19: Peer Assistance and Peer Review (PAR)

ARTICLE 19: PEER ASSISTANCE AND PEER REVIEW (PAR)

Purpose:

The Association of Colton Educators and the Colton Joint Unified School District are continuously striving to provide the highest possible quality of education. In order for students to succeed in learning, teachers must succeed in teaching. Teachers are viewed as valuable professionals who deserve to have the best resources available provided to them in the interest of achieving and maintaining successful performance. Therefore, the parties agree to cooperate in the design and implementation of programs to improve the quality of instruction through expanded and improved professional development and peer assistance for probationary and permanent teachers.

Section 19.1 Participating Teachers (PT). Participating Teachers are unit members who receive assistance and coaching to improve instructional skills, classroom management, knowledge of subject, and related aspects of teaching performance. There are three (3) categories of Participating Teachers, two of which are related to the PAR program, one of which is related to the BTSA program.

Definitions

Section 19.2 Consulting Teachers (CT) – are exemplary teachers meeting the requirements of section 19.6 who are selected by the Joint Committee to provide peer assistance to a Participating Teacher in the Peer Assistance and Review Program (PAR).

Section 19.3 Support Providers (SP) – are exemplary teachers meeting the requirements of section 19.6 who are selected by the Joint Committee to provide peer assistance to a beginning teacher in the BTSA Program, or other beginning teachers as authorized by the Joint Committee.

Section 19.4 Evaluator – is an administrator appointed by the District to evaluate a certificated teacher.

Section 19.5 BTSA Program Components (BTSA)

a. Beginning Teacher Participants – any unit member having probationary status in the District. BTSA eligible teachers in 1. (below) must be served prior to serving teachers in 2. through 5. The PAR program design for beginning unit members will follow the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Program model.

1. BTSA eligible teachers (as defined by the State)

2. Intern teachers

3. Teachers with Emergency Permits

4. Provisional Teachers (Teachers who are new to the District with a basic credential and are not BTSA eligible)

5. Experienced teachers who are new to the District

b. A Part Time Support Provider may be assigned to no more than three (3) beginning teachers, in categories 1. through 5. (above), to provide assistance or training.

c. The Support Providers shall provide assistance to the beginning teacher in accordance with the BTSA program.

d. The Support Provider and the Evaluator(s) shall have a cooperative relationship and shall coordinate the assistance provided to the beginning teachers.

e. Neither the Support Providers nor the Joint Committee will make written reports regarding individual beginning teachers, nor forward to the Governing Board the names of individual beginning teachers who participated in the Program.

f. All communication between the Support Provider and a Beginning Teacher shall be confidential. A Support Provider shall not participate in the evaluation of the Beginning Teacher.

g. These programs shall not waive the Governing Board’s legal right to make a non-reelection decision.

Section 19.6 PAR Program Components (PAR)

a. Referred Participating Teacher (PAR) - a classroom teacher with permanent status who has received an unsatisfactory final evaluation in the areas of teaching methods and instruction.

1. A Referred Participating Teacher shall have input on the selection of his or her Consulting Teacher. A Referred Participating Teacher may request a change at any time. The Joint Committee shall make final decisions on assignment of Consulting Teachers.

2. All communication between the Consulting Teacher and the Referred Participating Teacher shall be confidential to the extent required by law and without written consent of the Referred Participating Teacher, shall not be shared with any others, except the Joint Committee.

3. The Referred Participating Teacher has the right to be represented at any Joint Committee meeting throughout these procedures by an Association representative.

b. Volunteer Participating Teacher (PAR) – a classroom teacher with permanent status who voluntarily seeks to improve his/her teaching performance through peer assistance. Participation is for peer assistance only and the Consulting Teacher shall not document and/or participate in any performance review of the Volunteer Participating Teacher. The Volunteer Participating Teacher may terminate participation in the PAR Program at any time. A teacher who has entered the program voluntarily may be involuntarily placed in the program in the event the teacher receives an unsatisfactory final evaluation as described above.

1. A Volunteer Participating Teacher shall select their Consulting Teacher from the panel of Consulting Teachers provided by the Joint Committee. A Volunteer Participating Teacher may request a change at any time.

2. All communication between the Consulting Teacher and a Volunteer Participating Teacher shall be confidential, and without the written consent of the Volunteer shall not be shared with others, including the site principal, evaluator or the Joint Committee.

Section 19.7 Joint Committee (JC)

a. The Joint Committee shall consist of seven (7) members, four (4) bargaining unit members and three (3) administrators. Bargaining unit members shall be appointed by the association to staggered two and three-year terms initially. Subsequent appointments shall be for three-year terms.

b. The Joint Committee shall establish its own meeting schedule and shall meet outside the regular school day, on the dates to be determined by the Joint Committee. Five members, the majority of which shall be teachers, shall constitute a quorum; actions of the joint committee shall require an affirmative vote of at least four (4) members. Meetings and other PAR related business which cannot be accomplished after the workday may take place during the regular teacher workday, and substitutes shall be provided to release Association members from their other duties.

c. The Joint Committee oversees/coordinates the implementation of the PAR and BTSA programs both to beginning teachers (BTSA) and permanent teachers (PAR).

d. The duties of the Joint Committee shall be as follows:

1. Select and recommend for Governing Board approval the trainers and/or training providers for Joint Committee Members, Consulting Teachers, and Support Providers.

2. Schedule and attend annual training.

3. Establish its own rules and procedures, including the method for the selection of a Chairperson by majority vote.

4. Select and recommend the panel of Consulting Teachers and Support Providers to the Governing Board for approval.

5. Make available initial and ongoing training for Consulting Teachers prior to the Consulting Teachers’ participation in the program.

6. Make available release time for training of Support Providers as provided by the BTSA Program.

7. Send written notification of participation in the PAR program to the Referred Participating Teacher, the Consulting Teacher, and the site principal.

8. Make available the list of Consulting Teachers for selection by the Volunteer Participating Teacher.

9. Make available the list of Consulting Teachers for input by the Referred Participating Teacher.

10. Adopt Rules and Procedures to effect the provisions of this Article. Develop forms necessary for Rules and Procedures. Adopted rules and procedures shall be consistent with the terms of this article. To the extent that there is an inconsistency, the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement shall prevail.

11. Distribute at the beginning of each school year, a copy of the adopted Rules and Procedures to all bargaining unit members.

12. Establish and implement a procedure for application, selection, and monitoring the effectiveness of a Consulting Teacher.

13. Determine the number of Consulting Teachers and Support Providers in any school year, and the amount of release time provided to Consulting Teachers, and Support Providers based upon participation in the PAR/ BTSA program, the budget and other relevant considerations.

14. Review the final report prepared by the Consulting Teacher and make recommendations to the Superintendent/Governing Board regarding the Referred Participating Teacher’s progress in the PAR program.

15. Approve PAR support assistance plans developed by Consulting Teachers and Support Providers before implementation.

16. Accept or reject voluntary requests for assistance from bargaining unit members based on criteria developed by the Joint Committee.

17. Make assignments of Consulting Teacher, Support Providers, and other trainers for staff development needs as the budget allows, with input from the Curriculum and Instruction Department.

18. Develop an appeal process in regard to the application of this article. The Joint Committee’s decision shall be final.

19. Evaluate the impact of the PAR program in order to make changes to improve the program annually.

20. No duties of the Joint Committee shall supercede the legal requirements of the Colton Joint Unified School District’s participation in the RIMS-BTSA Consortium.

Section 19.8 Consulting Teachers / Support Providers Requirements

a. A Consulting Teacher is a teacher who provides assistance to a Participating Teacher pursuant to the PAR program.

b. A Support Provider is a teacher who provides assistance to a Beginning Teacher in accordance with the BTSA program.

c. The qualifications for the Consulting Teacher/ Support Provider shall be set forth in the Rules and Procedures, with the following minimum qualifications:

1. Credentialed bargaining unit member with permanent status.

2. Most recent experience has been as a full time classroom fully credentialed teacher for the last (4) four years.

3. Shall demonstrate exemplary teaching ability, as indicated by, among other things, effective communication skills, subject matter knowledge, and mastery of a range of teaching strategies necessary to meet the needs of pupils in different contexts.

d. In applying for a position of Consulting Teacher/ Support Provider, each applicant is required to submit three confidential references from individuals with specific knowledge of his or her expertise, as follows:

1. A reference from a site principal or other administrator.

2. A character reference from an Association representative.

3. A reference from another bargaining member.

e. Consulting Teachers/ Support Providers shall be selected and submitted for approval to the Governing Board by a majority vote of the Joint Committee following classroom observations by at least one (1) Association member and one (1) administrator. Observations shall be at least 30 minutes in length in the classroom.

f. The term of the Consulting Teacher/ Support Provider shall be three (3) years, and may reapply for additional terms. The District agrees a Consulting Teacher / Support Provider who becomes an administrator shall not be a primary evaluator for any of their previously assigned teachers until their assigned teacher(s) reaches permanent status.

g. Consulting Teachers/Support Providers shall receive a one time stipend up to $2,500 for the completion of training during their off-track/summer period.

h. Functions performed pursuant to this Article by bargaining unit employees shall not constitute either management or supervisory functions. The Consulting Teacher/Support Provider shall continue to have all rights of bargaining unit members.

i. Consulting Teachers shall have the responsibility for no more than two (2) Participating Teachers. In addition to the regular salary, a Consulting Teacher shall receive a stipend of $3,000 per Participating Teacher served.

j. Part-time Support Providers shall assist no more than three (3) beginning teachers. In addition to the regular salary, a Support Provider shall receive a stipend of $2,000 per Beginning Teacher served.

k. Consulting Teachers/Support Providers shall assist Participating Teachers/Beginning Teachers by demonstrating, observing, coaching, conferencing, referring or by other activities, which, in their professional judgment, will assist the Participating Teacher/Beginning Teacher.

l. A Consulting Teacher shall be provided release time as needed:

1. The Consulting Teacher shall meet with the Referred Participating Teacher’s site administrator to discuss the nature of the assistance being provided and the PAR Program. The Referred Participating Teacher may attend any meeting between the site administrator and Consulting Teacher.

2. The Consulting Teacher shall meet with the Referred Participating Teacher to discuss the PAR Program, to establish mutually agreed upon performance goals, develop their PAR support plan and develop a process for determining successful completion of the PAR Program. Such support plans must be approved by the Joint Committee.

3. The Consulting Teacher shall conduct multiple observations of the Referred Participating Teacher’s performance with students, and meet with the Participating Teacher to review and discuss observations.

4. The Consulting Teacher shall monitor the progress of the Referred Participating Teacher and shall provide periodic written reports to the Referred Participating Teacher for discussion and review prior to sending periodic written reports to the committee.

5. At the end of the time period specified in the PAR support plan, the Consulting Teacher shall complete a written report describing the teacher’s participation in the Program. This report shall consist of (1) a description of the assistance provided by the Consulting Teacher; and (2) a description of the RPT’s participation in the Program. A copy of the Consulting Teacher’s report shall be submitted to and discussed with the Referred Participating Teacher to receive his or her signature before it is submitted to the Joint Committee. The Participating Teacher’s signing of the report does not necessarily indicate agreement, but rather that he or she has merely received a copy of the report. The Consulting Teacher shall submit a final report to the Joint Committee.

6. The Referred Participating Teacher shall have the right to submit a written response, and have it attached to the final report. The Referred Participating Teacher shall also have the right to request a meeting with the Joint Committee.

i. The results of the Referred Participating Teacher’s participation in the PAR Program shall be made available for placement in his or her personnel file, and shall not be used in the formal evaluation by the site administrator of the Referred Participating Teacher.

Section 19.9 Budget Priorities and Considerations

a. The District shall not be required to allocate funds for the programs as set forth in this Article in addition to those funds provided by the Legislature for implementation of PAR and the BTSA Program.

b. The Joint Committee shall annually recommend to the Governing Board a budget to fund the direct program and administrative expenses of Peer Assistance and Review, BTSA and other staff development programs. The Joint Committee will provide a preliminary budget by March 30^th and a revised budget by October 30^th of each year. The Curriculum and Instruction Department will be provided a budget of $50,000 of the PAR funds for staff development. Up to an additional $50,000 may be allocated by the Joint Committee based on needs of the Curriculum and Instruction Department and budget constraints of the Joint Committee. The Curriculum and Instruction Department shall provide an annual budget report to the Joint Committee on the expenditure of these funds. Any unused funds must be reverted back to the Joint Committee.

c. Funds may also be budgeted to provide training to permanent teachers who do not otherwise qualify for PAR who volunteer to receive assistance, including workshops, trainings, release time for observations and related costs.

d. Funds will also be budgeted to support on-going Professional Development for new teachers.

e. The Joint Committee shall budget funds so that Participating Teachers may receive services, attend workshops and trainings in order to receive peer assistance as described in this Article.

f. The Program plan/budget will be focused on planning and training. The stipend for the bargaining unit members of the Joint Committee shall be $4,000.

Section 19.10 Other Provisions

a. Unit Members who function as Joint Committee, Consulting Teachers or Support Providers under this document shall not be considered either management or supervisory employees as defined by Government Code Section 3540.1(g) and (m).

b. The District shall defend and hold harmless individual Joint Committee members and Consulting Teachers from any lawsuit or claim arising out of performance of their duties under this PAR program as provided by the California Tort Claims Act. The Association retains the right to participate in the litigation.

c. All proceedings and materials related to PAR evaluations, reports and other personnel matters shall be strictly confidential. Therefore, Joint Committee members and Consulting Teachers may disclose such information only as necessary to administer this Article.

d. The programs described in this article and the District’s evaluation functions shall operate independently of each other; however a cooperative relationship between the principal and the Consulting Teacher is encouraged with respect to the process of peer assistance and review. Nothing within this agreement or within the program shall prohibit or limit the District and Governing Board from exercising its legal or contractual rights regardless of the participation of a teacher within the programs. Such rights include, but are not limited to, the issuance of a notice of unsatisfactory performance, issuance of a notice of intention to dismiss from employment, administrative transfers, involuntary reassignment, and evaluation independently of the programs. Decisions and actions within the programs are not binding on the District nor the Governing Board.

e. This Article may be reopened at any time by mutual consent of the parties as needed.