Background
High performing support staff members are important contributors to student learning and high-quality work environments. To ensure that employees are performing their duties competently and improving their performance, ongoing supervision of employees is completed to ensure that competence, conduct and duties are all carried out in respect to the Education Act, Provincial Legislation, Regulations, Professional Standards, board policy, contracts and job descriptions.
Definitions
In this administrative procedure:
Support Staff refers to individuals who are employed by the Grasslands School Division in positions in which they are not directly involved in the day to day education of students. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Student Support Team Members
- First Nations, Metis and Inuit Liaison Counsellor
- Wellness Mentors
- Parents as Teachers team members
- Facilities Staff
- Caretaking employees and contractors
- Central Office Finance and Human Resources Staff
- Central Office Education Staff
- Central Office Wellness Staff
- Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator
- Transportation Staff
- Technology Department team members
Supervision means the ongoing process by which a supervisor supports and guides staff performance. Supervision is to ensure that employees' behaviours and practices meets:
- The requirements set forth in the federal and provincial legislation and regulations including
- The courses and programs of study, and educational programs prescribed, approved, or authorized pursuant to the Education Act.
- The Code of Ethics and standards of their governing body if certified, or the College of Alberta Psychologists and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association if not registered, in the case of family school liaison program employees,
- The requirements set forth in the employment contract, job descriptions, and employee handbooks, and
- The requirements set forth in jurisdiction policies and procedures.
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 an employee exceeds, meets or does not meet Division employment expectations.
Remediation means the intentional process of assisting and supporting an employee to increase their skills, knowledge and attributes and ultimately, the employee's effectiveness in performing the responsibilities and duties of the job.
Supervisor means a superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent, director of student support services, director of finance, transportation supervisor, director of technology, and manager of facilities and maintenance.
General Procedures
Supervisors shall develop and use an active school or worksite visitation program.
Supervisors shall review this administrative procedure with their staff at the commencement of each school year.
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.
This administrative procedure does not restrict supervisors 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.
Supervision
- Supervision involves a range of leadership processes designed to ensure quality staff performance and to improve work practices. Supervision includes such leadership activities as:
- 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.
- Observing and receiving information from any source about the quality of staff practice.
- Identifying the behaviours or practices of a staff member that for any reason may require an evaluation.
- Supervisors will participate in supervision through:
- Ongoing communication with support staff members about their work performance.
- Frequent observation, guidance and support of employee performance.
- Initiating an evaluation when supervisory data leads to the supervisor to believe that the staff member may not be meeting Division employment expectations.
Evaluation
Staff evaluation is based upon the supervisors informed and reasoned judgment about the employee's performance in relation to Division employment expectations.
All new employees will be evaluated. At the six (6) month interval, the supervisor 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 August 20th of that school year. (Bus drivers will be evaluated every five (5) years to coincide with S-endorsement recertification.)
- The evaluation of a support staff member by a supervisor may also be conducted:
- Upon written request by a support staff member.
- For purposes of gathering information related to a specific employment decision.
- When, on the basis of information received through supervision, the supervisor has a reason to believe that performance of a support staff member may not meet Division employment expectations.
- Prior to formal observation, the evaluator(s) shall provide and discuss with the employee:
- The reasons and purposes for the evaluation.
- A written 'Notice of Evaluation'.
- Process, criteria and standards to be used in the evaluation.
- Timelines to be applied.
- Possible outcomes of the evaluation.
- Appeal process.
- Performance evaluation reports will be reviewed with the employee and will be signed and dated by the administrator and employee.
- The original performance evaluation report will be filed in the employee's personnel file at Central Office.
- Copies of the performance evaluation report will be provided to the employee and supervisor.
- 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.
- An employee may ask the Superintendent or designate to review the employee's evaluation to ensure compliance with this administrative procedure.
- 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.
- 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.
- There is no appeal of any decision arising from such a review.
Remediation
- Through the process of ongoing supervision and/or evaluation, the supervisor may identify that the level of performance of an employee may not be satisfactory.
- Prior to placing an employee on a remediation plan the administrators will contact the superintendent, or assigned deputy superintendent or assistant superintendent, outlining the supervision and evaluation process carried out to date.
- After consulting with the assistant superintendent, the supervisor will meet with the employee and provide written notification that they will be on a remediation plan.
- Remediation Plan
- In a written document the supervisor will identify
- The performance areas/indicators needing improvement based on the most recent evaluation(s).
- The standard(s) expected of the employee.
- The monitoring dates and evaluation process.
- The final date by which a satisfactory level must be met.
- Possible outcomes of not meeting the expected standards, including:
- Extension of the current remediation plan.
- Revision or creation of a new remediation plan.
- Reassignment or disciplinary action.
- Recommendation for termination.
- The supervisor and employee will determine strategies and available supports and list them in the remediation plan.
- The evaluation process may include site/job observations, interviews, surveys, etc.
- The employee is responsible for implementing the strategies and accessing the supports.
- Upon the expiry of the time specified in the remediation plan, the supervisor will complete a remediation evaluation report identifying progress towards the expected standards, and a summative conclusion with a recommendation for further action.
- The employee will meet with the supervisor and the superintendent or assigned assistant superintendent to review the report and recommendation(s).
- All documentation including the remediation plan and evaluation report will be forwarded to the superintendent, or assigned deputy or assistant superintendent and will be filed in the employee's personnel file.
- In the case of termination, the superintendent, or assigned assistant superintendent will proceed with the necessary process.
- In a written document the supervisor will identify