Exiting Ineffective Teachers Policy
Alaska requires local districts to place tenured teachers who do not meet district performance standards on a "plan of improvement," which is based on professional performance standards. District officials must observe such teachers at least twice during the course of the plan, which lasts between 90 and 180 workdays. If, at the conclusion, the teacher does not meet the plan's goals, the district may "non-retain" that teacher.
Unfortunately, Alaska's effort to make unsatisfactory evaluations grounds for non-retention does not carry over to the state's dismissal policy (see Goal 5-C).
Alaska recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.
To review the process and types of personnel evaluations observed in other job sectors, including the problems inherent to some evaluation systems see, for example, Gliddon, David (October 2004). Effective Performance Management Systems, Current Criticisms and New Ideas for Employee Evaluation in Performance Improvement 43(9), 27-36.