Observation is one source of evidence that contributes to an educator’s overall Professional Practice Rating. Each district in Kentucky has made their own decision about how many, and what kinds of observations will occur during a teacher’s summative cycle and how pre- and post-observation conferencing will occur based on the minimum requirements defined in the PGES Administrative Regulation 704 KAR 3:370. Those decisions are defined in the district Certified Evaluation Plan (CEP). There are some “tips” and strategies to ensure that observations are effectively and efficiently conducted:
If electronic pre-observation conferencing is not included in the CEP, districts might consider adding language to the CEP in the next revision to allow pre-conferences for mini observations to be conducted via email. The time, focus, and specifics of the pre-observation can be articulated in the email.
A mini observation should be defined in the CEP and be less than 30 minutes in length. A mini observation is focused on look fors, which is evidence that aligns to specific domains and components of the Kentucky Framework for Teaching that either the teacher or evaluator have identified as an area of focus or need. Since the walkthrough is focused on a specific look for, it would be beneficial for the evaluator to schedule the mini observations with the teacher to ensure it occurs at a time when the look for can be observed.
The principal/primary evaluator might be more comfortable scripting into Word, OneNote or another platform. If that is the case, the evidence does not need to be cut and pasted into EDS. The document can be uploaded as an Artifact directly into EDS. The evaluator can then reference the evidence in the rating.
When scripting, the evaluator is identifying evidence that aligns to the Kentucky Framework for Teaching. If evidence is not observed for specific components, the evaluator should mark N/A. This WILL NOT count negatively towards a teacher’s performance. An upcoming update to EDS will remove the numerical rating. Kentucky professional practice ratings are Ineffective, Developing, Accomplished, and Exemplary, not a numerical rating.
Above all, the district should ensure that observation processes are not just about meeting a requirement, but are instead focused on growing and developing effective teachers.
REMINDER- The third leg of the PGES Roundtables are taking place in June. A fourth session will be held in conjunction with the Annual Leadership Institute. Anyone who attended a regional roundtable may attend complementary. For information on a roundtable in your area click here.