Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Education

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Guidance Document Change: The weighting of the performance standards in the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers is revised. In 2012, in response to federal reporting requirements pursuant to the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) and to meet requirements of Virginia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 Flexibility Plan, Virginia was required to ensure that student academic progress (standard 7) accounted for 40 percent of the summative evaluation for teachers. As such, the Board of Education’s current Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers called for the first six standards to be weighted equally at 10 percent each and the seventh standard, student academic progress, to account for 40 percent of the summative evaluation. Since the federal reporting requirement has been eliminated, these percentages are not mandated. The weighting of student academic progress at 40 percent of the summative evaluation is no longer required. The Code of Virginia requires that student academic progress be a “significant” component of the evaluation. The attached Guidelines propose that evaluation of student academic progress is met if Performance Standard 7: Student Academic Progress is not the least weighted of the performance standards or less than one (10 percent); however, it may be weighted equally as one of the multiple lowest weighted standards.

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12/16/19 4:48 pm

Commenter: Mark Johnston, Shenandoah County Public Schools

Proposed Changes to Uniform Performance Standards for Teachers

Shenandoah County Public Schools is supportive of and thanks the Board for its decision to no longer mandate the 40% weighting on Standard 7 in the performance standards and evaluation criteria of teachers, principals and superintendents. The proposed revisions to the weighting of all the standards positively supports all three of the Board’s priorities as well as our own strategic plan goals. In order to effectively implement the Virginia Profile of a Graduate and place increased emphasis on authentic learning experiences as well as a more balanced assessment plan, this shift will align those efforts to the performance standards for all educators.

Upon review of the recommended weights of the standards outlined in Supt Memo 272-19, we do not believe that professionalism should be the lowest weighted category. The need for all employees to maintain the highest professional standards is the most essential element to success in all aspects of their work and to serve as positive role models to students. Therefore, we recommend that all categories be weighted equally as each is critical to the success of our students and that using 100 points as the total is arbitrary.

CommentID: 78522