School District of Clayton

The Clayton Standards of Professional Practice focuses on instructional quality and professional responsibilities that ensure student learning. They define and describe the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and commitments expected of teachers in the District. They guide the work of the teachers in our District, particularly in the areas of teacher evaluation and professional development. As a District, we define these standards through ongoing professional conversations as we shape our shared vision for teachers as professionals. District professionals use these standards to recognize teachers’ accomplishments and to identify specific areas for growth and improvement. The Standards are intended to be broad enough to provide guidance as teachers continually strive to improve their practice. The Standards are used for reflection and professional conversations, providing a lens for focusing on both the art and science of teaching and the professional responsibilities of teachers that extend to the broader school community.

The process of teacher evaluation includes a pre-observation meeting between the teacher and evaluator, observation inside and outside of the classroom, the post-observation conference with evaluator notes, and a post-observation report/reflection completed by the teacher. Depending upon the teacher’s years of experience in the District, this process can occur multiple times per year, by multiple evaluators.  Additional data is collected through the use of client surveys.  All of the feedback from these evaluations and surveys is synthesized in the teacher's written professional goals, goal conference, and evaluator's summary report.