As of the 2019-20 school year, the evaluation system for teachers has been revamped to focus on quality rather than quantity and to incorporate meaningful professional development as part of the evaluation process.
Required minimum observations
Probationary teachers (not yet tenured)
| Prior overall rating |
Minimum number of informal observations |
Minimum number of formal observations |
|---|
| Developing, Effective, Highly Effective or Satisfactory |
3 |
1 |
| Ineffective or Unsatisfactory |
4 |
1 |
| No prior year rating |
3 |
1 |
Non-probationary teachers (tenured)
| Prior year rating |
Year before prior year |
Minimum number of informal |
Minimum number of formal |
|---|
| Highly Effective |
N/A |
2 |
0 |
|---|
| Effective |
Effective, Highly Effective or Satisfactory |
2 |
0 |
|---|
| Effective |
Developing, Ineffective or Unsatisfactory |
3 |
0 |
|---|
| Effective |
No rating |
1 |
1 |
|---|
| Developing |
N/A |
3 |
1 |
|---|
| Ineffective |
N/A |
4 |
1 |
|---|
| Satisfactory or no rating |
N/A |
3 |
1 |
|---|
Evaluation windows and timelines
- Half of the minimum-required observations will occur in the fall window and the other half will occur in the spring window. For teachers with three or five minimum observations, the additional observation can occur in either window.
- The fall window for evaluations begins with the Initial Planning Conference (IPC) and ends on the last day of the fall term. The spring window begins on the first day of spring term and ends on the first Friday in June.
- A spring-window observation cycle cannot begin until all evaluator forms from the fall-window observations have been provided to the teacher.
- Feedback following an observation must be given within 10 school days.
- The evaluator form must be provided to the teacher within 30 school days.
- Teachers must be informed of their MOSL selection by Nov. 15.
Professional development on evaluation
- A professional learning team consisting of UFT and DOE representatives plan and conduct annual training sessions on the implementation of the evaluation system by the last Friday in October.
- The professional learning team also ensures that teacher development tools and resources will be developed and distributed, including resources regarding evaluation of specific school settings such as co-teaching, special education settings, ENL and physical education.
- The professional learning team provides support to school-based professional development committees to align PD to the observations conducted throughout the year.