Teacher Improvement Plan
As mandated in Section 100.2 of the Commissioner’s Regulation, the Professional Performance Review Plan shall describe how the school district or BOCES addresses the performance of teachers whose performance is evaluated as ineffective, and shall require a teacher improvement plan for teachers so evaluated or documentation of a prior teacher improvement plan, which shall be developed by the district in consultation with such teacher.
For non-tenured teachers, an overall rating of ineffective or an ineffective rating in one or more areas evaluated may result in his/her release from employment in the district. Tenured employees receiving an ineffective performance rating in one or more areas of evaluation will be encouraged to engage in professional development to raise all ratings to effective.
The district requires that for every tenured employee receiving an overall performance rating of ineffective, a teacher improvement plan shall be written. An administrator in consultation with the employee with an option of LSCTA representation will develop the plan for the district.
The teacher improvement plan should be developed within 30 workdays of the professional performance review yielding the ineffective rating and will be developed during the school calendar year. The plan shall specifically identify those areas that need improvement and the evidence that the district would deem as acceptable to demonstrate improvement. In addition, the plan should identify specific activities the teacher should engage in to develop skills in each specific area of need and a timeline for each activity.
Near the end of the school year in which the improvement plan was written, the teacher’s performance review should reflect the progress made toward the areas identified as needing improvement. Should the overall performance rating of the teacher be raised to developing, effective or highly effective, the employee will no longer be required to have a teacher improvement plan.
The teacher improvement plan shall also be developed when a teacher’s performance outside the realm of the commissioner’s regulations is deemed unsatisfactory. The plan should include areas in need of improvement and evidence that the district would deem acceptable to demonstrate improvement. In addition, the plan should identify specific activities the teacher should engage in to develop skills in each specific area of need and a timeline for each activity.