Introduction
As part of the federal requirements for States receiving funding under Phase 2 of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds Program, all school districts in New Jersey are providing information to the public on the procedures they use to evaluate teachers and principals. The information presented below will help you understand Livingston Public School District’s policies and procedures for evaluating teachers and educational specialists such as librarians and counselors.

Confidentiality Concerns
To protect the confidentiality of individual evaluations, districts are not required to provide a district-level statistical summary of teacher evaluation outcomes in those cases where there are fewer than 10 teachers in an entire district. Similarly, districts are not required to provide a school-level statistical summary of teacher evaluation outcomes if there are fewer than 10 teachers in a school.

Description of Teacher Evaluation System
Livingston is firmly committed to maximizing the professional growth of teachers. The observation/evaluation process promotes dialogue and collaboration between the teacher and the evaluation team. Inherent in this process is the opportunity for self-reflection. As noted by Danielson and McGreal, this is a key element for maximizing professional growth.

It is now well recognized that few activities promote professional learning as effectively as structured reflection on practice. This phenomenon accounts for the experience of many candidates for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification, who report that preparing their portfolios was an extremely rich professional endeavor. But many teachers don’t take the time to reflect in a systematic manner unless specifically asked to do so. That is, although many teachers think about their teaching and what they might have done to improve student learning, they frequently don’t engage in a formal process of reflection and rarely commit their reflections to writing. When teachers take the time to pause and consider their work systematically, however, they are richly rewarded. The very act of reflection, it appears, is a highly productive vehicle for professional learning. A teacher evaluation system, then, committed to maximizing the professional growth of teachers, should include a focused approach to structured reflection on practice.¹

With this in mind, the end of the year evaluation process is as follows:

1. Each staff member will be provided with a copy of the evaluation tool and the corresponding rubric.
2. The staff member is expected to reflect on his/her overall performance in each of the four domains.
3. It is suggested that each staff member review and provide a variety of data sources as evidence of his/her skill/growth in different components contained in the rubric.
4. It is suggested that each staff member take time to complete the rubric with his/her own performance ratings prior to the evaluation conference.
5. An evaluation conference will be conducted to review/discuss the staff member’s reflection and evidence of growth on his/her overall performance. Through professional dialogue and collaboration, the administrative/supervisory team will provide the staff member with feedback as they compare/contrast staff member’s self-evaluation and formalize the final version of evaluation rubric. PLEASE NOTE: A staff member may request the evaluation conference be held in his/her classroom in order to provide easy access to various sources of evidence of growth.
6. Evaluator completes the evaluation report.
7. Evaluator sends the evaluation report to the teacher for review and signature.

The following materials are provided to assist certificated staff members in preparing for/reflecting on their end of the year evaluation:

1. Copy of the evaluation report.
2. Copy of the corresponding rubric.
3. A list of data sources that may be used as evidence of skill/growth in different components contained in the rubric. PLEASE NOTE: This list is intended only to provide the staff member with suggestions; there is no expectation that any individual will bring all of these items to his/her evaluation conference.

Suggested data sources to be used as evidence of skill/growth:

1. Lesson plans
    » Lesson plans that show your growth in content knowledge and/or pedagogy
2. Questioning Techniques
    » Several examples of the most effective questions you implemented this year
3. Evidence of how suggestions from prior observations/evaluations have been addressed
4. Evidence of student growth
    » Sample assessments
     » Writing samples
    » Sample assignments
    » Project directions
    » Student rubrics
    » Research samples
5. Evidence to demonstrate successful accomplishment of PIP
     » How did the staff member grow professionally?
    » How has the work with the goals of the PIP this year informed staff member’s practice for next year?
    » Artifacts
    » Logs
    » Articles
    » Conference notes
    » Discussion with supervisor, colleagues
6. Evidence of professional development activities
     » Transcript from my learning plan
     » Conferences attended
     » Volunteer/speaker at conference
     » Committee member
7. Evidence of parent communication
    » Class newsletter
    » Back-to-school night brochure
    » Logs of parent contacts
8. Artifacts that demonstrate use of technology to enhance instruction
9. New ideas/practices shared with colleagues

The following are related policies and contractual language governing the observation and evaluation process for non-tenured and tenured certificated staff members:

Policy # 3221 – Evaluation of Non-Tenured Teaching Staff Members (M)

Policy #3222 - Evaluation of Tenured Teaching Staff Members (M)

Agreement between the Livingston Board of Education and the Livingston Education Association for the Period July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 and July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011 (Article VI Observations and Evaluations).

¹ Danielson, C., & McGreal, T. (2000). Teacher Evaluation To Enhance Professional Practice (p. 48). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.