Act 13 of 2020, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on March 27, 2020, revises the Act 82 Educator Effectiveness (EE) process used to evaluate professional employees and temporary professional employees in PK-12 education across the Commonwealth. The revised rating system applies to classroom teachers, nonteaching professionals, and principals as defined in Act 13.

• Classroom teacher is defined as a professional employee or temporary professional employee who provides direct instruction to students related to a specific subject or grade level.

• Nonteaching professional is defined as an educational specialist or a professional employee or a temporary professional employee who provides services and who is not a classroom teacher.

• Principal is defined as a building principal, an assistant principal, a vice principal, a supervisor of special education, or a director of career and technical education.

For more information, visit the resources below.

• EYSD Act 13 Training Video (7:00 minutes)

• Educator Effectiveness Frameworks (PDE SAS Website)

Student Performance Measure - LEA Selected

The Student Performance Measure (SPM) Template, crafted as a customizable document, is designed to facilitate active participation in the evaluation process while:

• Aligning an identified student challenge or need to a related school-level objectives and/or LEA-level priorities,

• Encouraging instructional innovation based on the latest research and trends, and

• Improving educator practice. 

For more information, visit the resources below.

• Student Performance Measure: LEA Selected Measures (PDF)

• Student Performance Measure: LEA Selected Measures (Word)

Student Performance Measure - IEP Goal Progress

Per Pennsylvania Act 13 of 2020, the evaluation of the effectiveness of a professional employee serving as a classroom a teacher shall be comprised of multiple measures to include “progress in meeting the goals for student individualized education plans required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as applicable and attributable to the classroom teacher.”

Chapter 19 of the Pennsylvania School Code clarifies “applicable and attributable” thusly: “Regardless of certification area, all classroom teachers shall be accountable for student progress toward IEP Goals Progress if students have identified IEP Goals to which the teacher contributes data used by the IEP team to monitor progress.” The supervising administrator and the classroom teacher should work cooperatively to identify IEP goals to which the educator contributes data for monitoring the progress of students with similar academic or non-academic IEP goal skill areas.

For more information, visit the resources below.

• Examples from the Field - This link will provide you with samples from the field and include measures useful in assessing student achievement. PDE does not recommend any specific SPM goals; all curricular and instructional decisions are made at the local level.

• Student Performance Measure: IEP Goals Progress (PDF)

• Student Performance Measure: IEP Goals Progress (Word)

The Framework for Teaching identifies those aspects of a teacher's responsibilities that have been documented through empirical studies and theoretical research as promoting improved student learning. Although not the only possible description of practice, these responsibilities seek to define what teachers should know and be able to do in the exercise of their profession. 

This framework is a research-based set of components of instruction that are grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching.  The framework is an invaluable tool to be used as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skills in the complex art and task of teaching. All of the  Danielson Frameworks are organized around levels of performance that represent an educator’s growth and development throughout his/her career.  The Danielson model is focused on accountability for all aspects of the profession.  Just as educators work to meet the needs of each student learner,  this model addresses the needs of each individual certified staff member.

Charolette Danielson states, “An effective system of teacher evaluation accomplishes two things: it ensures quality teaching and it promotes professional learning. The quality of teaching is the single most important determinant of student learning; a school district’s system of teacher evaluation is the method by which it ensures that teaching is of high quality. Therefore, the system developed for teacher evaluation must have certain characteristics: it must be rigorous, valid, reliable, and defensible, and must be grounded in a research-based and accepted definition of good teaching…When teachers engage in self-assessment, reflection on practice, and professional conversation, they become more thoughtful and analytic about their work and are in a position to improve their teaching. Evaluators can contribute to teachers’ professional learning through the use of in-depth reflective questions. By shifting the focus of evaluation from “inspection” to “collaborative reflection” educators can ensure the maximum benefit from the evaluation activities."

For more information, visit the resources below.

• Danielson Framework for Observation & Practice - Updated 2021

• Educator Effectiveness Frameworks (PDE SAS Website)

This mode enables a teacher to work with his/her supervisor for the purpose of improving the teaching/learning environment by focusing on pedagogy, methodologies, resources, and techniques using the Danielson Framework for Teaching. Working through the collaborative process, a teacher and supervisor can foster a climate to bring about instructional improvement. 

A formal observation includes:

• A pre-conference, during which the employee and the evaluator review the lesson or service to occur during the observation and adjust the planned activity, where appropriate, based on that discussion.

• A formal observation begins prior to the start of the lesson or service and concludes with the evaluator providing the employee a completed observation form. Shortly thereafter, the employee should perform a self-assessment and provide a copy to the evaluator.

• A post-conference is held within a reasonable timeframe after the observation and during which the evaluator and the employee compare the observation report and the self-assessment. The employee should be encouraged to reflect openly on identified opportunities to improve instructional practice and student achievement.

Each year 1/4 of the professional staff will be involved in formal observation (at the discretion of the EYSD Administrator based on a 4 year cycle).  Each professional employee will participate in formal observation a minimum of once every four (4) years. In addition, formal observation may be used at the discretion of an EYSD Administrator.

Non-Tenured Temporary Teachers with Instructional I Certification

Must be on Formal Observation Mode

• 2 Formal Observations 

  • 1 during the 1st Semester and 1 during the 2nd Semester

• Minimum of 2 Walk-Through Observations

• Informal and Formal data collection, Pennsylvania School Code, and Pennsylvania Code of Conduct

Tenured Temporary Teachers with Instructional I Certification

Must be on Formal Observation Mode

• 1 Formal Observation

• Minimum of 2 Walk-Through Observations

• Informal and Formal data collection, Pennsylvania School Code, and Pennsylvania Code of Conduct

Teachers New to Eastern York School District or Building

Must be on Formal Observation Mode

• 1 Formal Observation

• Minimum of 2 Walk-Through Observations

• Informal and Formal data collection, Pennsylvania School Code, and Pennsylvania Code of Conduct

Tenured Teachers with Instructional II Certification

Will be on Formal Observation Mode for one year during the four-year supervision cycle 

• 1 Formal Observation 

• Minimum of 2 Walk-Through Observations

• Informal and Formal data collection, Pennsylvania School Code, and Pennsylvania Code of Conduct

Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

Must be on Formal Observation Mode

Any professional employee or temporary professional employee who receives a needs improvement or failing rating on a summative evaluation, or who is demonstrating a need for improvement determined by an EYSD Administrator shall participate in a professional improvement plan which shall include the following:

• A PIP is designed by an EYSD Administrator to assist such employees with eliminating the deficiencies noted in his/her ratings.

• The PIP shall provide for a clinical observation every 6 weeks with the professional employee.

• Walk-through observations will be conducted periodically during the PIP.

• The PIP shall provide the professional employee with goals to achieve and specify the means by which the professional employee may attain such identified goals.

• Upon completing the PIP, the professional employee shall receive a second rating.

Professional employees will be evaluated through formal observations and walk-through data collection.

The Formal Observation mode will use the Danielson Framework for Teaching. All Formal Observations will be completed through Pennsylvania Electronic Teacher Evaluation Portal or PA-ETEP. Formal Observations may be announced or unannounced observations.

For more information, visit the resources below.

• EYSD Formal Observation Mode Timeline

The Eastern York School District believes that the implementation of differentiated supervision will enhance professional practice and result in improved instruction for all students. 

Differentiated Supervision recognizes the level of experience, effectiveness, and professionalism of teachers as well as the intensity and time commitment to Formal Observation. In Differentiated Supervision, professional employees develop an action plan for professional development unique to their needs and interests.

This Differentiated Supervision Mode includes a process and components that require the use of research-based strategies with students, monitoring with feedback to teachers, reflection, professional development, support, and accountability.  

Differentiated Supervision Mode options include:

• Action Research

• Peer Coaching

• Portfolio

• Other

Tenured Teachers with Instructional II Certification

• Differentiated Supervision Mode

• Minimum of 2 Walk-Through Observations

• Informal and Formal data collection, Pennsylvania School Code, and Pennsylvania Code of Conduct

* Non-tenured and new professional employees who would like to participate in differentiated supervision must also be included in clinical supervision

For more information, visit the resources below.

• EYSD Differentiated Supervision Mode Timeline

• Eastern York School District Plan for Evaluating  Educator Effectiveness 2022-2026 

Walk-through visits to learning environments may be conducted by an EYSD Administrator at any time. These visits may, or may not, include the entire instructional sequence. Frequent, shorter, unscheduled visits to learning environments provide the observer with more evidence to support an educator’s growth and evaluation. Administrators should visit learning environments periodically, although the observer will not always provide feedback. The lesson plan, as well as applicable assignments, assessments, rubrics and student work may be requested after a walk-through observation has been completed. The Framework for Walk-Throughs is based on the Danielson Framework. All walk-throughs will be completed in  PA-ETEP. Walk-through data can be used as part of the evaluative evidence, using the Danielson Framework Domains 2 and 3. Evidence will be collected in Domains 2 and 3 with descriptions listed below.

Domain 2 Classroom Environment

Effective teachers organize their classrooms so that all students can learn. Teachers know and value their students’ identities, as well as, their academic, social, and emotional strengths and needs. They maximize instructional time and foster respectful interactions with and among students, ensuring that students find the classroom a safe place to take intellectual risks. Students themselves make a substantive contribution to the effective functioning of the class by assisting with classroom procedures, ensuring effective use of instructional space, and supporting and engaging in the learning of classmates. Students and teachers work in ways that demonstrate their belief that rigorous effort will result in higher levels of learning. Student behavior is consistently appropriate, and the teacher’s handling of infractions is subtle, preventive, and respectful of students’ dignity.

Domain 3 Instruction

 Effective teachers ensure all students are highly engaged in learning and contribute to the success of the class.   Teacher explanations are clear and invite student intellectual engagement. Instructional practices are personalized to accommodate diverse learning styles, needs, interests, and levels of readiness. Teacher feedback is specific to learning goals and rubrics and offers concrete suggestions for improvement. As a result, students understand their progress in learning the content and can explain the learning goals and what they need to do in order to improve, and have autonomy in their learning. Effective teachers recognize their responsibility for student learning and make adjustments, as needed, to ensure student success.

Anecdotal records may be collected by the EYSD Administrator throughout the school year. The EYSD Administrator may use feedback, reports, data, e-mail, and observed professional behavior and conduct to document educator performance in any area. Evidence from anecdotal records may be used as documentation for the summative evaluation report.