This article presents a documentation system that principals can use in the teacher evaluation process to help improve a teacher's performance or, if necessary, to present at a hearing to support a recommendation for termination. The documentation involves the use of several types of memoranda: (1) memoranda to the principal's file (for less…

This discussion of the legal considerations and safeguards concerning the assessment of students at risk for school failure focuses on procedural safeguards and best practices for assessing at-risk students at the prereferral intervention stage and the formal assessment stage, and considers the assessment of educational results. (DB)

The program Performance Evaluation for Non-Teaching Professionals at the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome provides periodic assessments as required by institutional policy. The system is intended to establish a standard for judging quality of an employee's work and a rational and uniform basis for appraising…

Although the main purpose of a school district's evaluation system is to improve employees' performance, the evaluation procedures and the supporting documentation must also serve as evidence in the termination hearings of an unsatisfactory employee. Accordingly, this chapter provides practical advice to school administrators concerning…

The process of performance evaluation of teachers and other school personnel should be conducted with their full knowledge and involvement. Due process procedures require that a teacher be fully informed of any negative appraisals by a superior, have an opportunity to discuss the problems, and receive guidance toward solutions. The following steps…

To guarantee an efficient educational system, effective evaluation and supervision of teacher performance are necessary. However, the evaluation of teacher performance presents two major problems: first, no clear definition or measure of effective teaching exists, and second, evaluation is perceived to have conflicting purposes, either as a…

This monograph offers practical suggestions on how to develop and implement an effective and legally viable system of teacher evaluation. Part 1, "The Legal Arena," discusses current trends in school employee litigation, suggesting that an effective evaluation process can be one of the greatest deterrents to successful employee first amendment…

This short monograph details a simple system of documentation that can be used with any school district's personnel evaluation process. The goal of the monograph is to help supervisors, especially principals, accord fair treatment to employees who are systematically evaluated. The documentation system is founded on the concept of communication.…

This document is intended to help school districts in Oregon develop procedures for the operation of local special education programs. The guide is formatted to show legal requirements in the left column of each page with sample procedures in the right column. The sample procedures are not required and are intended to work in conjunction with the…

This manual is designed to help state and local administrators, school board members, and other education advocates understand the complex requirements of the newly reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Without legal jargon, this manual provides step-by-step instruction on IDEA's administrative and procedural…

The manual is intended to support the Oklahoma State Plan for Special Education by establishing minimum standards for program approval, for determination of pupil eligibility, and for appropriate programming within the least restrictive environment. After delineating responsibilities of state and local agencies, the following programmatic aspects…