Common use of Unannounced Observations Clause in Contracts

Unannounced Observations. 1. Unannounced observations may be in the form of partial or full-period classroom visitations but the majority of unannounced observations completed with an individual Educator will be at least ten (10) minutes. a. Administrators will drop in on classes and other activities as part of normal supervisory responsibilities. Carrying out these supervisory responsibilities, when they do not result in targeted and constructive feedback to the Educator, are not observations as defined in this Agreement. These visits may take the form of Instructional Rounds, Walkthroughs, Learning Walks, or any other means deemed useful by the Evaluator, principal, Superintendent or other administrator. b. An unannounced observation must start with a predetermined signal to the Educator. c. The Evaluator will then provide written feedback after being in the classroom, and the Educator can expect feedback as described below. 2. Targeted and constructive feedback for an unannounced observation shall start with an in-person conversation between the Educator and the Evaluator. The Evaluator shall then provide a brief written summary of this conversation and his or her observations. a. Feedback in this form must be given within five (5) school days of the observation. This time frame may be extended due to unavailability on the part of either the Evaluator or the Educator, but shall be rescheduled within 24 hours whenever possible. For K12 Curriculum Coordinators or those who travel between buildings, meetings may be arranged over the phone if scheduling a face-to-face meeting is found to be too difficult. All meetings, whether face-to-face or by phone, are expected to be done during contractual hours. b. The conversation, when possible, should take place in the Educator’s classroom or office, or in a private space. c. This brief written feedback shall be delivered to the Educator face-to-face, by email or to the Educator’s school mailbox or home. The written feedback explicitly considers the perspective on the class or lesson that the Educator presents during the conversation. If the Evaluator has an concerns, s/he shall provide evidence of the practices in need of improvement so that the Educator has concrete ideas for what to improve. 3. Any series of observations resulting in one or more standards judged to be Unsatisfactory or Needs Improvement for the first time must be followed by at least one full class observation within thirty (30) school days.

Unannounced Observations. 1. i) Unannounced observations may be in the form of partial or full-period classroom visitations visitations, but the majority of unannounced not less than 10 minutes. These observations completed with an individual Educator will be at least ten (10) minutes. a. Administrators will drop in on classes and other activities as part of normal supervisory responsibilities. Carrying out these supervisory responsibilities, when they do not must result in targeted and constructive feedback feedback. An Evaluator will signal to the Educator, are not observations as defined Educator that an observation is underway by taking notes and spending a minimum of ten minutes in this Agreement. These visits may take the form of room. ii) Instructional Rounds, Walkthroughs, and Learning WalksWalks are non-evaluative, or any other means deemed useful by collaborative observation protocols designed to assess overall school culture. This does not preclude an Evaluator from providing feedback after such visit, however this feedback will not be part of the Evaluator, principal, Superintendent or other administratorformal evaluation process. b. An unannounced observation must start with iii) If a predetermined signal principal or department head is accompanied by his/her own Evaluator during an observation, the primary purpose of that second Evaluator’s presence is to evaluate the principal or department head, not the Educator. At the request of the Educator, the Primary and Contributing Evaluator may conduct a joint observation. iv) Evaluation calibration observations will be allowed for the purpose of improving Evaluator practice under the following conditions: (a) First year teachers would be exempt (b) Maximum two of these visits per Educator per year unless teacher volunteers for more (c) Evaluators will indicate to the Educatoreducator that this is an evaluation calibration visit by showing an index card (d) Time duration - 15 minutes maximum (e) Maximum of two Evaluators at a time (f) Follow-up email thanking the Educator for the visit v) Department meetings, parent meetings, IEP meetings, PLC meetings, grade level meetings, etc… may also be used as observations. In this case, Evaluators will alert the Educator to this fact at the beginning of the meeting by stating, “I am going to act as an observer during this meeting. c. ” The Evaluator will then provide refrain from participating in the meeting in order to be an objective observer. vi) The Educator will be provided with at least brief written feedback after being in from the classroom, and the Educator can expect feedback as described below. 2. Targeted and constructive feedback for an unannounced observation shall start with an in-person conversation between the Educator and the Evaluator. The Evaluator shall then provide a brief written summary of this conversation and his or her observations. a. Feedback in this form must be given within five (5) 5 school days of the observation and before the follow up meeting. The written feedback shall include any topics the Evaluator will be raising in the subsequent feedback conversation. At the request of the Educator, the post-observation conversation can happen prior to written feedback being received. vii) Each Evaluator will articulate in writing how they will offer times that they are available for follow-up conversations with Educators. This plan will be given to all Educators they will be evaluating at the beginning of the year. Following the receipt of draft written feedback on an observation, Educators will contact the Evaluator for a 15 – 20 minute time slot to discuss the observation. Evaluators will ensure that there are sufficient time slots available before, during, and after school for these follow up conversations. Educators and Evaluators will work together to set up a mutually convenient time to meet. viii) Educators with professional status on two year self-directed growth plans may mutually agree with their evaluators to hold one post observation meeting by means of electronic communication, such as Skype, Facetime or by phone. E-mail is not an option. Other post observation meetings will be face to face. ix) This time frame timeframe may be extended due to unavailability on the part of either the Evaluator or the Educator, but shall be rescheduled within 24 hours whenever possible. For K12 Curriculum Coordinators or those who travel between buildings, meetings may be arranged over Educator during the phone if scheduling a face-to-face meeting is found to be too difficultfive days after the observation. All meetings, whether faceattempts will be made to schedule the post-to-face or by phone, are expected to be done during contractual hoursobservation conversation in a timely manner. b. x) The Evaluator shall provide the Educator with final written feedback within 5 school days of the post-observation conversation. xi) Any observation, when possible, should take place in the Educator’s classroom or officeseries of observations, or in a private space. c. This brief written feedback shall be delivered to the Educator face-to-face, by email or to the Educator’s school mailbox or home. The written feedback explicitly considers the perspective on the class or lesson that the Educator presents during the conversation. If the Evaluator has an concerns, s/he shall provide collection of evidence of the practices in need of improvement so that the Educator has concrete ideas for what to improve. 3. Any series of observations resulting in one or more standards judged to be Unsatisfactory unsatisfactory or Needs Improvement needs improvement for the first time must be followed by at least one full class observation of at least 30 minutes, or a meeting to review additional evidence within thirty (30) 30 school days. xii) For any standard where the Educator’s practice was found to be unsatisfactory or needs improvement, the feedback must: (1) Describe the basis for the Evaluator’s judgment. (2) Describe actions the Educator should take to improve his/her performance. (3) Identify support and/or resources the Educator may use in his/her improvement. (4) State the expectation for what the Educator must do to achieve proficiency in this area.

Unannounced Observations. 1. i) Unannounced observations may be in the form of partial (at least 12 minutes in duration) or full-period classroom visitations but visitations. ii) Walkthroughs, learning walks, instruction rounds, or other similar procedures shall not be used for evaluative purposes. iii) Each educator will receive no fewer than the majority minimum prescribed number of unannounced observations, as written in sections 9 & 10 above, throughout the course of a given evaluation cycle. Receiving more than the prescribed minimum number of unannounced observations completed with should be viewed as routine and is not indicative of performance issues unless noted in the written feedback. iv) The Principal or Observer shall signify that s/he is conducting an individual unannounced observation by making his/her presence known and remaining visible in the classroom for the duration of the observation. v) In the event of an observation resulting in one or more standards judged to be unsatisfactory or needs improvement, the Educator will be provided with brief oral feedback from the Principal or Observer within two (2) school days of the unannounced observation. This discussion shall take place at least ten a convenient time (10not during lunch) minutesand away from students and colleagues. a. Administrators vi) For all observations, the Educator will drop in on classes and other activities as part of normal supervisory responsibilities. Carrying out these supervisory responsibilities, when they do not result in targeted and constructive feedback to the Educator, are not observations as defined in this Agreement. These visits may take the form of Instructional Rounds, Walkthroughs, Learning Walks, or any other means deemed useful by the Evaluator, principal, Superintendent or other administrator. b. An unannounced observation must start be provided with a predetermined signal to the Educator. c. The Evaluator will then provide written feedback after being in from the classroom, and the Educator can expect feedback as described below. 2. Targeted and constructive feedback for an unannounced observation shall start with an in-person conversation between the Educator and the Evaluator. The Evaluator shall then provide a brief written summary of this conversation and his Principal or her observations. a. Feedback in this form must be given Observer within five (5) school days of the observation. The written, feedback shall be delivered to the Educator in person, placed in the Educator’s mailbox, or sent via TechPoint prior to the post-observation conference. vii) Within five (5) school days of the observation and one (1) school day after receiving the written copy of the observation form, the Principal or Observer/Educator may meet for a post-observation conference at the request of either the Evaluator or the Educator. This time frame timeframe may be extended due to unavailability on the part of either the Evaluator Principal/Observer or the Educator, but shall be rescheduled within 24 hours whenever if possible. For K12 Curriculum Coordinators or those who travel between buildings, meetings may be arranged over the phone if scheduling a face-to-face meeting is found to be too difficult. All meetings, whether face-to-face or by phone, are expected to be done during contractual hours. b. The conversation, when possible, should take place in the Educator’s classroom i. Any observation or office, or in a private space. c. This brief written feedback shall be delivered to the Educator face-to-face, by email or to the Educator’s school mailbox or home. The written feedback explicitly considers the perspective on the class or lesson that the Educator presents during the conversation. If the Evaluator has an concerns, s/he shall provide evidence of the practices in need of improvement so that the Educator has concrete ideas for what to improve. 3. Any series of observations resulting in one or more standards judged to be Unsatisfactory unsatisfactory or Needs Improvement needs improvement for the first time must be followed by at least one full class observation of at least 30 minutes in duration within thirty (30) 30 school days.