What is the purpose of this communication?
This communication is targeted to all staff and supervisors. It is intended as a reminder of key staff performance evaluation processes and due dates.
Where do I find the current manual and forms?
You can find the most current copy of the staff performance evaluation process manual on the Intranet under the Performance Evaluation Process tab. Please note: this manual indicates 2008-09 but is still being used for 2009-2010. Other staff performance evaluation forms are also present under the Performance Evaluation Process tab on the Intranet. Within the Performance Evaluation Process tab there is a link for the leaders evaluation. Additional information regarding the use of the leaders evaluation system will be sent to all supervisors in the near future.
Professional Development Plan (PDP):
• All staff, including certified, classified and leaders, are required to use the self-assessment tool and complete a professional growth plan. It does not matter if self-assessment is completed in the Spring or in the Fall, so long as it is used to drive the development of the individual’s professional development plan.
Portfolio Requirement:
• A portfolio is required for certified staff and for supervisors of all staff. It is not required for classified staff but is encouraged as a method to showcase your best work with your supervisor and drive coaching conversations.
• Your portfolio must include two artifacts per standard.
• One artifact may be used to represent multiple standards depending upon the breadth and applicability of the artifact to the standard.
• Please focus on the quality of the written reflection. In your written reflection describe how the artifact connects to the standard and your professional growth.
• Focus on the quality not the volume of artifacts. For example, if a portfolio represents work across multiple years, use the best representation of meeting standards. In others words, you might remove an older artifact if a newer one better illustrates how you have grown in the standard.
For those on the formative cycle:
• Conduct a self-assessment, write a PDP and discuss with your supervisor by November 30, 2009.
• November through May, implement your PDP and continue to gather artifacts for your portfolio. Have coaching conservations as needed with your supervisor.
• The completed PDP is due to your supervisor no later than May 30.
For those on summative cycle:
• Conduct a self-assessment, write a PDP and discuss with your supervisor by October 30, 2009.
• Have an orientation conference with your supervisor to gain understanding of the evaluation process and discuss sources of evidence to be used in the evaluation. This can be combined with the PDP discussion.
• November through March, appropriate evaluation activities are the pre-observation conference, observation and post-observation conference as well as any additional evaluation activities such as (but not limited to) case reviews, portfolio development and informational feedback.
• The summative evaluation conference for most staff will be held between April and May. Staff members who work through the end of June (i.e., 225-day staff and some classified staff) may have until June 15 to complete the summative evaluation conference. Veteran staff may have their summative conference earlier, (i.e., mid-year), as it reflects performance over three years.
• Written summative evaluations for all staff on the summative cycle are to be sent to Human Resources by June 30. Annual completion rates for summative evaluations are reported to the Board of Directors.
How do I know if I am on the summative cycle?
Human Resources has provided your supervisor with a list of those needing a summative evaluation. Your supervisor will contact you to inform you of the need for summative evaluation during this school year and when it is due. If you feel that you are not in the correct cycle, please discuss with your supervisor who can verify with Human Resources.
Where do I go for assistance?
For assistance with the performance evaluation process, you can contact your mentor, program assistant, supervisor or the Human Resources Department.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Improvement to Leave Online System: Leave System Will Now Check Online Calendars
Improvement efforts continue to tie our online systems together to assist staff in both entering and having access to accurate data. Beginning Monday, October 5, the Leave Online system will begin checking employees’ online work calendars to verify that the leave they are requesting is in compliance with their online work calendar. This change will only affect those employees who have an online work calendar. In order to accomplish this, the following rules for leave requests have been put in place:
• A leave request may not span off-contract days (excluding weekends and holidays). If a leave request is entered for multiple days, you must be scheduled to work all of those days in the online work calendar.
• Your online work calendar must show you as working the start date and end date of a leave request.
• Leave requested for a date where you are scheduled, in the online work calendar, to work a half-day must be requested as a single day request. The request for a scheduled half-day must also be less than or equal to 3.75 hours for Certified Union and less than or equal to 4 hours for everyone else.
• A leave request may not span any days that have a pending calendar exchange request.
• FMLA/ICRA leave requests may span off-contract days.
If you enter a leave request that is not compatible with your scheduled working days as outlined above, the system will present you with an error message so that you better understand how to enter the request correctly.
For questions regarding the technical operation of the Leave Online or Calendar Online systems, please contact Sara Becker (ext. 14593) or Rod Howell (ext. 14599). For questions regarding eligibility for leave or for calendar questions, first call your supervisor. If further assistance is needed, please call Carolyn Jones (ext. 14614) in Human Resources to be directed to the proper assistance.
• A leave request may not span off-contract days (excluding weekends and holidays). If a leave request is entered for multiple days, you must be scheduled to work all of those days in the online work calendar.
• Your online work calendar must show you as working the start date and end date of a leave request.
• Leave requested for a date where you are scheduled, in the online work calendar, to work a half-day must be requested as a single day request. The request for a scheduled half-day must also be less than or equal to 3.75 hours for Certified Union and less than or equal to 4 hours for everyone else.
• A leave request may not span any days that have a pending calendar exchange request.
• FMLA/ICRA leave requests may span off-contract days.
If you enter a leave request that is not compatible with your scheduled working days as outlined above, the system will present you with an error message so that you better understand how to enter the request correctly.
For questions regarding the technical operation of the Leave Online or Calendar Online systems, please contact Sara Becker (ext. 14593) or Rod Howell (ext. 14599). For questions regarding eligibility for leave or for calendar questions, first call your supervisor. If further assistance is needed, please call Carolyn Jones (ext. 14614) in Human Resources to be directed to the proper assistance.
List of Revised Van Routes Available
Click here to download an updated list of van routes. It is hoped that this will be the last revision to the list.
Iowa Core Curriculum Update
Year Two, Day One Iowa Core Curriculum training is scheduled for October 5 and to be repeated on October 8. The sessions in Des Moines are closed but space is available at the four other locations. Teams are reminded to bring their self-study materials for outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 5 to the training and any other materials needed for work during team planning time.
One focus of the October training will be alignment, and participants will have an opportunity to preview the self-study for outcome 4. Some curriculum terms will be briefly reviewed as a part of the alignment segment of the day. Curriculum can be divided into three categories: intended, enacted and assessed curricula.
• Intended curriculum: the content target for the enacted curriculum, often captured in content standards or other similar documents.
• Enacted curriculum: the content actually delivered during instruction in the classroom and other learning settings.
• Assessed curriculum: the content that is assessed to determine achievement. (Porter, 2004)
A frequently asked question related to alignment:
Q: Are we aligning the Iowa Core Curriculum to our local standards and benchmarks? If not, why?
A: The Iowa Core Curriculum is not about rewriting district standards and benchmarks. Rather, it focuses on providing a curriculum that includes the essential concepts and skills for all students. However, an even more important question is, do the local standards and benchmarks really represent what is going on in the classroom (enacted curriculum)? The goal is to align the content, instruction and assessment delivered to students with the Iowa Core Curriculum. (Taken from the Department of Education’s Iowa Core Curriculum Network Team work)
Questions about the Iowa Core Curriculum may be directed to Linda S. Biermann Hoobin, Heartland Teaching and Learning Consultant at lhoobin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14327.
One focus of the October training will be alignment, and participants will have an opportunity to preview the self-study for outcome 4. Some curriculum terms will be briefly reviewed as a part of the alignment segment of the day. Curriculum can be divided into three categories: intended, enacted and assessed curricula.
• Intended curriculum: the content target for the enacted curriculum, often captured in content standards or other similar documents.
• Enacted curriculum: the content actually delivered during instruction in the classroom and other learning settings.
• Assessed curriculum: the content that is assessed to determine achievement. (Porter, 2004)
A frequently asked question related to alignment:
Q: Are we aligning the Iowa Core Curriculum to our local standards and benchmarks? If not, why?
A: The Iowa Core Curriculum is not about rewriting district standards and benchmarks. Rather, it focuses on providing a curriculum that includes the essential concepts and skills for all students. However, an even more important question is, do the local standards and benchmarks really represent what is going on in the classroom (enacted curriculum)? The goal is to align the content, instruction and assessment delivered to students with the Iowa Core Curriculum. (Taken from the Department of Education’s Iowa Core Curriculum Network Team work)
Questions about the Iowa Core Curriculum may be directed to Linda S. Biermann Hoobin, Heartland Teaching and Learning Consultant at lhoobin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14327.
October 2009 Department of Education School Leader Update
Click here to download the October 2009 issue of the Iowa Department of Education School Leader Update.
Professional Service License Now Available
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) will be issuing a new license for those individuals who have been prepared in educational service professions but have not completed the professional education core.
School psychologists, speech-language pathologists, school social workers and some guidance counselors who did not complete the professional education core will be issued the Professional Service License. Individuals who have not completed the professional education core are unable to add teaching endorsements to their license. This will help clarify to the field who has completed a teacher education program and can add teaching and administrator endorsements and who cannot add these endorsements.
The BOEE is in the process of converting all licenses with no professional education core with endorsements in school psychology, speech-language pathology, school social worker and guidance counseling over to the new Professional Service License. The database will be converted and each individual will be able to view his/her license on the BOEE Web site by October 1. New paper licenses will not be issued until the next renewal. This new license will not change the authority of these professionals. There are frequently asked questions on the BOEE Web site at www.boee.iowa.gov.
For further information, explore the frequently asked questions section of the BOEE Web site or contact Mike Cavin at mike.cavin@iowa.gov.
School psychologists, speech-language pathologists, school social workers and some guidance counselors who did not complete the professional education core will be issued the Professional Service License. Individuals who have not completed the professional education core are unable to add teaching endorsements to their license. This will help clarify to the field who has completed a teacher education program and can add teaching and administrator endorsements and who cannot add these endorsements.
The BOEE is in the process of converting all licenses with no professional education core with endorsements in school psychology, speech-language pathology, school social worker and guidance counseling over to the new Professional Service License. The database will be converted and each individual will be able to view his/her license on the BOEE Web site by October 1. New paper licenses will not be issued until the next renewal. This new license will not change the authority of these professionals. There are frequently asked questions on the BOEE Web site at www.boee.iowa.gov.
For further information, explore the frequently asked questions section of the BOEE Web site or contact Mike Cavin at mike.cavin@iowa.gov.
Calling All Bidders -- United Way Auction Begins Today!
The United Way Not-So-Silent Auction site is now up and running! There are some fun and interesting items to bid on – everything from gift baskets to plane rides! To see what you may not be able to live without, go to http://205.221.40.56:8086/Action to start shopping!
To place your bid
To login, you must be on the Heartland network, which means the auction site is only available in Heartland office buildings. Login to the site using your PeopleBox username and password. Click on the item name to view the description and a larger photo. To place your bid, simply fill in the “Your New Bid” field and click on “Place Bid.” You will receive an e-mail notification if you are outbid which will include a link back to the auction site if you wish to re-bid.
Want to donate? There’s still time!
There’s still time to get items on the auction list. We’ve extended the due date and will accept items through October 14. Just send a short description with a photo to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. But hurry! The bidding closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16. We will announce the winners of each item in the October 26 Staff Connection.
You can also show your support to United Way by submitting a pledge card. In an effort to go paperless, please download the card here. When opening the form, choose "Save" instead of "Preview," so your information gets saved to the form. Send the completed form through the interoffice/van mail to Human Resources in an envelope marked "United Way" or send it electronically to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. Thank you for supporting the United Way!!
To place your bid
To login, you must be on the Heartland network, which means the auction site is only available in Heartland office buildings. Login to the site using your PeopleBox username and password. Click on the item name to view the description and a larger photo. To place your bid, simply fill in the “Your New Bid” field and click on “Place Bid.” You will receive an e-mail notification if you are outbid which will include a link back to the auction site if you wish to re-bid.
Want to donate? There’s still time!
There’s still time to get items on the auction list. We’ve extended the due date and will accept items through October 14. Just send a short description with a photo to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. But hurry! The bidding closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16. We will announce the winners of each item in the October 26 Staff Connection.
You can also show your support to United Way by submitting a pledge card. In an effort to go paperless, please download the card here. When opening the form, choose "Save" instead of "Preview," so your information gets saved to the form. Send the completed form through the interoffice/van mail to Human Resources in an envelope marked "United Way" or send it electronically to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. Thank you for supporting the United Way!!
Information on Membership in Iowa Staff Development Council
A state organization of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), the Iowa Staff Development Council (ISDC) seeks to:
1) Advocate a common voice for quality professional development in the state of Iowa
2) Build an understanding of how districts and other organizations involved with professional development can design and support high quality professional learning by applying the NSDC Standards and Iowa Standards
Membership in this organization is open to any individual interested in the continuous improvement of professional learning and runs from August 2009-August 2010. To join, send your name, organization, address, e-mail address and phone number along with a check or purchase order for $25 to:
Lou Howell, Treasurer
2555 Pine Circle
Urbandale, IA 50322
Please contact Sue Schirmer, Heartland Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant and ISDC board member, with questions or if you would like to be more involved with ISDC.
1) Advocate a common voice for quality professional development in the state of Iowa
2) Build an understanding of how districts and other organizations involved with professional development can design and support high quality professional learning by applying the NSDC Standards and Iowa Standards
Membership in this organization is open to any individual interested in the continuous improvement of professional learning and runs from August 2009-August 2010. To join, send your name, organization, address, e-mail address and phone number along with a check or purchase order for $25 to:
Lou Howell, Treasurer
2555 Pine Circle
Urbandale, IA 50322
Please contact Sue Schirmer, Heartland Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant and ISDC board member, with questions or if you would like to be more involved with ISDC.
Reggie's Sleepout: Sleep Under the Stars and Support a Good Cause
Join Heartland AEA staff members who are participating in this year’s Reggie’s Sleepout. The event’s goal is to raise money and awareness for homeless youth in Central Iowa. All proceeds benefit Iowa Homeless Youth Centers and the Des Moines Area Religious Council.
This year the event will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Each group that participates in the Sleepout is asked to build its own shelter for the night, although you can still participate without having to sleep out. If you’re interested in attending or supporting the event, please contact Stacey Haskins (ext. 14322) or Lisa Lumbard (ext. 14518). Or for more information, go to http://www.reggiessleepout.org.
This year the event will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Each group that participates in the Sleepout is asked to build its own shelter for the night, although you can still participate without having to sleep out. If you’re interested in attending or supporting the event, please contact Stacey Haskins (ext. 14322) or Lisa Lumbard (ext. 14518). Or for more information, go to http://www.reggiessleepout.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)