Background

Evaluation of support staff performance is viewed as a vital component in ensuring overall school effectiveness in areas which can be affected by support staff. Through continuous improvement of efforts and practices, support staffs are able to better meet the needs of students and staff. Toward this end the Superintendent believes it is desirable that performance of support staff be monitored on an on-going basis.

The Superintendent has a responsibility to ensure there exists a formalized, structured, and systematic program of supervision and evaluation for support staff.

Evaluation shall be a collaborative process between support staff, immediate supervisor(s) and school administration.

All members of the support staff must actively participate in a program of evaluation conducted in accordance with the following basic principles:

1. The evaluation of support staff is a continuous process which has as its primary purpose the improvement of overall school effectiveness for students and staff.
2. The improvement of support staff is a shared responsibility between the individual staff members and the Division.
3. Evaluation practice and procedures should reflect current research as applicable to local needs, conditions, and priorities as approved by the Division.
4. Evaluation of support staff is a major responsibility of school-based administrators and supervisor(s).
5. Formal written reports, filed on a regular basis, will serve to provide on-going records of performance.
6. The practices and procedures of supervision and evaluation and any arising out of the supervision and evaluation process must be fair and equitable.

Procedures

1. All support staff employed by Northern Lights School Division No. 69 and their supervisors will receive a copy of the Support Staff Evaluation Administrative Procedures and be responsible for the contents and directives therein.
2. The evaluation and supervision of support staff performance shall be conducted in a spirit of empathy, understanding, trust, cooperation, and natural justice.
3. The evaluation and supervision of support staff performance will be accomplished through the evaluation program.
4. The Principal and supervisor(s) shall be responsible for establishing and writing the job description utilizing the format of Form 431 – 1.
5. In the event the support staff member works with more than one teacher, all teachers shall contribute to the evaluation. The Principal shall identify either, one of the teachers, a Program Coordinator or administrator to act as supervisor and coordinate the evaluation of the support staff member.
6. Criteria for the evaluation will be based on the job description, job performance and Support Staff Code of Conduct.
7. The evaluation and written report will be completed and signed by the supervisor(s).
8. A copy of the evaluation report will be: signed by and given to the person being evaluated, maintained at the school, filed in the employee’s personnel file at the Division Office.
9. Each support staff member will be evaluated formally (in writing) in their first year of employment with the Division and at least once every three years thereafter. Additional evaluations may be made as circumstances warrant determined by the principal, supervisor(s), or requested by the support staff member.
10. In the event the relationship between the support staff member and supervisor(s) presents a conflict of interest, it is recommended a third party be involved to conduct the evaluation.
11. Appeals shall be conducted as per the Grievance Procedures in the Terms of Employment.
12. In-service education with respect to the evaluation and supervision of support staff will be provided to support staff, teachers, school administrators, and division administration to the extent that is reasonably possible.
13. The Principal and Supervisor(s) shall develop and submit a Support Staff Evaluation Plan to the Superintendent on or before October 15 of the current school year.
14. As per the Terms of Employment, all new support staff shall serve a six-month probationary period.
15. As per the Terms of Employment, support staff employees may be dismissed for any reason at the absolute discretion of the Board at any point in the probationary period.
16. No later than three months after commencing employment, each new support staff employee shall receive a written interim evaluation.
17. As per the Terms of Employment, the probationary period may be lengthened at the discretion of the Principal. Notification of the extension shall be provided to the support staff member in writing.
18. Prior to the conclusion of the Probationary Period, the supervisor(s) and/or Principal will complete a formal written evaluation of the support staff employee using Form 431-2.
19. If the report is unsatisfactory, the support staff member shall be recommended for dismissal to the Superintendent.
20. The support staff employee may grieve the evaluation as per the guidelines in the Terms of Employment.