Guidance to the Field

Updated January 27, 2012

Education Law §3012-c requires a new performance evaluation system for teachers and principals. New York State will implement a statewide comprehensive evaluation system for school districts and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES).  The evaluation system is designed to measure teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance, including measures of student achievement and evidence of educator effectiveness in meeting New York State teacher or school leader standards. 

Under the new law, New York State will differentiate teacher and principal effectiveness using four rating categories – Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, and Ineffective. Education Law §3012-c(2)(a) requires annual professional performance reviews (APPRs) to result in a single composite teacher or principal effectiveness score, which incorporates multiple measures of effectiveness. The results of the evaluations shall be a significant factor in employment decisions, including but not limited to promotion, retention, tenure determination, termination, and supplemental compensation, as well as teacher and principal professional development (including coaching, induction support, and differentiated professional development).

This guidance to the field was designed to anticipate and answer questions educators, administrators, and community stakeholders have around Chapter 103 of the Laws of 2010 andSection 110.2 of the Commissioner’s Regulations.

Guidance to the Field on the Adopted Teacher and Principal APPR

• Guidance to the Field on Teacher and Principal Annual Professional ... (494 KB) (Updated January 27, 2012)
• Summary of Provisions in the Regulations  (84 KB) (Updated September 13, 2011)

January 27, 2012 Updates

• Section L (Data Management), Questions 3, 5, 8-10,  and 12-16 have been updated.
• Section L (Data Management), Questions 18-29 have been added.

September 13, 2011 Updates

• NEW SECTION: Section Q (Scoring and Security of State Assessments), Questions 1 and 2 have been added.
• NEW SECTION: Section R (Impact of August 2011 Court Decision Declaring Certain Provisions of the APPR Regulations [Subpart 30-2] Invalid), Questions 1-8 have been added.
• Section B (Educators Covered by the New Law; Implementation Timeframe), Questions 2, 5, 15, and 16 have been updated.
• Section C (Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Plan), Question 1 has been updated.
• Section D (Student Growth on State Assessments or Other Comparable Measures),Questions 16-21 have been added. Questions 1, 8, and 9 have been updated.
• Section E (Locally Selected Measures of Student Achievement), Questions 6-10 have been added. Questions 2, 3, and 8 have been updated.
• Section F (Department Review and Approval of Student Assessments), Questions 1 and 2 have been updated.
• Section G (Other Measures for Teachers and Principals), Questions 7 and 8 have been added. Questions 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 have been updated.
• Section H (Department Review and Approval of Teacher and Principal Practice Rubrics),Questions 7-11 have been added. Questions 2, 4, and 5 have been updated.
• Section I (Scoring and Rating of Evaluations), Questions 8-16 have been added.Questions 2-4 have been updated.
• Section J (Evaluators, Training, and Certification), Questions 2-5 have been added.
• Section L (Data Management), Questions 10-18 have been added.
• Section N (Collective Bargaining), Questions N1c-N1i, N2d, N3c, N5b, and N6d have been added. Questions N4a, N5a, and N6a-c have been updated.
• Section P (State Course Codes for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012), Question 1 has been added.

June 13, 2011 Updates

• Section D (Student Growth on State Assessments or Other Comparable Measures),Question 10 has been updated.
• Section G (Other Measures for Teachers and Principals), Question 2 has been updated.