By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent

Employee evaluations are back in the view of educators following a new state law.
Juab School District has been using teacher evaluations for many years but now the state has given just one year for all districts to have a plan for evaluations in place and expects certain requirements to be part of the process.
"We went with things that we knew we could accomplish," said Jim Shank, superintendent.
Shank said that state law now requires a committee be in place and the district is to walk through the committee's recommendations. That committee has been selected and has been meeting.
"The rubric is that teachers have to be evaluated on an effective level," he said.
Principal Steve Paulsen, is chair of the educators committee, said Shank.
In June, Paulsen sent out a letter to the Juab School District Curriculum and Instruction Committee explaining that Shank had requested the committee develop a new teacher evaluation process for the district.
"Our final two meetings this past spring were largely devoted to this topic," said Paulsen. "Based on those conversations and direction from Superintendent Shank, I have developed the 'Teacher Evaluation Plan.'"
Paulsen said he had reviewed the proposal with Shank, and Shank agreed that the Paulsen's plan will be a good one to start the process.
"He agrees with me that it will be a starting point for the development of a plan that will met the requirements of new state law and at the same time be manageable and appropriate for our district," he said.
The plan being considered is a starting point for further development.
Certain components are being considered as a framework for a teacher evaluation plan for the district.
"This plan attempts to create an evaluation system that will be in compliance with Utah State requirements," said Shank.
There should be an annual evaluation of tenured and career teachers. Provisional and probationary teachers will be evaluated two times a year.
Principals are to perform the evaluation and the summative evaluation will be based on the Charlotte Danielson Framework and rubric.
The evaluation will require a minimum of one formal evaluation with a pre-conference, observation and post-conference format.
"A teacher-generated lesson plan will be reviewed at the pre-conference," said Paulsen.
Before October 15, the principal will meet with each teacher in a goal-setting conference, again using the Charlotte Danielson Framework, a goal or goals will be set with the final product of this portion being the completion of Domains 1 through 4 of the Charlotte Danielson Framework.
There will also be the administration of a parent/student survey.
The survey will be grade level appropriate and will be administered during the first parent/teacher conference of the year.
Survey results will be shared with the teacher and the principal.
"The selection of a survey has not been finalized," said Paulsen.
An Alpine School District survey may be the instrument used.
Student progress will be an element of teacher evaluation. Teachers will select or create an instrument to measure student progress at their grade level or course and the instrument will be shard wit the principal at the goal setting conference.
"At term or year-end, teachers will share student progress results with the principal," said Paulsen. "A minimum or mandatory level of progress will not be required."
The elements presented are not in a hierarchy of importance and no one element will be weighted or considered as more important than another as the evaluation plan is discussed.