Jan 2004 :::

LT Community Advisory Council Minutes

January 21, 2004
"Performance Appraisal / Management and

Professional Development" - Part I


I. Call to Order and Announcements - (6:45 - 7:15pm)

A.   New Principal Introduction - David Franson

Dr. Kelly introduced the new principal. Mr. Franson said he was excited to return to LT…he is a 1976 graduate! Dr. Kelly mentioned that he met David 10 years ago and secretly wanted to hire him.

B.   Approval of Minutes of November 20, 2003 Meeting

It was noted that the date was incorrect on the minutes mailed out to members. The minutes were accepted with that correction noted.

C.   Report of Superintendent

In 2 weeks the North Campus bids will be sent out (for 5 projects). It’s hoped the work would start June 10 th, with completion by the opening of school. The music rooms could take longer. The South Campus bids (5 projects) will go out first week of May and could start July 28 th. The Pool, Field House and the Theater projects may take 10-14 months to complete.

The La Grange parking deck looks like it will be approved. It’s hoped the Village Board can be encouraged to find other funds, and to release some of the $2 million in TIF funds to the taxing bodies.

The search for another Director of Curriculum starts tomorrow with interviews of 6 candidates. The Board could approve the final choice in February.

D.   Report from School Board Member ~ Al Polich

The $17.4 million bond issue has turned out well, better than expected, so that all proposed projects could be funded.



Passion for their subject, sharing their experiences within the material brings it to another level, encouragement to participate in Advisory, Learning more about teaching "stlyes", wonder what process there is for removing "dead wood" teachers.

Table 2: Fairness, teachers as motivators, relationship building, respect, staying current, observing which teacher's classes are dropped more frequently than others and determining why

Table 3: Knowing content well enough to adapt it to different student levels and learning styles, using a variety of leaarning style techniques, being available to students, providing a "safe" environment for students to learn and grow, go beyond content…show morals, discuss non-content material to connect material to the "real" world.

Table 4: Maintain academic excellence, create strategiew to enroll students, creating a caring, open environment for intellectual risk taking, shares due dates early, integrates technology in the classroom, seeks constructive feedback from students and parents, uses a variety of assessment practices, shows responsibility for the LT mission.

Table 5: teachers enthusiasm, offers varied learning styles, shares personal experiences, is available in AM and PM to students, uses EDLINE (and syllabus), is open to parent and student evaluations.

Table 6: Same as the other tables.

Table 7: Interested in extracurriculars, looks as their work as "more than a job, is consistant, encourages success, listens to students, is highly communicative with parents.


B.   Who should evaluate faculty and staff and how should evaluations be conducted?

Table 1: How to gather student and parent feedback and utilize it?

Table 2: Portfolio evaluation, from peers, students, immediate supervisors, and subject knowledge experts.

Table 3: Surveys on website for feedback.

Table 4: Use multiple prongs: student evaluation is critical; administered (non-threateningly) by another faculty member; parent evaluation; multiple peer evaluation; and self-evaluation. Could video tape be used?

Table 5: Veteran teachers give feedback

Table 6: peer evaluation, student feedback, parent input, exit surveys of graduating Seniors



II.   Explanation of the Performance Appraisal / Management process at LTHS (8:15 - 9:00pm)


Historical Perspective presented by Tom Bill, Director of Personnel

"Brief Overview of Important Dates in the Development of the Professional Appraisal System" and "Lyons Township High School List of Desirable Teacher Attributes"

Please remember that appraisal does NOT equal evaluation. The "List of Desirable Teacher Attributes" is shared with recruiters so they are clear about which candidates to consider and recommend. The emphasis is to see that the model does the right thing and to see that it works.

The current model is much more than just a "snapshot" of the teacher (as the older system did). It's now a continuous observation model. It holds the staff accountable for their whole day…f rom the parking lot, to professional behavior, attending meetings, and student interactions in the hall.

The evaluation model is designed to improve teacher preformance…it's not a punitive model. It's all about continued development.

This model was developed over years, with cooperation (and input) from the Labor Relations Board and the Teachers Union. This type of evaluation could not be forced down their throat…all constituencies had to approve the process.

This model is not one persons idea. It was derived from years of research from many sources.


PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL / MANAGEMENT AND

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


I.   Small Group Discussion First: (7:20 - 8:00pm)

Two Questions for us to Consider:

A.   What are the Key Competencies and Characteristics we want to see in our Faculty and staff at LTHS? (Examples)

Table 1:

See the handouts:

A Review of the "Professional Appraisal System" document (56 pages)

presented by Attila Wenninger, Director of Curriculum & Instruction

There were 19 people on the committee that developed the current system. The seed concepts came from the work of Charlotte Danielson (Praxis). It focuses on the professional growth of teachers. See the Philosophy statement on page 3.

The 3 Phases of the Appraisal system are:

Phase I: "Non-tenured Plan" A 4-year assessment of non-tenured (new) teachers. This involves a minimum of 23 separate evaluations (many unannounced) during the 4 years. See the table on page 25. The forms used for evaluations are on page 26. The teachers also create a Customized Professional Plan (CPP) stating their plan for continued growth. That is reviewed at the end of the year, and is used in the decision to renew contracts yearly.

Phase II: "Professional Growth Plan" Ongoing assessment of tenured staff encourages continued growth. There are no class observations. The teacher creates CPPs which are reviewed.

Phase III: "Professional Assistance Plan" This section of the system, provides support to tenured staff in one or more areas of professional competency when there is an issue.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:06 PM.

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