Carson City School District’s teacher effectiveness climbs again

Carson City School District’s instructional effectiveness has seen another year-over-year increase and is at 99%, Associate Superintendent Dan Sadler said.

Data from the state indicates 99% of certified staff, including teachers, counselors, social workers, nurses, library media specialists, psychologists and speech language pathologists, were rated effective or highly effective according to the Nevada Educator Performance Framework. Results showed 100% of Carson’s administrators, including deans, vice principals and principals were effective or highly effective.

The ranking has improved from last year’s 98.4% NEPF report.

Sadler, in his presentation to the Carson City School Board on Oct. 8, said overall, results were positive with only one teacher rated ineffective. Exemptions were made for teachers who received ratings of highly effective for the past two years.

“That doesn’t exempt you from doing the work,” he said.

Nevada Revised Statute 391.485 requires local education agencies to conduct an evaluation for certified and administrative positions through the NEPF. The framework’s cumulative score is determined by weighting educational practices at 85%, which breaks down into instructional and professional responsibilities, and student performance at 15%.

Specific NEPF scoring is on a 4-point scale.

Sadler said evaluations take into account certain metrics such as strong instructional practices, professional responsibilities, goals and growth, family engagement and a student perception indicator.

Reviews still are held in a five-step cycle. Educators are required to perform a self-assessment, participate in a pre-evaluation conference, discuss plan implementation, conduct a mid-cycle goal review and receive a summative evaluation and post-evaluation conference. First-, second- or third-year probationary educators might experience slightly different steps or periods of observation but the process generally is the same for all, Sadler said.

Not all evaluations were captured in the state data, Sadler said. Even so, teachers or administrators who received a rating of highly effective often are thought to be exempt from being evaluated, but Sadler said they still must go through the process, and scores remain exempt for a year.

• Of 21 total administrators, 10 were ranked effective, 10 were highly effective and one was exempt.
• Of 11 school counselors, four were effective, five were highly effective and two were exempt.
• Of two school nurses, both were effective.
• Of five school psychologists, one was effective and four were highly effective.
• Of six school social workers, two were effective, one was highly effective and three were exempt.
• Of eight speech-language pathologists, two were effective, two were highly effective and four were exempt.
• Of two teacher-librarians, one was effective and one was highly effective.
• Of 360 teachers, six were developing, one was ineffective, six were developing, 226 were effective, 81 were highly effective with 82 accounting for class size ratio adjustment, and 46 were exempt.