Evaluations at Kalispell Public Schools are held when the certified teacher is non tenure or after tenure, every third year. Administrators use the Evaluation Tool that is linked below. Please feel free and reach out to either your principal, your mentor, and/or the KEEP Team for clarification on how to prepare for your evaluation!
5.10 Non-Tenured Teacher Evaluation Program - Non-Tenured Certified Staff – (First, second, and third year of employment with Kalispell Public Schools): During the first three years of employment with Kalispell Public Schools, a staff member will be evaluated using the Certified Teacher Staff Performance Evaluation (CTSPE).. This evaluation program will apply to beginning teachers as well as to experienced teachers new to the Kalispell Public Schools. Each first year non-tenured staff member will be assigned a mentor.
5.10.1 The non-tenured staff member shall be formally observed twice per year in separate semester/trimesters. These observations will be for at least 30 minutes. . Every observation shall be conducted openly. Each formal observation will include a pre-conference and a postconference with a written evaluation and a completed CTSPE prior to May 1st. The postconference will occur within seven working days of the observation barring extenuating circumstances. The staff member will also be observed at least three times informally throughout the year.
5.10.2 Evaluations will be a factor in determining the continuation of employment, recommendation for 11. the Evaluation Assistance Procedure or termination of employment. The second written evaluation shall be completed by May 1st. The evaluation shall be signed by the staff member. This signature does not necessarily indicate agreement with the evaluation and comments concerning the evaluation may be attached. No portion of this section interferes with the District’s rights and obligations regarding non-tenure staff as defined in Section 20-4-206, MCA.
5.11 Evaluative Assistance Program: Staff members who have been determined by their evaluator to be in need of guidance and improvement may be placed on the Evaluative Assistance Program. Staff members who are placed in the program will be notified by the evaluator. An evaluative Assistance Program is not considered disciplinary action.
5.11.1 The assistance team will consist of an administrator as the sole evaluator, and a tenured teacher as a support person for the teacher being placed in the assistance process. This team’s purpose is to assist the employee in meeting pre-determined objectives as well as provide support to the staff member as they work to improve satisfactorily, their performance. The tenured teacher will be chosen jointly by the District and the KEA prior to the implementation of the assistance program. No teacher shall be placed as the support person without the teacher’s approval. The District and KEA will jointly offer an in-service to prospective support persons each year.
5.11.2 The staff member will meet with the assistance team. A representative of the KEA will be included in the initial meeting. A representative of the Central Office may be included in this meeting. At this meeting, the program of assistance process will be outlined to the staff member. In that meeting or in a subsequent meeting the Assistance Program plan will be presented to the employee and a copy of the plan will be placed in their personnel file. The staff member has the opportunity to provide a written rebuttal to the Assistance Program within five (5) week days of receipt of the document. This rebuttal will be placed in their personnel file along with the Assistance Plan. If the staff member refuses or fails to fully comply and participate with the provisions of the Assistance Program, this will be considered insubordination and disciplinary action may be initiated.
5.11.3 The evaluator shall oversee the preparation of the written document prepared by the Assistance Team using the following guidelines: a. Deficiencies shall be listed b. Specific steps needed to correct the deficiencies will be listed c. Any assistance offered will be listed d. Indicators that will be used to determine if the deficiency has been corrected shall be listed. e. An established time frame to include a start and end date will be presented for completion of the Assistance Program in consideration of the deficiencies noted by the evaluator. f. A summative narrative detailing the assistance period and recommendation will be prepared by the evaluator at the end of the Assistance Program. This narrative will be signed by the staff member. The signature does not necessarily indicate agreement with the evaluation. The staff member may attach any comments concerning this narrative. All documentation from the Assistance Program will be placed in the staff member’s permanent file.
5.11.4 Evaluative Assistance documentation may be requested by the staff member to be removed from the personnel file 3years after the date of completion as long as there are no further issues relating to the provisions outlined in the Initial Assistance Program. 12.
5.12 Mutual Responsibility: The District and the Association recognize that the ability of pupils to progress and mature academically is a combined result of school, home, economic and social environments and that teachers alone cannot be held accountable for aspects of the academic achievements of the pupil in the classroom. Test results of academic progress shall not be used as the sole evaluation device to determine the quality of a teacher’s service or fitness for retention.