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At TCTA's urging, TEA issues memo clarifying less-than-annual appraisals
At the urging of TCTA, the Texas Commissioner of Education's office has issued a memo clarifying issues about the implementation of new legislation allowing for less-than-annual appraisals of Texas teaching professionals.
The passage of House Bill 1440 during the 2003 regular legislative session permits less frequent appraisals of teachers rated at least “proficient” on their most recent annual appraisal. Prior to the enactment of HB 1440, the Texas Education Code required that all teachers be appraised annually.
The new legislation provides flexibility at the local level to modify the appraisal schedule for qualifying teachers, as long as an appraisal is performed at least once during each five-year period. Implementation of a reduced appraisal schedule is not mandatory, and many districts apparently were waiting for clarification before considering a reduced appraisal schedule.
In a memo to district administrators dated Dec. 22, 2003, Chief Deputy Commissioner Robert Scott states the following:
“A teacher must be rated as at least proficient on each PDAS domain to be eligible for less frequent appraisals permitted through H.B. 1440. If your district is not using the PDAS, then you will need to determine a local policy to implement the option for less frequent appraisals in your district. Though school board action is not required, some districts that have implemented the legislation have adopted a local board policy to permit an altered appraisal schedule while others have left the decision to the discretion of campus administration.
“It should be noted that the individual teacher’s consent is required prior to moving to less frequent appraisals, for those who qualify. Should a teacher prefer to be appraised annually, the campus administrator should continue to perform annual appraisals. Pursuant to local policy, if an appraiser becomes aware of a teacher performing below expectations (whether through direct observation or notification from a third party), the appraiser may place the teacher on the traditional annual appraisal cycle even if the teacher had agreed to the less frequent appraisals based on their most recent evaluation. Nothing in the legislation prohibits a walk-through or other informal observation by appraisers, even for those teachers who have qualified for less frequent appraisals under H. B. 1440. The use of cumulative data for teachers on a revised appraisal schedule is also permissible, in accordance with the rules established in 19 TAC Section §150.1003(f) for districts using the PDAS.
“Should you choose to take advantage of the flexibility offered by HB1440, it will allow appraisal efforts to be focused on those teachers who may be in need of assistance or new hires whose performance needs closer scrutiny.”
The full memo is posted on the TEA Web site. Direct additional questions to diane.pollard@esc13.txed.net.
