ADEPT Statute Amendments

ADEPT

TRANSITION GUIDELINES

FOR THE 2004-05 SCHOOL YEAR

On July 22, 2004, amendments to the ADEPT statute (i.e., Sections 59-26-30 and 59-26-40 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976) were signed by the governor and will take effect immediately. These amendments involve the following major revisions to the ADEPT system:

v Teacher candidates must have opportunities to learn about and gain proficiency in the ADEPT performance dimensions throughout their entire preparation program, not just during their internship experience.

v Provisional contracts will no longer be issued.

v An optional diagnostic assistance annual contract year will replace the former provisional contract year.

v Teachers may remain on an annual contract for up to four years.

v Annual contract teachers who have successfully completed a formal evaluation during a previous annual contract year must be evaluated either formally or informally, at the discretion of the school district.

v Teachers may not be issued a continuing contract until they have satisfied all requirements for the professional certificate.

v Continuing contract teachers must be evaluated on a continuous basis.

The ADEPT regulation, R. 43-205.1, must now be revised to be consistent with the statutory changes. Revisions to the regulation will be submitted to the State Board of Education in the late fall of 2004 and to the legislature in the spring of 2005. For the 2004-05 school year only, the following temporary guidelines will assist districts in implementing the provisions of the amended ADEPT statute.

ADEPT Amendments	Implementation Guidelines for 2004–05
Provisional contracts have been deleted as an employment option.	v Districts are not required to reissue annual contracts to teachers who received provisional contracts prior to July 22, 2004. v Districts must not issue provisional contracts after July 22, 2004.
Annual contract evaluation options have been expanded, as follows: v Annual—Formal Evaluation v Annual—Diagnostic Assistance v Annual—Informal Evaluation (GBE)	v Teachers employed under a first annual contract must receive a formal evaluation v Teachers employed under a provisional contract must receive either a formal evaluation or diagnostic assistance, at the discretion of the local school district. v At the beginning of the 2004–05 school year, districts should provide each provisional contract teacher with written notification specifying the ADEPT process (i.e., formal evaluation or diagnostic assistance) that will be applied to the teacher. v Teachers employed under a second annual contract who have not successfully completed a previous formal evaluation at the annual contract level must receive a formal evaluation.
An annual contract teacher who has successfully completed a formal evaluation during a previous annual contract year must be evaluated either formally or informally, at the discretion of the school district.	v Teachers employed under a second annual contract who have successfully completed a formal evaluation during the previous annual contract year must receive either a formal evaluation or an informal evaluation (GBE), at the discretion of the school district. v At the beginning of the 2004–05 school year, districts should provide written notification to each second annual contract teacher who has successfully completed a formal evaluation at the annual contract level specifying the ADEPT process (i.e., formal evaluation or informal [goals-based] evaluation) that will be applied to the teacher.
Teachers are eligible to receive diagnostic assistance during one—and only one—annual contract year.	v If diagnostic assistance is provided during a teacher’s (2004–05) provisional contract year, it will be considered the teacher’s one allowable “annual contract diagnostic assistance year.”
Diagnostic assistance provided to teachers must be in accordance with State Board of Education regulations.	Interim requirements for diagnostic assistance during the 2004–05 school year will be consistent with relevant sections of the current ADEPT regulation (R 43-205.1). Diagnostic assistance provided to each teacher should include, but need not be limited to, v an assigned assistance team that includes a trained mentor and an administrator or supervisor; v an individualized assistance plan, developed by the assistance team in collaboration with the teacher, that includes o one or more performance goals that address area(s) in which the teacher needs additional support; o strategies designed to provide support. These strategies may include, but need not be limited to, § professional development training (e.g., workshops, inservices, courses), § research activities, § observations of and consultations with other experienced professionals, § guided reflections, and/or § coaching; o timelines for accomplishing the strategies; and o expectations for progress toward meeting the goal(s), the way(s) in which this progress will be measured, and the timelines for reviewing this plan with the teacher (at least twice per year); v regular opportunities for the assistance team to observe/conduct simulated formative evaluations of, consult with, and provide ongoing formative written and oral feedback to the teacher; v a final conference on or before April 15 to provide written and oral summary feedback regarding the teacher’s progress toward meeting the goal(s); and v written feedback from the teacher at the end of the year regarding the effectiveness of the assistance provided.
Some requirements pertaining to annual contract teachers have been modified.	v Teachers must not be employed under an annual contract for more than four years. v An annual contract teacher who does not successfully complete the formal evaluation process or the professional growth plan for the second time may not teach in a SC public school for at least two years and must complete a state-approved remediation plan in the area(s) of identified deficiency. Upon completion of these requirements, the teacher is eligible for employment for one additional year in order to successfully complete all annual contract year requirements. v An annual contract teacher must successfully complete the formal evaluation process, meet the criteria set by the local board of trustees, and satisfy requirements established by the State Board of Education for the professional teaching certificate in order to be eligible to advance to a continuing contract.
Teachers employed under continuing contracts must be evaluated on a continuous basis.	Teachers on informal, goals-based evaluation (GBE) must address one or more of their goals every year (i.e., teachers may not address all goals in a single year, then go for one or more subsequent years without addressing any goals).

ADEPT Amendments

Implementation Guidelines for 2004–05

Provisional contracts have been deleted as an employment option.

v Districts are not required to reissue annual contracts to teachers who received provisional contracts prior to July 22, 2004.

v Districts must not issue provisional contracts after July 22, 2004.

Annual contract evaluation options have been expanded, as follows:

v Annual—Formal Evaluation

v Annual—Diagnostic Assistance

v Annual—Informal Evaluation (GBE)

v Teachers employed under a first annual contract must receive a formal evaluation

v Teachers employed under a provisional contract must receive either a formal evaluation or diagnostic assistance, at the discretion of the local school district.

v At the beginning of the 2004–05 school year, districts should provide each provisional contract teacher with written notification specifying the ADEPT process (i.e., formal evaluation or diagnostic assistance) that will be applied to the teacher.

v Teachers employed under a second annual contract who have not successfully completed a previous formal evaluation at the annual contract level must receive a formal evaluation.

An annual contract teacher who has successfully completed a formal evaluation during a previous annual contract year must be evaluated either formally or informally, at the discretion of the school district.

v Teachers employed under a second annual contract who have successfully completed a formal evaluation during the previous annual contract year must receive either a formal evaluation or an informal evaluation (GBE), at the discretion of the school district.

v At the beginning of the 2004–05 school year, districts should provide written notification to each second annual contract teacher who has successfully completed a formal evaluation at the annual contract level specifying the ADEPT process (i.e., formal evaluation or informal [goals-based] evaluation) that will be applied to the teacher.

Teachers are eligible to receive diagnostic assistance during one—and only one—annual contract year.

v If diagnostic assistance is provided during a teacher’s (2004–05) provisional contract year, it will be considered the teacher’s one allowable “annual contract diagnostic assistance year.”

Diagnostic assistance provided to teachers must be in accordance with State Board of Education regulations.

Interim requirements for diagnostic assistance during the 2004–05 school year will be consistent with relevant sections of the current ADEPT regulation (R 43-205.1). Diagnostic assistance provided to each teacher should include, but need not be limited to,

v an assigned assistance team that includes a trained mentor and an administrator or supervisor;

v an individualized assistance plan, developed by the assistance team in collaboration with the teacher, that includes

o one or more performance goals that address area(s) in which the teacher needs additional support;

o strategies designed to provide support. These strategies may include, but need not be limited to,

§ professional development training (e.g., workshops, inservices, courses),

§ research activities,

§ observations of and consultations with other experienced professionals,

§ guided reflections, and/or

§ coaching;

o timelines for accomplishing the strategies; and

o expectations for progress toward meeting the goal(s), the way(s) in which this progress will be measured, and the timelines for reviewing this plan with the teacher (at least twice per year);

v regular opportunities for the assistance team to observe/conduct simulated formative evaluations of, consult with, and provide ongoing formative written and oral feedback to the teacher;

v a final conference on or before April 15 to provide written and oral summary feedback regarding the teacher’s progress toward meeting the goal(s); and

v written feedback from the teacher at the end of the year regarding the effectiveness of the assistance provided.

Some requirements pertaining to annual contract teachers have been modified.

v Teachers must not be employed under an annual contract for more than four years.

v An annual contract teacher who does not successfully complete the formal evaluation process or the professional growth plan for the second time may not teach in a SC public school for at least two years and must complete a state-approved remediation plan in the area(s) of identified deficiency. Upon completion of these requirements, the teacher is eligible for employment for one additional year in order to successfully complete all annual contract year requirements.

v An annual contract teacher must successfully complete the formal evaluation process, meet the criteria set by the local board of trustees, and satisfy requirements established by the State Board of Education for the professional teaching certificate in order to be eligible to advance to a continuing contract.

Teachers employed under continuing contracts must be evaluated on a continuous basis.

Teachers on informal, goals-based evaluation (GBE) must address one or more of their goals every year (i.e., teachers may not address all goals in a single year, then go for one or more subsequent years without addressing any goals).