Teachers: evaluations.

(1) Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that governing boards of school districts establish a uniform system of evaluation and assessment of the performance of all certificated personnel within each school district of the state. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district to establish standards of expected pupil achievement at each grade level in each area of study and to evaluate and assess certificated employee performance on a continuing basis as it reasonably relates to the progress of pupils toward the established standards and, if applicable, the state-adopted academic content standards as measured by state-adopted criterion-referenced assessments, the instructional techniques and strategies used by the employee, the employee's adherence to curricular objectives, and the establishment and maintenance of a suitable learning environment, within the scope of the employee's responsibilities. This bill would repeal these provisions, and would revise and recast the requirements for teacher evaluations. The bill would express a legislative finding and declaration that teacher evaluations be effective, comprehensive, and of high quality, and would express legislative intent that teacher evaluations by local educational agencies, as defined, be based on standards upon which a teacher's performance is measured. The bill would specify requirements for the evaluation and assessment of teachers by local educational agencies. The bill would specify that unweighted multiple measures, including pupil assessment data, may be used in teacher evaluations. The bill would require that evaluations be used for, among other purposes, the identification of a teacher's need for professional learning and improved instructional practices. The bill would require that evaluators be knowledgeable and trained to give productive feedback, and that experts in the specific teaching field of the teacher being evaluated be included in the evaluation process. Because the bill would impose new duties on local educational agencies, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.