We've gotten to the holidays so quickly, it hardly seems possible! We have heard surprisingly little about DPAS II in these months, but I fear that is more from overload than it is from total satisfaction. As we have reiterated over and over, your input is vital to the success of the DPAS II process. If things are working great, we need to know. If that's not so true, we need to know that, too, so we can consider modifications which will help to make things run more smoothly.
Here are some things we HAVE heard. If you have heard other comments from your colleagues, feel free to post a comment. JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
- GOAL-SETTING: Educators being unsure how to write a "good" goal. Problems with goals not being accepted by the evaluator. Problems with goals being directed by the evaluator. Goals conferences not taking place. When conferences ARE taking place, positive communication appears to be taking place. How is it going in your local?
- TIMELINES: Too long between Pre-Observation and Observation. Too little time to complete Pre-Observation Form before the Pre-Observation Conference. Formative Feedback Forms not being completed within the specified timelines. Are you hearing about timeline issues in your building?
- LESSON PLANS: Districts or buildings dictating a specific lesson plan format. This DOES NOT come from the state or from the DPAS II process. Check your contract for specific language regarding the formality of lesson plans.
- IMPROVEMENT PLANS: Everyone needs to be careful to review the IIP section [pp. 38-39 in the Teacher Guide and pp. 39-40 in the Specialist Guide] to be sure they understand what can trigger an Improvement Plan. Post a comment if you think there's an issue in your school!
The corrected pages for your Guide are now available on line at http://www.doe.k12.de.us/csa/dpasii/ and a packet of replacement pages will be delivered to your district in the next few days. Every teacher, specialist and administrator should receive their own packet, so watch for them and replace the corrected pages so that your Guide is the most current.
Here's wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season!
Let us hear from you!!!
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
