Instructional Contract

APPENDIX K

Alachua County Teacher Assistance Program
Revised April 2005

Purpose and Overview:

It is the intent of the Alachua County Teacher Assistance Program to involve teachers in the responsibility of maintaining teaching standards at the highest level.  Teachers will share the responsibility for identifying teachers in need of assistance, providing expertise and peer support in the role of Consulting Teacher, offering professional judgment with regard to the identified teacher’s performance, and recommending further action to be taken.  Teacher participation in the Alachua County Teacher Assistance Program is voluntary.

The Teacher Assistance Program is composed of a variety of steps and procedures.  A periodic review of the entire process is recommended to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.

Administrators within the district are to be oriented to the assistance program and its operation prior to the beginning of each school year.  This will be part of the Administrator Appraisal training and will be included in the appraisal notebook.

Simultaneous to the orientation of administrators, the ACEA will assume the responsibility of orienting representatives from each school in the procedures of the assistance program during the first two weeks of school.

 

District Coordinating Council Membership

• Assigned by Superintendent

□ Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

□ Three (3) principals-one from each level

□ One additional district representative

• Assigned by ACEA

□ One official of ACEA

□ Three  (3) teachers-one from each level

□ One teacher representative from special areas

□ One at large ACEA representative

• Members will be appointed for a two (2) year term

□   Additional terms are optional□  Members unable to attend meetings on a regular basis will be replaced.

 

School Site Membership

• ACEA representative will conduct the election at the school site.

• Faculty will elect one to three (1-3) spokespersons at the beginning of the school year to consult with the principal about  possible candidates for assistance.

□ Must be a member of ACEA
□ Will serve for a term of two (2) years

 

Responsibility of the District Coordinating Council:

• Hold annual orientation meeting during the month  of September

• Hold meetings as needed

• Review and approve job description for the Consulting Teacher as identified by the Human Resource Department

• Conduct an orientation meeting for interested applicants for the role of Consulting Teacher

• Screen and approve candidates as members of the pool of Consulting Teachers

□   Implement formal application process

□  Check  references

• Provide training for approved Consulting Teachers which will include but is not limited to:

□      Overview of ATAP

□      Role of Consulting Teacher

□      Record-keeping requirements

□      Interpersonal conferencing skills

□      Identification of available resources

□      Observation technique training

□      Procedures for writing a Professional Development Plan

• Review assistance referrals made jointly to the Coordinating Council by the school principal and a faculty spokesperson(s).

• Develop an ATAP information packet including a list of approved Consulting Teachers.

• Appoint a Consulting Teacher in collaboration with the ATAP candidate.

• Facilitate a meeting between the Consulting Teacher, ATAP teacher, and the school principal.

 

Process for Identification of Assistance

•  Teacher candidate for ATAP may make self-referral.

• Principal notifies faculty spokesperson(s) about the need to place a teacher in ATAP.

• Principal and faculty spokesperson(s) agree that a candidate needs assistance. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the decision will be made by the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources within ten (10) working days or less.

 

Process for Initiating the Assistance Program

• Principal and faculty spokesperson(s) agree to inform the teacher of the impending recommendation.  The teacher will decide whether to have the faculty spokesperson(s) in the conference.

• Principal and faculty spokesperson(s) will notify the Coordinating Council of their decision.

• Recommendation for assistance must be approved by the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources.

• ATAP Teacher candidate will have an opportunity  to meet with the facilitator of the Coordinating Council and if requested may meet with the Coordinating Council to discuss procedures of the program and be provided with a written overview.

• Within five (5) working days of this meeting the teacher will notify the Coordinating Council of his/her decision to participate, unless the Coordinating Council agrees to extend the time.

• Coordinating Council will review the recommendation for assistance.

• Coordinating Council will determine if assistance is needed.

• Coordinating Council will notify the teacher of its decision in writing.

• A teacher may withdraw from the program at any time by writing a letter to the Coordinating Council.

• If a teacher does withdraw, the Consulting Teacher  will make a final observation before writing the final report.

• All documentation relating to a teacher’s participation in ATAP will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.

 

Qualifications of the Consulting Teacher

•  Five years of teaching experience, two in Alachua County.

• Not currently teaching in Alachua County (preference given to retired SBAC teachers).

• Received satisfactory on teacher evaluations.

• Has held Professional Services Contract.

• Resume must be in personnel file in the Human Resource Department.

 

Responsibilities of the Consulting Teacher

• Hold informal meeting to meet the candidate and discuss the process.

• Begin assistance during pre-planning if possible.

• Spend a minimum of forty-five (45) days during the school year assisting the teacher in his/her classroom. (This is intended to be a full school year program.)

• Submit an initial report to the Coordinating Council and the school principal within two (2) weeks.

• Submit regular progress reports every three (3) weeks to the Coordinating Council and the school principal.

 

ATAP Final Report

• The Consulting Teacher will make a recommendation to the Coordinating Council when assistance should be terminated.

• The Consulting Teacher will complete a report within two (2) weeks of notifying the Coordinating Council of the recommendation to terminate.

• The report shall consist of the following:

□ Summary of objectives, interventions, and outcomes.

□ Specific recommendations to the Coordinating Council.

□ Other documentation as appropriate.

• The Consulting Teacher will provide copies of the  final report to:

□ Coordinating Council Liaison as designated by the Superintendent

□ ATAP Teacher□ School Principal

□ Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Department

• The Coordinating Council will meet to review the final report.  Attendance at this meeting shall include:

□ Majority of Coordinating Council members

□  Consulting Teacher

□  School Principal

□  ATAP Teacher, at his or her option

• The Coordinating Council will forward the final report with the Council’s recommendation to the Superintendent’s office within ten (10) working days following the review of the final report.

• For participants who receive an overall unsatisfactory, Florida law applies.

• The ATAP Teacher may file a response to the final report.  It will be attached to the final report.

• The Superintendent will take the final action in each case within ten (10) working days.