Administrative Procedure 442

SUPPORT STAFF GROWTH, SUPERVISION AND EVALUATION

Background

The Charter Board recognizes that it is responsible for ensuring that the highest quality of education is provided for the students. An important factor in discharging this responsibility is the maintenance of a high quality support staff to ensure that teachers have the support and resources to deliver quality educational programs. The Superintendent, therefore, believes that all staff must work together to enhance the quality of support staff resources and that this can be achieved by providing opportunities for and expecting growth in the ability of each support staff member to provide the required support services.

Procedures

1. All support staff members employed by the School will be held accountable for growth in the skills required to discharge their responsibilities.
1.1 All support staff shall complete, as required by the Principal, an annual support staff growth plan. The plan shall identify goals and objectives based on an assessment of learning needs identified by the support staff member in consultation with the Principal or the staff member’s supervisor.
1.2 All support staff shall submit an annual support staff growth plan as required to their Principal or their supervisor by September 30 of each school year or within thirty (30) days of employment during the school year. Any modifications to the plan, due to changes in identified needs or circumstances, shall be made with the approval of the Principal or supervisor.
1.3 The Principal or the supervisor shall review the annual support staff growth plan and, in consultation with the support staff member, verify that the support staff member has completed an annual support staff growth plan as required in clause 1.1.
1.4 The support staff member’s annual support staff growth plan shall be kept in the possession of the support staff member. The support staff member shall provide a copy of the annual support staff growth plan to the Principal or supervisor by the date identified in clause 1.2 and the Principal or supervisor shall return it to the support staff member at the end of the school year.
1.5 The annual support staff growth plan shall be kept by the support staff member for at least one (1) year following the effective date of the plan.
1.6 The support staff member shall implement the provisions of his/her annual support staff growth plan. The support staff member shall collaborate with the Principal or supervisor to evaluate the progress in the implementation of the plan at times identified by the Principal or supervisor.
1.7 If a review under clause 1.3 finds that a support staff member has not completed and implemented a growth plan as required, the support staff member shall be subject to disciplinary action as determined by the Superintendent.                                                                                                     2. There will be ongoing supervision of all support staff members in the performance of their duties.
2.1 The Principal or supervisor shall develop a plan for the supervision of support staff members in the School or department, and such a plan shall be incorporated as part of the annual School Education Plan and the results of the implementation of the supervision plan shall be reported in the Annual Education Results Report.
2.2 Supervision of support staff shall be an ongoing process carried out by the Principal or supervisor to:
2.2.1 Provide support and guidance to support staff members;
2.2.2 Observe and receive information about the quality of the performance of the duties of the support staff member;
2.2.3 Identify the behaviours or practices of a support staff member that for any reason may require evaluation; and
2.2.4 Identify and encourage opportunities for professional growth and improvement (i.e. training opportunities, workshops, seminars, etc.).
3. All support staff members will be subject to evaluation procedures as required for specific purposes.
3.1 The evaluation of a support staff member by a Principal shall be conducted:
3.1.1 Upon the written request of the support staff member;
3.1.2 For the purposes of gathering information related to a specific employment decision;
3.1.3 For the purposes of assessing the growth of the support staff member in specific areas of practice;
3.1.4 When, on the basis of information received through supervision, the Principal or supervisor has reason to believe that the performance of duties by the support staff member does not meet the quality standard expected by the School.
3.2 The Principal or supervisor shall develop a plan for the evaluations required as a result of needs identified in clause 3.1.4 and such a plan shall be incorporated in the annual update to the Three Year Education Plan and the results of the implementation of the evaluation plan shall be reported in the Annual Education Results Report.
3.3 On initiating an evaluation, the Principal or supervisor shall communicate explicitly to the support staff member:
3.3.1 The reasons for and purposes of the evaluation;
3.3.2 The process, criteria and standards to be used;
3.3.3 The timelines to be applied; and
3.3.4 The possible outcomes of the evaluation.
3.4 On completion of an evaluation, the Principal or supervisor shall:
3.4.1 Complete a written report in a format specified by the Superintendent which shall:                                                                        3.4.1.1 Provide space for the support staff members comments and/or reactions,
3.4.1.2 Appeal procedures,
3.4.1.3 The signatures of both the evaluator and the support staff member, and
3.4.1.4 The date.
3.4.2 Provide the support staff member with a copy of the completed evaluation report;
3.4.3 Provide the Superintendent with a copy of the completed report which shall be retained in the
support staff member’s personnel file; and
3.4.4 Keep a copy of the completed report in the Principal’s office.
3.5 Where, as a result of an evaluation, a Principal or supervisor determines that a change in the behaviour or
practice of a support staff member is required, the Principal or supervisor must provide to the support staff
member a notice of remediation.
3.6 A notice of remediation, issued by the Principal or supervisor, shall be a written statement to the support staff
member where the Principal or supervisor has determined that a support staff member’s performance does not
meet the quality standard expected by the Superintendent, and such a statement shall describe:
3.6.1 The behaviours and practices that do not meet the quality standard, and the changes required;
3.6.2 The remediation strategies the support staff member is required to pursue; and
3.6.3 How the determination will be made that the required changes in behaviour or practice have taken
place, applicable timelines, and the consequences of not achieving the required changes including,
but not limited to, termination of a support staff member’s employment.
4. Subsequent to an evaluation, the support staff member has the right to appeal.
4.1 A support staff member shall have the right to appeal an evaluation of her/his performance.
4.2 An appeal shall be made, in writing, directly to the Superintendent within ten (10) operational days of the receipt
of the written evaluation report. The support staff member shall state clearly the reason(s) the evaluation is
being contested.
4.3 Within ten (10) operational days of the receipt of an appeal, the Superintendent shall consider the appeal, review
the relevant documents, and conduct a hearing attended by the evaluator and the support staff member.
4.4 The Superintendent shall determine whether or not a re-evaluation is warranted, and respond in writing to the
support staff member within five (5) days of the hearing. The decision of the Superintendent is final.
4.5 In the event that the Superintendent finds that a re-evaluation is warranted the Superintendent shall identify a
new evaluator, and the time and the manner of any re- evaluation.
4.5.1 The new evaluator shall not have access to the particulars of the previous evaluation.
4.5.2 The Superintendent’s decision in choosing a new evaluator is final.
5. Information obtained as a result of the process involved in the growth, supervision and evaluation of support staff will be
managed in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
5.1 Provision for secure storage shall be made for any document used to prepare an evaluation report on a
support staff member and for any required copies of the evaluation report.

References: Section 25, 26, 33, 52, 53, 68, 196, 197, 222, 225 Education
Act Employment Standards Code
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Labour Relations Code