth year of consecutive employment as per the Teacher's Contract. A mini-review may be undertaken to evaluate temporary, TOC's or other non-permanent teaching staff.
- Additional summative evaluations may be requested by the Board, Director, Principal, Head Teacher or the teacher themselves.
2. Procedures
a) Formative Evaluation
- During the school year, classroom visits and discussions with Director, Principal, Head Teacher and/or peers are held for the purpose of mutual sharing and self-evaluation.
- Any relevant written information will be placed on a teacher's personal file and a copy provided to the teacher.
b) Summative Evaluation
- Each summative evaluation should include:
- explanation to teachers of criteria, procedure, approaches, and documents to used during the evaluation.
- A minimum of three formal visits; two planned and schedule and one unplanned.
- mutual discussion after each visit incorporating the teacher's self-evaluation.
3. Criteria
The criteria forms the basis for evaluating the quality of teaching at Gaglardi Academy. These criteria should be used to discuss strengths and weaknesses of a teacher's pedagogy, with a view towards improving day-to-day teaching, recognizing the contributions from a Biblical worldview, and encouraging professional growth. Evaluation of a teacher must include an evaluation of the teacher's ability to teach according to the School's vision and goals.
The Evaluation Rubric is divided into six domains covering all aspects of a teacher's job performance. See Appendix A for Teacher Evaluation Rubric.
4. Remedial Process
When a teacher is having difficulty meeting the criteria outlined above, the Director/Principal or designate shall:
- Identify deficiencies and, in writing, communicate such to the teacher;
- Provide resources and mentors to assist in making changes.
- Determine, in consultation with the teacher, a reasonable time-frame in which desired changes will occur;
- Re-evaluate the teacher addressing previously identified deficiencies.
5. Maintenance of Records
- Teacher personal files are confidential and are kept in a secure location on the School premises.
- Under PIPA, teachers will have access to their own personal files under the supervision of the Director, Principal or designate, during normal school hours.
- Summative evaluation reports will be signed and dated by the teacher and the evaluator. The teacher will receive a copy of this report and any other documents added to the file.
- Periodically, stale-dated material (older than 7 years) from a teachers file will be shredded.
6. Evaluation Appeal Process
The teacher may appeal an evaluation report by submitting a written request to the Chairman of the Board, with a copy to the Director or Principal within ten days of receiving the report. The written request will outline the substance of the appeal.
The Chairman of the Board, at it's sole discretion will convene a meeting at the earliest convenience of the teacher and Director to discuss the salient details. At the next scheduled Board meeting, the Chairman and the Board will discuss the matter. The resulting decision of the Chairman and the Board members will be final.
7. Termination Procedures
Where teacher deficiencies have been identified, the agreed upon remedial action steps have not been successful or within the time-frame specified and the teacher performance remains unsatisfactory, termination of employment may be necessary. The School Board has the final responsibility for all teacher dismissals.
- The Board will be assured that the remedial process has been followed.
- The Board will inform the teacher in writing of its decision.
- When the dismissal of a teacher occurs because of the conviction of a criminal act, the Board will inform, in writing, the Inspector of Independent Schools.
8. List of Attachments:
Appendix A – Teacher Evaluation Rubric
Teacher Evaluation Policy, last updated November 23, 2015
