Unadilla Valley submits APPR plan to state prior to deadline

NEW BERLIN – The Unadilla Valley Central School District was one of a small percentage of schools to submit its Annual Professional Performance Review Plan to the state prior to the July 1 deadline.

By submitting its APPR Plan on June 21, Unadilla Valley formalized a process for effectively evaluating teachers and principals. Having the plan in place also puts Unadilla Valley in position to access some state funding the district otherwise wouldn’t receive.

“The purpose of the APPR Plan is to provide evaluations and resources that will help teachers and administrators ensure they are doing the best job possible of educating children in this community,” district Superintendent Robert Mackey said.

Only 164 school districts out of the nearly 700 districts statewide submitted their APPR plans by July 1. As of July 6, 22 more districts had joined the list. Unadilla Valley is the only district in Chenango County that has submitted its plan.

School districts ultimately must have their APPR plans approved by the state by January 2013 to become eligible for their part of the state funding tied to APPR.

The APPR Plan will apply to all teachers in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and to all principals. Where applicable, other district administrators and faculty will be evaluated using all or some of the aspects of the plan.

Teachers and principals will be evaluated in a variety of ways – including observations and measurements of student growth on state assessments.

The process is based on current research about best practices, and it is aligned with New York State’s Teaching Standards and the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards.

Each teacher and principal will receive a composite effectiveness score and a rating of highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective. Professional development is imbedded into the process, so teachers and principals who receive a rating of developing or ineffective will be placed on improvement plans.

“The APPR evaluation system aims to foster a culture of continuous growth for teachers and administrators,” Mackey said. “The goal is to continually improve instruction and thus improve student learning.”

To view Unadilla Valley's APPR Plan, click here.