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Although New Jersey Administrative Code for Educator Effectiveness (N.J.A.C. 6A:10) regulations are known for evaluating educators, the data culled from evaluation can be used to drive professional learning in professional learning communities (PLCs), schools and districts. The School Improvement Panel (ScIP) and the District Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC) sections provide information on these committees and ways to leverage them in making evaluation data-driven decisions.
Relationship Between the School Improvement Panel and the District Evaluation Advisory Committee
The ScIP is a required committee which provides leadership at the school level not only for the implementation of the district's teacher evaluation policies and procedures, but also mentoring and professional development supports for teachers. The primary role of the optional DEAC is to oversee and guide the planning and implementation of the school district’s evaluation policies and procedures for both teachers and principals.
One key role that both groups can play is to mediate and facilitate ongoing communications between the district and its schools to ensure that policies and procedures are communicated consistently and implemented effectively. For example, the DEAC can distribute policy and procedural information via each ScIP. The SciP can provide school-level feedback on how the policies are implemented, including information on successes and challenges. To ensure effective two-way communication between ScIPs and DEACs, districts should consider having at least one ScIP member from each school sit on the DEAC.
Each school is required to form a School Improvement Panel (ScIP) with the charge of providing leadership in the areas of teacher evaluation, mentoring, and professional development, including implementation of procedures for Corrective Action Plans. The ScIP is not the sole body responsible for implementation of these systems and programs but helps ensure the consistent application of requirements across the school.
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) recommends that ScIPs work closely with the District Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC).
Required Members of the ScIP
The ScIP must include the school principal, assistant principal or vice principal, or a designee if the school does not have one, and a teacher. Additional staff members may join the ScIP as long as teachers represent at least one-third of the total membership.
The principal has final responsibility for ScIP membership but must consult with the local association representative in determining a suitable teacher to participate. Teachers serving on ScIPs must have earned a rating of Effective or Highly Effective in the most recent evaluation. Until then, the teacher must meet local standards for having "a demonstrated record of success in the classroom."
Best Practices in ScIP Implementation Professional Learning Series
The requirement for each district to convene a District Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC) composed of a diverse group of stakeholders to advise the district on the implementation of AchieveNJ sunsetted in 2017-18. While a DEAC is no longer required, the New Jersey Department of Education recommends convening DEACs on an as-needed basis to support the implementation of any evaluation efforts.
The superintendent is responsible for the formation and operation of the DEAC. The superintendent must decide how to use the advice provided by the DEAC and which decisions the district should adopt. The superintendent should clearly communicate the DEAC role in providing feedback.
Role of the DEAC
- Coordinate efforts to plan and implement educator evaluation.
- Maintain open lines of communication and provide a consistent message about evaluation throughout the district.
- Provide an integrated vision connecting multiple initiatives that districts are implementing.
- Provide a coherent professional development plan for the district based on evaluation data.
Potential Members of the DEAC
The DEAC may include:
- The superintendent
- A special education administrator
- A parent
- A member of the district board of education
- One or more central office administrators overseeing the teacher evaluation process
- One or more administrators conducting evaluations
- Representatives of teachers from each school level in the district
The above were required members of a DEAC through the 2017-18 school year. Districts should consider DEAC membership which makes the most sense according to their local context. This includes expanding the committee to include more teachers and other educators whose engagement in the initiative is important to its success, e.g., teacher leaders, association representatives, and other teaching staff members, such as school counselors, etc.