HFCS Implements Teacher Evaluation System

by Alex Brooks
Hoosick Falls Schools Superintendent Ken Facin said at the School Board meeting this month that the District has a signed agreement with the Hoosick Falls teachers union on how the new teacher evaluations will be done.
A State requirement for an annual performance review of teachers in public schools is being phased in starting this year. There are some requirements imposed by the State on how these are to be done, but a lot of the details of how the evaluations are done is under local control, and these are negotiated between the District and the Union.
The basic framework is that 40% of the teacher’s score is determined by assessments of student achievement as measured by assessment testing, and 60% is determined by assessments of the teacher’s effectiveness based primarily on classroom observations.
These assessments eventually lead to one of four ratings for each teacher: highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective.
Half of the testing for student achievement must be done from existing standardized statewide tests, but the other half is open for local choice of testing instruments. The Hoosick Falls District is working with Dr. Bruce Crowder and his company, EdVistas, to develop their own assessment tests in ELA and math. These tests are written by the consultant with a lot of input from the Hoosick Falls teachers.
Facin said the classroom observations will likely be based on the model of effective teaching developed by Charlotte Danielson. Danielson has developed a “framework for teaching” which may be used as the foundation of a school or district’s mentoring, coaching, professional development and teacher evaluation process. It breaks down the elements of effective teaching into 22 components. The idea is to develop a method of evaluating teachers that is very specific and evidence-based, which can also be used to help teachers to improve their effectiveness as a teacher.
Facin said the Principals are being trained now in the techniques of “evidence based evaluations.”
English teacher Chris Marsh, speaking for the HFTA, said he thought some of the teachers are apprehensive about these new evaluations, but he said the process is “moving forward nicely,” and he said that he personally views it as a “rejuvenation process” which will ultimately help the teachers to refocus on their teaching techniques and improve their effectiveness.
Reading Teachers Present
Elementary School Reading teachers Jennifer Barron, Andrea Bearor and Vicki Malossi-Perry, along with Assistant Principal Amy Netti, gave a detailed presentation on the School’s reading program and how it works. The emphasis is on assessment and response, using a team approach, so that any student who starts to fall behind gets the help they need in a timely way so they can get back on track. Facin praised the system the teachers have developed, saying that five years ago “there was no reading assessment in this School.”
School Monitor Position Abolished
The Board voted unanimously to abolish the position of School Monitor on the recommendation of Superintendent Facin. Facin said the position is no longer needed. Cameras have been installed in many of the halls as part of the recent capital project, and teachers and administrators take it upon themselves to have a significant presence in the halls. The students are more focused on their studies, so there are no significant problems with student behavior in the halls and bathrooms
Solar Project
The facilities committee has been actively looking into the feasibility of doing a major solar project on the school building with an eye to reducing energy costs over the long run. Some solar companies have visited the school and proposals are being developed, but none are ready for presentation yet. The School also had the energy conservation people at NYSERDA (a state agency dedicated to energy research and development) do an energy audit of the school which has not yet been competed or presented. One particular area of interest is to change to more efficient lighting, which could reduce the District’s electricity bill significantly.
Jennifer McDonald presented plans for the seventh and eighth grade trip to Washington D.C. The students will leave on Thursday, May 3, and return Saturday evening, May 5. This is a slightly more ambitious trip than last year’s which was a trip to Gettysburg involving only one overnight and costing $150. This year’s trip will cost $300 and involve two overnight stays. There was some concern that the higher cost would make it difficult for some students to go, but McDonald said there will be opportunities to do fund-raising to cut down the costs, so they hope to be able to find funds for all the students who want to go.
Clean Audit
An independent audit of the Hoosick Falls District’s finances for the 2010-2011 year conducted by The Bonadio Group, LLP was presented to the School Board in October. It found “no material deficiencies” in the District’s financial practices and gave an unqualified endorsement of the District’s financial statements and financial controls.
Donation To Art Club
The Board accepted a $600 donation from the Hoosick Falls PTA to be used for art equipment and supplies for the Art Club.
Cafeteria
At the October meeting Cafeteria Manager Heather Brooks told the Board about her efforts to improve the offerings at the cafeteria. She has added hot and cold deli lines as well as the regular line, giving the students more choices. She has been working to include fresh local produce whenever possible. She said she has been getting tomatoes and peppers from the Moses Farm in Eagle Bridge, and apples from Perry Orchards in Eagle Bridge. Daily participation is up nine students per day so far this year. Tenth-grader Luis Weierbach then spoke to the Board to give a student’s perspective on the school food, and he was very enthusiastic about the food and the greater number of choices. John Helft said, “We’re very proud of all the healthy choices that Ms. Brooks is bringing to our cafeteria.”
The next regular meeting of the Hoosick Falls Board of Education will be at 7 pm on December 15 in the High School Library.