With updates to teacher evaluation guidelines taking longer than the State Department of Education anticipated, existing teacher evaluation flexibilities will extend into the 2022-2023 school year while the revision process continues. In April, every Connecticut school superintendent received a memo from the SDE regarding the flexibilities.
Important to know:
- Adopting the flexibilities is recommended, as they are more in line with the direction the revised guidelines appear to be taking.
- Even if your district has already adopted the flexibilities for the current year, your professional development and evaluation committee (PDEC) must still meet to decide whether you will continue them into next year.
- Your superintendent must notify the SDE if your district intends to adopt the flexibilities next year, even if they were already adopted this year. Your PDEC must be involved in this decision.
- If your district would like additional changes beyond what’s permitted by the flexibilities, those changes must be mutually agreed to by members of your PDEC and submitted to the SDE as amendments to your existing plan.
“The teacher evaluation flexibilities in place right now emphasize formative feedback, allow for fewer observations of most teachers, and require only one student learning goal,” CEA Teacher Development Specialist Dr. Kate Field explains. “They do not require a standardized indicator, the goal need not be mathematically quantifiable, and teachers are able to focus less on paperwork and more on teaching and learning.”
