• GCNA: Evaluation of School Counselors

    Policy

    The Board of Education provides for the evaluation of school counselors in accordance with State law and the standards-based statewide counselor evaluation framework adopted by the Ohio Board of Education.

    The Board directs the Chief Executive Officer/designee to implement this policy in accordance with State law.

    Annually, the School District submits to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) a report regarding implementation of this policy.

    Effectiveness Rating

    School counselors are assigned an effectiveness rating of Accomplished, Skilled, Developing or Ineffective. Each school counselor is evaluated based on multiple factors including performance on all areas identified by the standards for school counselors and the ability to produce positive student outcomes using metrics in order to determine the holistic final summative rating of effectiveness according to ODE requirements.

    Evaluation Time Line

    District administrators evaluate school counselors annually except as otherwise determined by the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Education and the Cleveland Teachers Union. Annual evaluations include one formal observation of at least 30 minutes, two document submissions and a composite. Counselors will be provided with a written report of the evaluation.

    School Counselors who are rated Accomplished are evaluated every three years and school counselfors who are rated Skilled are rated every two years. In years where an evaluation will not take place, a professional growth plan is created and a growth plan check in and conference will take place. Progress on the professional growth will be documented.

    Professional Growth and Improvement Plans

    School counselors with a final summative rating of Accomplished must develop a professional growth plan.

    School counselors with a final summative rating of Skilled must develop a professional growth plan collaboratively with their evaluator.

    School counselors with a final summative rating of Developing must develop a professional growth plan with their evaluator. The Chief Executioeve Offier/designee approves the professional growth plan.

    School counselors with a final summative rating of Ineffective must develop an improvement plan with their evaluator. The Chief Executive Officer/designee approves the improvement plan.

    The District has discretion to place a school counselor on an improvement plan at any time based on deficiencies in any individual component of the evaluation system.

    Retention and Promotion

    The Board uses evaluation results for retention and promotion decisions for school counselors. The Board adopts procedures for use by District administrators in making retention and promotion decisions based on evaluation results.

    Poorly Performing Counselors

    The Board uses evaluation results for removing poorly performing counselors. The Board adopts procedures for removing poorly performing school counselors based on evaluation results

    History

    • Adopted: June 23, 2020

    Legal References