Scott City OKs new evaluation system for teachers

With approval from the school board Wednesday night, the Scott City School District will have a new teacher evaluation system starting next fall.

The Network for Educator Effectiveness system, as it is called, is a collaborative effort of two auxiliary units of the College of Education at the University of Missouri -- the Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center and the Assessment Resource Center, according to the MU website.

Although it won't be fully online until fall 2014, it will be partly implemented in the spring, superintendent Diann Ulmer said. Plans this year are to find staff members willing to participate, she said.

Scott City Middle School principal Mike Umfleet said the change is needed because of state legislation and federal No Child Left Behind requirements.

The Network for Educator Effectiveness system is flexible for each local school district, Umfleet said. It offers:

• A web-based shared access platform.
• All administrators are required to undergo yearly training.
• Valid measurable scoring guides. Umfleet said that's probably one of the biggest advantages principals saw during their training earlier this month.
• Timely, reliable data for teacher and school-level improvement. Data from evaluations won't solely be for state compliance, Umfleet said. It will be used throughout the year.

Scott City High School principal Mike Johnson said the new system is the one most schools use. The current evaluation system has been used for 19 years and hasn't changed.

"It was good, but it was time for a change and time for an update," Johnson said.

The evaluation requires eight- to 10-minute mini-observations; a few full-period observations that vary from school to school; teachers to turn in a whole unit of instruction to be graded; a professional development plan that will be turned in at the beginning of the year and graded; and a student survey for children in grades four through 12 that will be sent out.

The new system should promote growth and offer immediate feedback to educators for improvement.

Ulmer said the developer of the Network for Educator Effectiveness System plans to attend the district's professional development day in March.

In other business, the board:

-- Heard a presentation from LJ Hart & Co. vice president Thomas Pisarkiewicz and financial analyst Loren Severs on options for prepayment of general obligation bonds. The board tabled it for further discussion.

-- Heard a presentation from the Elementary Care Team of Nick Grassi, at-risk elementary and high school special education teacher, and elementary counselor Jamie Sander. The program aims at helping students who need extra support. Grassi said most of the students affected by the program are in third and fourth grade.

Elementary school principal Courtney Kern said Grassi and Sander have implemented many things so far this year. "The support they have given the teachers for our students has been amazing. It's like having assistant principals with me all the time. It's been wonderful," Kern said, adding it's benefiting the children.

-- Approved an election notice for three three-year school board terms. Those up for election April 8 are Scott Amick, Sally Porch and Daniel Lance, Ulmer said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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