Secretary/Para Evaluation

State College Area School District

Secretary/Clerical and Paraprofessional

Evaluation Plan (PDF)

 

The main purpose of evaluation is to provide employees with feedback about their performance so they can learn, grow, and improve. The evaluation process should document the proficiency level of employees, highlight areas of strength, and target any areas in need of growth and improvement. Through the scheduled process of evaluation, employees should receive written feedback about their performance on the appropriate evaluation form. Although this evaluation process is completed at specific times of the year, ongoing feedback should be provided as appropriate. 

Administrators have the right and responsibility to evaluate an employee at any time. The following timeline outlines the typical evaluation schedule.

First Year

The supervisor will evaluate the performance of a new or bid transferred employee not fewer than twice during the first year at the following intervals: no later than November 1st and at the end of the third nine weeks of school. 

Second Year

After not fewer than two satisfactory evaluations during the first year, the supervisor will evaluate the performance of a second year employee at the end of the third nine weeks of school. 

Standard Evaluation

After a satisfactory evaluation during the second year, the supervisor will evaluate the performance of an employee not fewer than once every three years (ie, no more than two years between evaluations, for example, if someone is evaluated in the spring of 2004, the next evaluation would occur in the spring of 2007), at the end of the third nine weeks of school. After the second year evaluation, an employee would not be evaluated during the third and fourth years since the employee is now in Standard Evaluation, which means the next evaluation would occur in the fifth year. Subsequent evaluations would continue to occur every three years as long as satisfactory evaluations were in evidence. 

Request for Evaluation

At any time an employee may request that an evaluation be conducted. 

Special Circumstances

Notification

Administrators will provide yearly written notification to each employee indicating their current status when the next evaluation is due. This form is included in Appendix A and should be completed by September 30th of each year. If an employee is hired in the middle of the year, then that employee continues on the first year evaluation schedule during the next year so two additional evaluations are completed within the next school year.

Input from Teachers

Prior to each evaluation, the administrator will request verbal input from the teacher(s) who work most closely with each employee. This input will be guided by the categories on the evaluation form. It should be noted that this verbal input collected by the administrator is not evaluation; it is merely input so the administrator can conduct the evaluation. Teachers should not be asked to complete the evaluation form. 

Evaluation Form

The administrator will complete the evaluation form (Appendix B) following the evaluation schedule outlined in this plan. The completed evaluation form will be included in the employee's personnel file.

Evaluation Conference

An evaluation conference must be held to complete the evaluation process at the appropriate time intervals and obtain signatures. 

Employee Response to Evaluation

All employees may include a written response as part of their evaluation, which will be included in the employee’s personnel file. 

Copies of Evaluations

All employees will receive a copy of their evaluation no later than 2 weeks after the evaluation conference.

Improvement Plan

Any employee who demonstrates a consistent pattern of unsatisfactory or needs improvement check marks in one or more categories, can be directed to enter into an improvement plan even though the total number of check marks does not result in the issuance of an overall unsatisfactory evaluation. 

A subsequent evaluation will occur within two months of the development of the improvement plan. An improvement plan may include discipline consequences if, during the course of improvement plan, positive change is not observed. If improvement in the area(s) of focus is observed, the employee will return to the regular evaluation schedule. If the improvement plan does result in an unsatisfactory evaluation, the employee may be subject to termination or other adverse employment action.

History

In the spring of 2004, a committee was convened to review and revise the secretary, office clerk, and paraprofessional evaluation process and to create a document summarizing the process. The committee met several times and outlined the evaluation process and forms. After the evaluation plan was developed, it was presented to the administrative team, SCESPA, and SCAEA. The plan will become effective at the start of the 2004-05 school year. A committee may need to be reconvened to address any future changes made to this document.

The following individuals participated on the evaluation committee: Kristi Giuliano, Patricia Weaver, Charlotte Zmyslo, Karen Dinunzio, Vickie Gordon, and Sharon Salter and Deirdre Bauer, co-chairs.