Discussion

Use this space to discuss what your district is doing or any other information pertinent to the new evaluation system.

From Jackie Lamoureux -- Just to let everyone know what is going on (to the best of my knowldge)

There are 3 evaluation systems approved for this year. Although other districts, notably Chariho, have evaluation tools specifically for librarians, they are not part of the new evaluation system.
 * The Rhode Island Model (RIDE's version)
 * The Innovation Initiative from the RIFT consortium
 * Coventry has it's own model

RIDE started a work group last week, charged with development of a support professional evaluation model. Library media specialists are being included with that group, even though we have a teaching certificate and not a support staff certificate. The group will finish its work in May, RIDE will then revise the it. Field testing will occur from Jan - June 2013. It will be implemented in the 2013-14 school year.

The Innovation Initiative Consortium will be working on a librarian evaluation tool later in this school year.

Coventry is also working on a tool.

This school year it is up to the individual district to decide how to evaluate librarians. Many are using the teacher model, at least for librarians who have fixed classes. In the end, RIDE may let the district decide which evaluation tool will be used (teacher or support professional) depending on which rubric best fits the role of the librarian.

Most people have seen the RI model and it is on RIDE's website. You might want to look at the AASL sample evaluation tool

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I will add more as I know more. Please comment. This needs to be an informed process.

From Ann Malbon -- Here is a link to the New York state evaluation tool for school librarians. The instructions indicate that the rubric is to be used for a librarian working in __one__ building. I don't think the developers left any aspect of our "job description" out of this rubric. The section that caught my interest most is the last column: Performance Indicators/ Evidence. I think that section may be helpful with drafting goals and lesson plans.

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The RIDE work group met in December and again in February. In December the group looked at the ** Educator Evaluation System Standards **and the Professional Responsibilities Rubric in order to align them with the work of support professionals. The work group participants are very conscientious about being prepared and giving input. The original plan was to have a draft ready for January. However, that session was canceled in order to give the RIDE staff more time to work these documents.

They are still struggling with how to develop one applicable evaluation document that is fair and accurately reflects each professional's role in the schools. The February meeting was instead devoted to Student Learning Objectives, again a struggle. SLO's are long term, measurable academic goals. It is far different for librarians than it is for school nurse teachers or social workers. Yet, the goal remains to develop one evaluation system.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 14. The focus topics are Professional Growth Goals and Evaluation Processes Rubric Review and Development.

The Innovation Initiative Educator Evaluation (RIFT) consortium has not started developing an evaluation model for librarians or other non-classroom teachers.

Also, I spoke with Lisa Foehr as a follow-up to emails to several people at RIDE. She reports that holding public hearings on officially approving the AASL standards as state standards is not on the Board of Regents' radar at the moment. She reiterated the position that, in the absence of state standards, the national standards apply.  Jackie