Beginning this school year, classroom instructors are being evaluated by a new teacher effectiveness system mandated by the state Department of Education.

Director of Curriculum Instruction and Professional Development Kelly Rosario provided an overview of the program at the Oct. 15 school board meeting.

Under the category observation and practice, teachers will receive a rating based on four components.

Planning and preparation will comprise 20 percent of the score; classroom environment, 30 percent; instruction, 30 percent; and professional responsibilities, 20 percent.

In the section, final effectiveness rating, the above mentioned observation and practice rating will count for 50 percent of the teacher's score; building level rating derived from the school performance profile score, 15 percent; teacher specific rating, 15 percent; and elective rating, 20 percent.

When all the factors are added up, teachers will receive a performance rating of failing, needs improvement, proficient or distinguished.

A rating of failing will be labeled unsatisfactory. The other three ranks will be considered satisfactory.

Rosario said a teacher will need three years of data before the teacher specific data can be used in the overall evaluation.

The first this will show up will be in the 2015-16 school term.

Board member Roberta Marcus asked whether college deans are aware of the new evaluation tool in order to familiarize their students with it.

District Superintendent Richard Sniscak said he has been in touch with administrators at Kutztown University who are well aware of the program.

He said non-tenured teachers are evaluated twice a year, and Parkland evaluates even the ones who are substitutes for temporary vacancies.

"If teachers need improvement, we put them on an improvement plan," Sniscak said.

He said the evaluation system is labor intensive and places a lot of work on principals and assistant principals.

"We may have to move toward instructional supervisors again," Sniscak said. "We eliminated them about two years ago due to the budget."

He reported the district goes to great lenghts to nurture its teachers from the very start with orientation and professional growth opportunities.

Sniscak offered a closing comment on the teacher rating system.

"I think it's going to be a positive for us," he said.