Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(1) School
committees shall adopt either the Model System designed and regularly updated
by the Department, or a locally developed system that is consistent with these
principles. The evaluation system shall include the evaluation cycle set forth
in 603 CMR 35.06.
(2) The
evaluation cycle shall include self-assessment addressing Performance Standards
established through collective bargaining or included in individual employment
contracts.
(a) Each educator shall be
responsible for gathering and providing to the evaluator information on the
educator's performance, which shall include:
1. an analysis of evidence of student
learning, growth, and achievement for students under the educator's
responsibility;
2. an assessment of
practice against Performance Standards; and
3. proposed goals to pursue to improve
practice and student learning, growth, and achievement.
(b) The educator shall provide such
information, in the form of self-assessment, in a timely manner to the
evaluator at the point of goal setting and plan development.
(c) The evaluator shall consider the
information provided by the educator and all other relevant
information.
(3) The
evaluation cycle shall include goal setting and development of an Educator
Plan.
(a) Evaluators shall use evidence of
educator performance and impact on student learning, growth, and achievement in
goal setting with the educator based on the educator's self-assessment and
other sources that the evaluator shares with the educator.
(b) Evaluators and educators shall consider
creating goals for teams, departments, or groups of educators who share
responsibility for student results.
(c) The evaluator retains final authority
over goals to be included in an educator's plan.
(d) Educator Plans shall be designed to
provide educators with feedback for improvement, professional growth, and
leadership; and to ensure educator effectiveness and overall system
accountability.
(e) During the
development of the Educator Plan, evaluators shall communicate clear
expectations for educator impact, including but not limited to anticipated
student learning gains for the multiple measures that will be used as evidence
of educator performance. Anticipated student learning gains must be consistent
across the district for common assessments and agreed upon by the educator and
evaluator for other classroom assessments. The Department shall establish
anticipated student learning gains for statewide student growth measures in
guidance.
(f) An educator shall be
placed on an Educator Plan based on his or her overall rating, provided that
educators who have not yet earned Professional Teacher Status and any other
employee at will shall be placed on an Educator Plan solely at the discretion
of the district.
1. The Developing Educator
Plan is for all administrators in their first three years with the district,
teachers without Professional Teacher Status, and, at the discretion of the
evaluator, educators in new assignments.
2. The Self-directed Growth Plan is for all
experienced educators rated Exemplary or Proficient.
3. Directed Growth Plan for all experienced
educators rated Needs Improvement.
4. Improvement Plan for all experienced
educators rated Unsatisfactory.
(g) All Educator Plans shall meet the
following requirements:
1. Include a minimum
of one goal to improve the educator's professional practice tied to one or more
Performance Standards.
2. Include a
minimum of one goal to improve the learning, growth and achievement of the
students under the educator's responsibility.
3. Outline actions the educator must take to
attain these goals, including but not limited to specified professional
development activities, self-study, and coursework, as well as other supports
that may be suggested by the evaluator or provided by the school or
district.
4. Be aligned to
statewide Standards and Indicators in
603 CMR 35.00 and local
Performance Standards.
5. Be
consistent with district and school goals.
(4) The evaluation cycle shall include
implementation of the Educator Plan. It is the educator's responsibility to
attain the goals in the plan and to participate in any trainings and
professional development provided through the state, district, or other
providers in accordance with the Educator Plan.
(5) The evaluation cycle shall include a
formative assessment or a formative evaluation.
(a) The formative assessment may be ongoing
throughout the evaluation cycle, but typically takes place at
mid-cycle.
(b) For an educator on a
two-year Self-directed Growth Plan, a formative evaluation takes place at the
end of the first year of the two-year cycle. The educator's rating for that
year shall be assumed to be the same as the previous summative rating unless
evidence demonstrates a significant change in performance in which case the
rating on Performance Standards may change.
(c) The educator shall have the opportunity
to respond in writing to the formative assessment or evaluation.
(d) If an educator receives a formative
assessment or formative evaluation that differs from the summative rating the
educator had received at the beginning of the evaluation cycle, the evaluator
may place the educator on a different educator plan, appropriate to the new
rating.
(6) The
evaluation cycle shall include a summative evaluation, in which the evaluator
determines an overall rating of educator performance based on the evaluator's
professional judgment and an examination of evidence that demonstrates the
educator's performance against Performance Standards and evidence of the
attainment of the Educator Plan goals. The educator shall have the opportunity
to respond in writing to the summative evaluation.
(7) Evidence of the experienced educator's
performance, shall be used as follows:
(a)
For any experienced educator who receives an evaluation rating of Exemplary or
Proficient, the district shall take the following actions:
The evaluator shall apply professional judgment to the evidence
to place the educator on a one- or two-year Self-directed Growth Plan.
1. For educators placed on two-year
Self-directed Growth plans:
a. The educator
shall receive a summative evaluation at least every two years.
b. The educator shall receive a formative
evaluation at the end of the first year of the Educator Plan.
c. The educator may be eligible for
additional roles, responsibilities and compensation, as determined by the
district and through collective bargaining, where applicable.
2. For educators placed on a
one-year Self-directed Growth plan:
a. The
educator and evaluator shall analyze any discrepancies in practice and student
performance and seek to determine the cause(s) of such discrepancies.
b. The educator and evaluator shall discuss
any aspects of practice that should be the focus of the plan.
c. The plan shall be for one school year in
duration.
d. The plan may include a
goal related to examining elements of practice that contributed to the
evaluator's decision to assign the educator to a one-year plan.
e. The educator shall receive a summative
evaluation at the end of the period determined in the plan, but at least
annually.
(b)
For any experienced educator who receives an evaluation rating of Needs
Improvement, the district shall place the educator on a Directed Growth Plan.
1. The educator shall receive a summative
evaluation at the end of the period determined in the Plan.
2. The educator must either earn at least a
proficient rating in the summative evaluation, or shall be rated
Unsatisfactory, and shall be placed on an improvement plan. (c) For any
experienced educator who receives an evaluation rating of Unsatisfactory, the
district shall place the educator on an Improvement Plan. The educator shall
receive a summative evaluation at the end of the period determined by the
evaluator for the Plan.
(8) A teacher without professional teacher
status, an administrator in the first three years in a position in a district,
or an educator in a new assignment, may be placed on a Developing Educator
Plan. The educator shall be evaluated at least annually. The existence of a
plan shall not abridge the authority of a school or district to dismiss or
non-renew an educator consistent with applicable law.
(9) Nothing in
603 CMR 35.00 shall abridge
the authority of a school or district to dismiss or non-renew an educator
consistent with applicable law, including M.L. c. 71, §§ 41 and
42.
