Peer Assistance and Review

1. Peer Assistance and Review A Collaborative Effort between Columbus City Schools(CCS) & the Columbus Education Association(CEA) Tracey D. Johnson

2. Bio of Tracey D. Johnson 22 years experience in education Elementary and Middle School experience Former PAR Consulting and Lead Consulting Teacher Currently work as a Staff Consultant on behalf of the Association Graduate of The Ohio State University: BS.Edin Elementary Education, MA in Studies in Philosophical, Psychological, Historical and Comparative Education Mother of a 20 year old son named Gregory who attends Columbia College Chicago.

3. History Mid 80’s CEA and CCS agreed the evaluation process in the district needed to be reformed Examined the Toledo Plan 1985 PAR Program was implemented in Columbus Since its implementation, PAR as served over 8,000 teachers

4. PAR Program Overview Intern component: Newly employed teachers to the district Intervention component: experienced teachers who are having difficulties in the classroom Resident Educator: 4-year residency requirement by the state of Ohio for licensure

5. Intern Program Mandatory for all newly hired teachers – even those with previous experience in another school district Also mandatory for teachers five years removed from their PAR experience (If they left the district and returned) Interns are assigned a consulting teacher A minimum of 4 observation cycles as outlined in the CCS I Lead Teacher Evaluation Program (Induction, Leadership and Evaluation to Achieve and Develop) Interns receive an interim report and final appraisal Principal completes a Principal Summary Report PAR Panel determines based on evidence presented by the CT final employment recommendations

6. Intervention Program Assists experienced teachers who are having difficulty A minimum of 8 observation cycles A person can self-refer Referral can be initiated by either an administrator or another teacher – which goes through the Association Building Council Formal evaluations and/or special evlautions are not conducted by the administrator while a teacher is in intervention Assistance provided as long as a the teacher is progressing at an acceptable rate

7. Observation Cycle Pre-Observation Conference 1 Observation (at least 30 minutes) 2- 4 Walkthroughs (10-20 minutes) Post Observation Conference Interns – 2 complete cycles by January 10 and 4 complete cycles by May 1 Interventions – 4 complete cycles by January 10 and 8 complete cycles by May 1

8. Governance Board PAR Panel Consist of 7 members: 4 appointed by the CEA President and 3 appointed by the Superintendent Members represent the diversity of the district CEA President and Executive Director of Human Resources co-chair the program Chair is alternated annually between administration and CEA All decisions must pass by a 2/3 vote

9. Roles and Responsibilities of the PAR Panel Oversees the program Selects PAR Consulting Teachers (CTs) Meets with CTs periodically to receive reports Evaluates requests for intervention Makes employment recommendations based on PAR CTs reports Oversees training for PAR CTs Evaluates the PAR CTs Determines policies and procedures that govern the program

10. The PAR CT - Criteria Taught in the Columbus City Schools for a minimum of five years Demonstrated outstanding classroom teaching ability Demonstrated talent in written and oral communications Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and effectively with other professional staff Extensive knowledge of a variety of classroom management and instructional techniques

11. The PAR CT – Selection Process PAR panel post the need for PAR CTs Applications accepted from those who meet the criteria A letter of reference is needed from the building principal or immediate supervisor A letter of reference from the senior faculty representative Two letters of reference from teachers in his or her building or program A video of them teaching or working in their current capacity

12. The PAR CT – Selection Process The co-chairs review the applications and identify teachers for consideration In consultation with the PAR Panel individuals are selected for an interview Teachers are interviewed and also complete a written component The panel determines who will be placed in the PAR pool

13. The PAR CT Fulltime released Assigned as a CT for up to 3 years in order to maintain the peer concept PAR Panel determines who will be called from the pool based on the needs of the district. Can return to their previous assignment if they elect to do so Receives a supplemental contract at a rate of 20 percent of the base salary per year. Caseload varies and is a combination of interns, interventions and resident educators

14. Development of the CT Participate in a Shadowing Day once selected Receive a week of in-depth professional development prior to the start of the school year Participate in on-going PD throughout the school year Organize and present the PAR/CEU course

15. Work of the PAR CT Arrange new teacher luncheon Observe and conference with intern and intervention teachers Mentor resident educators Provide feedback and resources Goal-setting Arrange observations with successful teachers Write PAR Panel, Interim and Final Appraisal Summaries Conference with principal and FR Support union activities Help participants to resolve issues

16. Misconceptions about PAR CTs and PAR Position of power Doing the work of management CTs have the ability to fire colleagues Easy job It divides the union

17. How Do You Know You Are Ready For PAR? Both labor and management see it’s relevance Strong collaborative relationship between labor and management Funding source to begin and sustain the program Membership input is given Membership votes in support of the initiative Researched and outlined a program that fits the needs of your district Willing to make it a part of your collective bargaining agreement

18. Final Thoughts Greatest level of professional development for a teacher Help and support colleagues Can be a catalyst for other leadership positions Greater understanding of district resources and policies, the Master agreement and the Association It’s a collaborative effort between labor and management Since its inception, the PAR program has never been on the chopping block during negotiations

19. Questions? For more information contact: Rhonda Johnson, CEA President (614) 253-4731 rjohnson@ceaohio.org Tracey Johnson CEA Staff Consultant (614) 253-4731 tjohnson@ceaohio.org PAR Office (614) 365-5110