Section 3319.111. Applicability of section; evaluating teachers on limited contracts

Notwithstanding section 3319.09 of the Revised Code, this section applies to any person who is employed under a teacher license issued under this chapter, or under a professional or permanent teacher's certificate issued under former section 3319.222 of the Revised Code, and who spends at least fifty per cent of the time employed providing student instruction. However, this section does not apply to any person who is employed as a substitute teacher or as an instructor of adult education.

(A) Not later than July 1, 2013, the board of education of each school district, in consultation with teachers employed by the board, shall adopt a standards-based teacher evaluation policy that conforms with the framework for evaluation of teachers developed under section 3319.112 of the Revised Code. The policy shall become operative at the expiration of any collective bargaining agreement covering teachers employed by the board that is in effect on September 29, 2011, and shall be included in any renewal or extension of such an agreement.

(B) When using measures of student academic growth as a component of a teacher's evaluation, those measures shall include the value-added progress dimension prescribed by section 3302.021 of the Revised Code or an alternative student academic progress measure if adopted under division (C)(1)(e) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code. For teachers of grade levels and subjects for which the value-added progress dimension or alternative student academic progress measure is not applicable, the board shall administer assessments on the list developed under division (B)(2) of section 3319.112 of the Revised Code.

(C)

(1) The board shall conduct an evaluation of each teacher employed by the board at least once each school year, except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section. The evaluation shall be completed by the first day of May and the teacher shall receive a written report of the results of the evaluation by the tenth day of May.

(2)

(a) The board may evaluate each teacher who received a rating of accomplished on the teacher's most recent evaluation conducted under this section once every three school years, so long as the teacher's student academic growth measure, for the most recent school year for which data is available, is average or higher, as determined by the department of education.

(b) The board may evaluate each teacher who received a rating of skilled on the teacher's most recent evaluation conducted under this section once every two years, so long as the teacher's student academic growth measure, for the most recent school year for which data is available, is average or higher, as determined by the department of education.

(c) For each teacher who is evaluated pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section, the evaluation shall be completed by the first day of May of the applicable school year, and the teacher shall receive a written report of the results of the evaluation by the tenth day of May of that school year.

(d) Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, the board may elect not to conduct an evaluation of a teacher who meets one of the following requirements:

(i) The teacher was on leave from the school district for fifty per cent or more of the school year, as calculated by the board.

(ii) The teacher has submitted notice of retirement and that notice has been accepted by the board not later than the first day of December of the school year in which the evaluation is otherwise scheduled to be conducted.

(3) In any year that a teacher is not formally evaluated pursuant to division (C) of this section as a result of receiving a rating of accomplished or skilled on the teacher's most recent evaluation, an individual qualified to evaluate a teacher under division (D) of this section shall conduct at least one observation of the teacher and hold at least one conference with the teacher.

(D) Each evaluation conducted pursuant to this section shall be conducted by one or more of the following persons who hold a credential established by the department of education for being an evaluator:

(1) A person who is under contract with the board pursuant to section 3319.01 or 3319.02 of the Revised Code and holds a license designated for being a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or principal issued under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code;

(2) A person who is under contract with the board pursuant to section 3319.02 of the Revised Code and holds a license designated for being a vocational director, administrative specialist, or supervisor in any educational area issued under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code;

(3) A person designated to conduct evaluations under an agreement entered into by the board, including an agreement providing for peer review entered into by the board and representatives of teachers employed by the board;

(4) A person who is employed by an entity contracted by the board to conduct evaluations and who holds a license designated for being a superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, vocational director, administrative specialist, or supervisor in any educational area issued under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code or is qualified to conduct evaluations.

(E) Notwithstanding division (A)(3) of section 3319.112 of the Revised Code:

(1) The board shall require at least three formal observations of each teacher who is under consideration for nonrenewal and with whom the board has entered into a limited contract or an extended limited contract under section 3319.11 of the Revised Code.

(2) The board may elect, by adoption of a resolution, to require only one formal observation of a teacher who received a rating of accomplished on the teacher's most recent evaluation conducted under this section, provided the teacher completes a project that has been approved by the board to demonstrate the teacher's continued growth and practice at the accomplished level.

(F) The board shall include in its evaluation policy procedures for using the evaluation results for retention and promotion decisions and for removal of poorly performing teachers. Seniority shall not be the basis for a decision to retain a teacher, except when making a decision between teachers who have comparable evaluations.

(G) For purposes of section 3333.0411 of the Revised Code, the board annually shall report to the department of education the number of teachers for whom an evaluation was conducted under this section and the number of teachers assigned each rating prescribed under division (B)(1) of section 3319.112 of the Revised Code, aggregated by the teacher preparation programs from which and the years in which the teachers graduated. The department shall establish guidelines for reporting the information required by this division. The guidelines shall not permit or require that the name of, or any other personally identifiable information about, any teacher be reported under this division.

(H) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the requirements of this section prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into on or after September 24, 2012.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 362, §1, eff. 9/11/2014.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.184, HB 555, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.128, SB 316, §101.01, eff. 9/24/2012.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 06-09-2004