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Second Substitute S.B. 256

Representative Merlynn T. Newbold proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION PROCESS

             2     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams

             5     
House Sponsor: Merlynn T. Newbold

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions related to teacher career ladders and educator evaluations.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    provides components that may be included in a career ladder;
             13          .    provides that annual evaluations for all teachers may be a component of a career
             14      ladder;
             15          .    requires that provisional and probationary educators be evaluated twice each school
             16      year, and that career educators be evaluated annually;
             17          .    reduces the time in which an educator may request review of a summative
             18      evaluation;
             19          .    removes requirements for districts to provide educators with reasonable assistance
             20      for improving performance;
             21          .    requires the Education Interim Committee, in consultation with the State Board of
             22      Education, to study how teachers may be evaluated on certain performance
             23      measures; and
             24          .     makes technical changes.
             25      Money Appropriated in this Bill:


             26          None
             27      Other Special Clauses:
             28          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2011.
             29      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             30      AMENDS:
             31          53A-9-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2001, Chapters 73 and 86
             32          53A-9-104, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1988, Chapter 233
             33          53A-10-101, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             34          53A-10-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             35          53A-10-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             36          53A-10-106, as repealed and reenacted by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             37          53A-10-106.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             38          53A-10-107, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             39      REPEALS:
             40          53A-10-102.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 287
             41      Uncodified Material Affected:
             42      ENACTS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL
             43     
             44      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             45          Section 1. Section 53A-9-103 is amended to read:
             46           53A-9-103. Authorized components.
             47          Career ladders may include the following components:
             48          (1) (a) An extended contract year for teachers, providing for additional paid
             49      nonteaching days beyond the regular school year for curriculum development and other
             50      professional development activities.
             51          (b) School boards may approve individual exceptions to the extended year contract.
             52          (2) At the option of the local school board, an extended contract year for teachers,
             53      providing for additional paid workdays beyond the regular school year for teaching
             54      assignments in summer school, remedial, disabled, specialized, applied technology, gifted and
             55      talented, and adult education programs.
             56          (3) A fair and consistent procedure:


             57          (a) for selecting teachers who will be given additional responsibilities; and
             58          (b) which incorporates clearly stated job descriptions and qualifications for each level
             59      on the career ladder.
             60          (4) (a) A program of differentiated staffing that provides additional compensation and,
             61      as appropriate, additional extensions of the contract year, for those who assume additional
             62      instruction-related responsibilities such as:
             63          (i) assisting students and mentoring beginning teachers;
             64          (ii) curriculum and lesson plan development;
             65          (iii) helping established teachers improve their teaching skills;
             66          (iv) volunteer training;
             67          (v) planning;
             68          (vi) facilities and productivity improvements; and
             69          (vii) educational assignments directed at establishing positive relationships with the
             70      community, businesses, and parents.
             71          (b) Administrative and extracurricular activities are not considered additional
             72      instruction-related activities under this Subsection (4).
             73          (5) (a) A well defined program of evaluation and mentoring for beginning teachers,
             74      consistent with Subsections 53A-1a-104 (7) and 53A-6-102 (2)(a) and (b), designed to assist
             75      those teachers during provisional years of teaching to acquire and demonstrate the skills
             76      required of capable, successful teachers.
             77          (b) Continuation in teaching from year to year shall be contingent upon satisfactory
             78      teaching performance, which shall be measured using the educator evaluation program
             79      described in Section 53A-10-106 .
             80          (6) A clear and concise explanation of the evaluation system components, including the
             81      respective roles of parents, teachers, administrators, and the school board in the development of
             82      the evaluation system and provisions for frequent, comprehensive evaluations of teachers with
             83      less than three years' teaching experience and [periodic evaluations of other] annual evaluations
             84      of all teachers consistent with Subsections 53A-1a-104 (7) and 53A-6-102 (2)(a) and (b) and
             85      Section 53A-10-106 .
             86          (7) (a) A program of advancement on the career ladder contingent upon effective
             87      teaching performance, evidence of which [may] shall include formal evaluation and assessment


             88      of student progress.
             89          (b) Student progress shall play a significant role in teacher evaluation.
             90          [(c) Other criteria may include formal preparation and successful teaching experience.]
             91          [(8) An assessment of implementation costs.]
             92          [(9)] (8) A plan for periodic review of the career ladder, including the makeup of the
             93      reviewing entity, procedures to be followed during review, and the time schedule for the
             94      review.
             95          Section 2. Section 53A-9-104 is amended to read:
             96           53A-9-104. Evaluation program for placement and advancement on career
             97      ladders.
             98          [(1)] Each school district shall develop a program to evaluate its teachers for placement
             99      and advancement on the career ladder consistent with Title 53A, Chapter 10, Educator
             100      Evaluation. The evaluation procedure shall:
             101          [(a)] (1) be fair, consistent, and valid according to generally accepted principles of
             102      personnel administration;
             103          [(b)] (2) incorporate clearly stated job descriptions;
             104          [(c)] (3) be in writing;
             105          [(d)] (4) involve teachers in the development of the evaluation instrument; [and]
             106          [(e) prior to] (5) before any evaluation, inform the teacher in writing about time frames
             107      in the evaluation procedure, the evaluation process, the types of criteria to be used in the
             108      evaluation and the factors to be evaluated and the procedure for requesting a review of the
             109      evaluation[.]; and
             110          [(2)] (6) [Nothing in this section precludes] include regular informal classroom
             111      observations.
             112          Section 3. Section 53A-10-101 is amended to read:
             113           53A-10-101. Legislative findings.
             114          (1) The Legislature recognizes that the quality of public education can be improved and
             115      enhanced by [providing for] systematic, fair, and competent annual evaluation of public
             116      educators and remediation of those whose performance is inadequate.
             117          (2) In accordance with Subsections 53A-1a-104 (7) and 53A-6-102 (2)(a) and (b), the
             118      desired purposes of evaluation are to:


             119          (a) allow the educator and the school district to promote the professional growth of the
             120      educator; and
             121          (b) identify and encourage quality instruction in order to improve student achievement.
             122          Section 4. Section 53A-10-102 is amended to read:
             123           53A-10-102. Definitions.
             124          As used in this chapter:
             125          (1) "Career educator" means a licensed employee [entitled to rely upon] who has a
             126      reasonable expectation of continued employment under the policies of a local school board.
             127          (2) "Educator" means an individual employed by a school district who is required to
             128      hold a professional license issued by the State Board of Education, except:
             129          (a) a superintendent; or
             130          (b) an individual who:
             131          (i) works fewer than three hours per day; or
             132          (ii) is hired for less than half of a school year.
             133          (3) "Probationary educator" means an educator employed by a school district who,
             134      under local school board policy, has been advised by the district that the educator's
             135      performance is inadequate.
             136          (4) "Provisional educator" means an educator employed by a school district who has
             137      not achieved status as a career educator within the school district.
             138          Section 5. Section 53A-10-103 is amended to read:
             139           53A-10-103. Establishment of educator evaluation program -- Joint committee.
             140          (1) [Each] A local school board shall develop an educator evaluation program in
             141      consultation with its [educators through appointment of a] joint committee.
             142          (2) The joint committee described in Subsection (1) shall consist of an equal number of
             143      classroom teachers, parents, and administrators appointed by the local school board.
             144          (3) A local school board may appoint members of the joint committee from a list of
             145      nominees:
             146          (a) voted on by classroom teachers in a nomination election;
             147          (b) voted on by the administrators in a nomination election; and
             148          (c) of parents submitted by school community councils within the district.
             149          (4) The evaluation program developed by the joint committee must comply with the


             150      requirements of this chapter.
             151          Section 6. Section 53A-10-106 is amended to read:
             152           53A-10-106. Components of educator evaluation program.
             153          An educator evaluation program adopted by a local school board in consultation with a
             154      joint committee established in Section 53A-10-103 shall include the following components:
             155          (1) a reliable and valid evaluation program consistent with generally accepted
             156      professional standards for personnel evaluation systems;
             157          (2) (a) the evaluation of provisional and probationary educators at least twice each
             158      school year; and
             159          (b) the annual evaluation of all career educators;
             160          [(2)] (3) systematic evaluation procedures for both provisional and career educators;
             161          [(3)] (4) the use of multiple lines of evidence, such as:
             162          (a) self-evaluation;
             163          (b) student and parent input;
             164          (c) peer observation;
             165          (d) supervisor observations;
             166          (e) evidence of professional growth;
             167          (f) student achievement data; and
             168          (g) other indicators of instructional improvement;
             169          [(4)] (5) a reasonable number of observation periods for an evaluation to insure
             170      adequate reliability; [and]
             171          [(5)] (6) administration of an educator's evaluation by:
             172          (a) the principal;
             173          (b) the principal's designee;
             174          (c) the educator's immediate supervisor; or
             175          (d) another person specified in the evaluation program[.]; and
             176          (7) an orientation for educators on the educator evaluation program.
             177          Section 7. Section 53A-10-106.5 is amended to read:
             178           53A-10-106.5. Summative evaluation timelines -- Review of summative
             179      evaluations.
             180          (1) The person responsible for administering an educator's summative evaluation shall:


             181          (a) at least 15 days before an educator's first evaluation:
             182          (i) notify the educator of the evaluation process; and
             183          (ii) give the educator a copy of the evaluation instrument, if an instrument is used;
             184          (b) (i) allow the educator to make a written response to any part of the evaluation; and
             185          (ii) attach the educator's response to the evaluation;
             186          (c) within 15 days after the evaluation process is completed, discuss the written
             187      evaluation with the educator; and
             188          (d) following any revision of the written evaluation made after the discussion:
             189          (i) file the evaluation and any related reports or documents in the educator's personnel
             190      file; and
             191          (ii) give a copy of the written evaluation and attachments to the educator.
             192          (2) An educator who is not satisfied with a summative evaluation may request a review
             193      of the evaluation within [30] 15 days after receiving the written evaluation.
             194          (3) If a review is requested, the school district superintendent or the superintendent's
             195      designee shall appoint a person not employed by the school district who has expertise in
             196      teacher or personnel evaluation to review and make recommendations to the superintendent
             197      regarding the teacher's summative evaluation.
             198          [(4) Nothing in this section prevents the educator and the superintendent or
             199      superintendent's designee from agreeing to another method of review.]
             200          Section 8. Section 53A-10-107 is amended to read:
             201           53A-10-107. Deficiencies -- Improvement.
             202          (1) The person responsible for administering an educator's evaluation shall give an
             203      educator whose performance is inadequate or in need of improvement a written document
             204      clearly identifying:
             205          (a) deficiencies;
             206          (b) the available resources for improvement; and
             207          (c) a recommended course of action that will improve the educator's performance.
             208          [(2) The district shall provide the educator with reasonable assistance to improve
             209      performance.]
             210          [(3)] (2) An educator is responsible for improving performance [by], including using
             211      [the] any resources identified by the school district, and demonstrating acceptable levels of


             212      improvement in the designated areas of deficiencies.
             213          [(4)] (3) (a) The person responsible for administering the evaluation of an educator
             214      whose performance has been determined to be inadequate or in need of improvement shall
             215      complete written evaluations and recommendations regarding the educator at least [60] 30 days
             216      before the end of the educator's contract school year.
             217          (b) The final evaluation shall include only data previously considered and discussed
             218      with the educator as required by Section 53A-10-106.5 .
             219          Section 9. Repealer.
             220          This bill repeals:
             221          Section 53A-10-102.5, Local school board's responsibilities for an educator
             222      evaluation program.
             223          Section 10. Education Interim Committee study on performance based
             224      evaluations.
             225          During the 2011 interim, the Education Interim Committee, in consultation with the
             226      State Board of Education, shall study how the performance of teachers may be evaluated in the
             227      following areas:
             228          (1) student learning gains;
             229          (2) instructional quality or performance as measured by classroom observation or other
             230      instruments; and
             231          (3) parent, student, or community satisfaction.
             232          Section 11. Effective date.
             233          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2011.


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