Private+School+TPA

In Toronto, there are a couple of Jewish Private schools that have a union to represent their employees. However, each school creates their own Teacher Performance Appraisals, with each individual school’s focus and goals. This is true for many private schools. This particular private school has three separate branches over Toronto. Here is the process for their Teacher Performance Appraisals for Untenured and Tenured Teachers. “Teacher Performance Appraisal system is designed to support and promote teacher growth and development. When all of its components are implemented in a coherent way, embedded in school improvement goals and linked to ongoing professional learning, the Teacher Performance Appraisal process becomes fully integrated into the fabric of school life”. They further believe that TPA provides teachers and principals with “processes and procedures that not only bring about improvements in teacher performance and student learning, but also foster communication, collaboration, and relationship building essential to creating and sustaining a professional learning community in schools”.
 * __Private School: Associated Schools__**
 * The school has two Teacher Performance Appraisal processes:**
 * 1) Untenured Teachers: For new teachers (those new to the school) will be evaluated two-three times a year for three years. At the end of the three years they will either be dismissed or be given Tenure (they could be dismissed any time before the three years as well).
 * 2) Tenured Teachers: Teachers who have passed the evaluations over a three year period are now guaranteed a job. Tenured teachers are evaluated once every four years by their supervisor.
 * The process:**
 * 1) An individual Pre-Observation meeting to review the process and schedule the classroom visit; describe the process for completing the template
 * 2) One or more classroom visits;
 * 3) A Post-Observation meeting to discuss the visit and identify strengths and next steps;
 * 4) “If a teacher “Needs Improvement” then a grown plan, that highlights very specific recommendation for change must be provide to the teacher. The evaluator must monitor the teacher in question over the next three months to ascertain if the recommendations provided in the growth plan are being implemented by the teacher. The evaluator may wish to conduct a second evaluation of the tenured teacher in order to review the teacher’s performance and to provide the teacher an opportunity to formalize their efforts to improve. If no improvement is seen by the evaluator after efforts have been made to assist the teacher, then the situation must be brought to the attention of the principal of the site as well as the Director of Education in order to review the concerns and to determine a “next steps” plan” (p.3).
 * 5) A final sigh off of the TPA by both the teacher and Principal.
 * For both TPA’s there are eight competencies:**
 * 1) Demonstrates commitment to the well-being and development of all students.
 * 2) Is dedicated in his/her efforts to teach and to support student learning and achievement.
 * 3) Treats all students equitably and with respect.
 * 4) Provides an environment for learning that encourages students to be problem-solvers, decision-makers, life-long learners and contributing Jewish members of a changing society.
 * 5) Knows his/her subject matter and the Ontario/Judaic Studies curriculum.
 * 6) Uses professional knowledge and understanding of students, curriculum, teaching practices and classroom management strategies to promote the learning and achievement of pupils.
 * 7) Communicates effectively with students, parents, and colleagues.
 * 8) Conducts ongoing assessment of students’ progress, evaluates achievement and reports results to students and parents regularly.
 * __Untenured teachers__**: New to the school; teachers who are working in a new role in less than three years
 * 1) **Outstanding**: Performance that consistently exceeds the expectations for the set of domains and competencies.
 * 2) **Effective**: Performance that consistently meets the expectations for the set of domains and companies.
 * 3) **Fair**: Performance that does not always meet the expectations for the set of domains and competencies. Performance should be improved.
 * 4) **Unsatisfactory**: Performance that does not meet the expectations for the set of domains and competencies. Performance must be improved immediately.
 * __Tenured teachers:__** They are recorded on a “Satisfactory” or “Needs Improvement” scale:
 * Satisfactory**:
 * Establishes a routine and organized environment where students are engaged and involved in the curriculum.
 * Balance between teacher/student discussion- show how students work together in a collaborative and supportive environment and those rules are readily apparent.
 * Provide students with the opportunity to make mistakes as well as excel to their greatest potential.
 * Needs Improvement:**
 * Students are not engaged and the classroom environment does not maximize learning.
 * The teacher should use cooperative group work to increase collaborative learning in the class.
 * The teacher does most of the talking and the students demonstrate a disinterest in the lesson and are disruptive as a result.


 * TPA form for a New Teacher:**


 * Information taken from Associated Hebrew schools of Toronto (2013).

Discussion Questions:
 * 1) What are the competencies and domains of Associated’s TPA?
 * 2) What are similarities/differences between Associated and TDSB’s OR YRDSB TPA?
 * 3) What do you think is implied with this statement: “When all of its components are implemented in a coherent way, embedded in school improvement goals and linked to ongoing professional learning, the Teacher Performance Appraisal process becomes fully integrated into the fabric of school life”?