Administrative Procedure

AP-740 — School-Based Support Staff Growth, Supervision & Evaluation

Section Seven: Personnel and Employee Relations

Effective Date: December 14, 2020 Last Reviewed: December 14, 2020

Background

High performing support staff members are important contributors to student learning and quality work environments. To ensure that employees are performing their duties competently and improving their performance, it is important to have defined expectations for individual growth, supervision and evaluation processes. The Board also recognizes that there may be an employee whose performance is unsatisfactory and requires additional support. In such a case, a remediation plan shall be developed and implemented.

Definitions

In this administrative procedure:

School-Based Support Staff for the purposes of this administrative procedure school-based support staff refer to educational assistants (EA), PUF aides, library assistants and administrative assistants.

Growth planning means the career-long learning process whereby a staff member annually develops and implements a plan to achieve learning objectives or goals that are consistent with Division employment expectations.

Supervision means the ongoing process by which an administrator supports and guides staff Performance.

Evaluation means the formal process of gathering and recording information or evidence over a period of time and the application of reasoned professional judgment by an administrator in determining whether one (1) or more aspects of the performance of a support staff member exceeds, meets or does not meet Division employment expectations.

Remediation means the intentional process of assisting and supporting an employee to increase his/her skills, knowledge and attributes and ultimately, his/her effectiveness in performing the responsibilities and duties of the job.

Administrator means a superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal and/or vice principal or assistant principal.

General Procedures

1. Administrators are to review this administrative procedure with all support staff near the commencement of each school year.

2. As part of their yearly instructional leadership planning, administrators will create and share an annual plan for growth, supervision and evaluation with their respective support staff and include the plan within their Instructional Leadership for Exemplary Teaching Plan (ILET Plan).

3. Support staff members are required to participate in ongoing growth, supervision and evaluation to ensure their work performance consistently meets Division employment expectations and to promote professional growth.

4. This administrative procedure does not restrict administrators from taking disciplinary or other actions, as appropriate, where there are reasonable grounds for believing that employee actions endanger the safety of students, constitute a neglect of duty, a breach of trust or a refusal to obey a lawful order of the Division.

Growth

1. All support staff members must complete annual growth plans to meet Division employment expectations and better support student learning.
2. An annual growth plan is expected to:
   1. Reflect goals based on an assessment of employee learning needs by the staff member in consultation with an administrator.
   2. Show a demonstrable relationship to Division employment expectations.
   3. Take into consideration the education plans of the school and Division.
3. Prior to October 15th of a school year, a support staff member must submit an annual growth plan for review and approval to an administrator.
4. Growth plans are to address the following:
   1. Learning goals.
   2. Strategies to obtain each goal.
   3. A timeline for implementation.
   4. The intended method of assessing goal attainment.
5. As part of the supervision process an administrator will review the implementation of the growth plan with the employee and may provide guidance and assistance in implementing the plan.
6. The employee shall retain possession of the growth plan and will provide the administrator with a copy of the plan.

Supervision

1. Supervision involves a range of leadership processes designed to ensure quality staff performance and to improve work practices. Supervision includes such leadership activities as:
   1. Providing support and guidance to support staff members including assisting support staff members to become familiar with the professional responsibilities as outlined in Division employment expectations;
   2. Observing and receiving information from any source about the quality of staff practice.
   3. Identifying the behaviours or practices of a staff member that for any reason may require an evaluation.
2. Administrators will participate in supervision through:
   1. Ongoing communication with support staff members about their work performance.
   2. Reviewing and approving annual growth plans.
   3. Frequent observation, guidance and support of employee performance.
   4. Initiating an evaluation when supervisory data leads to the administrator to believe that the staff member may not be meeting Division employment expectations.

Evaluation

1. Staff evaluation is based upon the administrator's informed and reasoned judgment about the employee's performance in relation to Division employment expectations.
2. All new support staff employees will be evaluated. At the six (6) month interval, the administrator will meet with the employee to discuss and provide feedback on job performance to that point. The employee will then receive the final performance evaluation report prior to the end of the probationary year. Thereafter, evaluations will be conducted at least once every three (3) years and a performance evaluation report issued before May 31st of that school year.
3. The evaluation of a support staff member by an administrator may also be conducted:
   1. Upon written request by a support staff member.
   2. For purposes of gathering information related to a specific employment decision.
   3. When, on the basis of information received through supervision, the administrator has a reason to believe that performance of a support staff member may not meet Division employment expectations.
4. Prior to formal observation, the evaluator(s) shall provide and discuss with the employee:
   1. The reasons and purposes for the evaluation.
   2. A written 'Notice of Evaluation'.
   3. Process, criteria and standards to be used in the evaluation.
   4. Timelines to be applied.
   5. Possible outcomes of the evaluation.
   6. Appeal process.
5. Performance evaluation reports will be reviewed with the employee and will be signed and dated by the administrator and employee.
   1. The original performance evaluation report will be filed in the employee's personnel file at Central Office prior to May 31st.
   2. Copies of the performance evaluation report will be provided to the employee and administrator.
6. A staff member may respond in writing to an evaluation. Such response shall be included in the staff member's personnel file and attached to the performance evaluation report.
7. An employee may ask the Superintendent or designate to review the employee's evaluation to ensure compliance with this administrative procedure.
   1. A request for a review of an evaluation must be made within ten (10) calendar days of the employee receiving the evaluation report and must outline, in writing, the employee's reasons for the request.
   2. Upon receiving a request for a review of an evaluation by the Superintendent, a review must be conducted and a written decision rendered within twenty-one (21) calendar days.
   3. There is no appeal of any decision arising from such a review.

Remediation

1. Through the process of ongoing supervision and/or evaluation, the administrator may identify that the level of performance of an employee may not be satisfactory.
2. Prior to placing an employee on a remediation plan the administrators will contact the assistant superintendent outlining the supervision and evaluation process carried out to date.
3. After consulting with the assistant superintendent, the administrator will meet with the employee and provide written notification that he/she will be on a remediation plan.
4. Remediation Plan
   1. The administrator will identify
      1. The performance areas/indicators needing improvement based on the most recent evaluation(s).
      2. The standard(s) expected of the employee.
      3. The monitoring dates and evaluation process.
      4. The final date by which a satisfactory level must be met.
      5. Possible outcomes of not meeting the expected standards, including:
         1. Extension of the current remediation plan.
         2. Revision or creation of a new remediation plan.
         3. Reassignment or disciplinary action.
         4. Recommendation for termination.
   2. The administrator and employee will determine strategies and available supports and list them in the remediation plan.
   3. The evaluation process may include site/job observations, interviews, surveys, etc.
   4. The employee is responsible for implementing the strategies and accessing the supports.
   5. Upon the expiry of the time specified in the remediation plan, the administrator will complete a remediation evaluation report identifying progress towards the expected standards, and a summative conclusion with a recommendation for further action.
   6. The employee will meet with the administrator and assistant superintendent to review the report and recommendation(s).
   7. All documentation including the remediation plan and evaluation report will be forwarded to the assistant superintendent and will be filed in the employee's personnel file.
   8. In the case of termination, the assistant superintendent will proceed with the necessary process.