Teacher Evaluations & Qualifications

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), all parents/guardians have the right to know the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers, including:

• Whether a teacher has state certification for the grade levels and subjects he or she is teaching;
• The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major and any other certifications or degrees; and
• Whether their child receives services from paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR)

What is APPR?

APPR stands for Annual Professional Performance Review and it is the process by which teachers and principals are evaluated in New York State. The intent of APPR is to assist educators to improve the quality of instruction in schools and, in turn, to improve students’ performance and readiness for colleges and careers. District APPR plans must meet strict state guidelines and be negotiated with local unions. Under state guidelines, APPR takes into account classroom observations and student performance. Teachers and principals across New York ultimately receive an overall effectiveness rating every year.

New York State Education Law requires school districts to post their APPR plans to their district website.

The Board of Education of the Greater Johnstown School District (the “District”), in public session at its meeting of September 1, 2011, adopts this Annual Professional Performance Plan (the “APPR Plan”) for certain of its classroom teachers and building principals for the 2011-2012 school year pursuant to the requirements of Education law Section 3012-c and section 30-2 of the Regulations of the Board of Regents.

This APPR Plan will apply only to classroom teachers of common branch subjects or English language arts or mathematics in grades four to eight and building principals of schools in which such teachers are employed; the performance of other teachers and principals within the District will be evaluated in accord with the District’s existing Annual Professional Performance Review Plan developed and maintained pursuant to section 100.2(o) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Nothing in this APPR Plan will be construed to abrogate any conflicting provisions of any collective bargaining agreements in effect on July 1, 2010 during the term of such agreement and until the entry into a successor collective bargaining agreement.

View Greater Johnstown School District’s APPR Plan.

View the ARP_ESSER Part 2 – ARP Act Plan.

What is the goal of APPR?

The evaluation system was one pillar of the larger federal Race to the Top education reform initiative that aims to improve the quality of instruction in our schools and, in turn, improve student performance and college and career readiness. The APPR requirements aim to provide standardized, objective evaluation results that can be used to better focus professional development for teachers and principals.

Will APPR be made public?

APPR scores are not considered public information. However, state leaders have agreed that teachers’ and principals’ composite APPR ratings may be released to parents or guardians upon request and verification of identity, only for their child’s current teachers and principal.

Obtaining Teacher/Principal APPR Scores

You may request to receive the final rating and composite score for your child’s teacher(s)/principal(s), as well as an explanation of such ratings, by way of a physical meeting with the teacher or principal’s direct supervisor. The teacher must be providing instruction for current school year. The principal must be the current principal of the school this year. An appeal of the APPR by the teacher/principal will delay providing this information until such time as the appeal is concluded.

Download an APPR Parent Request form.