N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:10-4.2

Current through Register Vol. 57, No. 1, January 6, 2025

Section 6A:10-4.2 - Student achievement components

(a) Measures of student achievement shall be used to determine impact on student learning. The student achievement measure shall include the following components:

1. If the teacher meets the requirements in (b) below, the median student growth percentile of all students assigned to a teacher, which shall be calculated as set forth in (d) below; and

2. Student growth objective(s), which shall be specific and measurable, based on available student learning data, aligned to New Jersey Student Learning Standards, and based on growth and/or achievement.

i. For teachers who teach subjects or grades not covered by the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, student growth objectives shall align to standards adopted or endorsed, as applicable, by the State Board.

(b) The median student growth percentile shall be included in the annual summative rating of a teacher who:

1. Teaches at least one course or group within a course that falls within a standardized-tested grade or subject. The Department shall maintain on its website a course listing of all standardized-tested grades and subjects for which student growth percentile can be calculated pursuant to (d) below;

2. Teaches the course or group within the course for at least 60 percent of the time from the beginning of the course to the day of the standardized assessment; and

3. Has at least 20 individual student growth percentile scores attributed to his or her name during the school year of the evaluation. If a teacher does not have at least 20 individual student growth percentile scores in a given school year, the student growth percentile scores attributed to a teacher during the two school years prior to the evaluation year may be used in addition to the student growth percentile scores attributed to the teacher during the school year of the evaluation. Only student growth percentile scores from school year 2013-2014 or any school year after shall be used to determine median student growth percentiles.

(c) The Department shall periodically collect data for all teachers that include, but are not limited to, student achievement and teacher practice scores.

(d) The Department shall calculate the median student growth percentile for teachers using students assigned to the teacher by the school district. For teachers who have a student growth percentile score:

1. District boards of education shall submit to the Department final ratings for all components, other than the student growth percentile, for the annual summative rating; and

2. The Department then shall report to the employing district board of education the annual summative rating, including the median student growth percentile for each teacher who receives a median student growth percentile.

(e) Student growth objectives for teachers shall be developed and measured according to the following procedures:

1. The chief school administrator shall determine the number of required student growth objectives for teachers, including teachers with a student growth percentile. A teacher with a student growth percentile shall have at least one and not more than four student growth objectives. A teacher without a student growth percentile shall have at least two and a maximum of four student growth objectives. By August 31, prior to the school year in which the evaluation rubric applies, the Department shall provide on its website the minimum and maximum number of required student growth objectives within this range.

2. A teacher with a student growth percentile shall not use the standardized assessment used in determining the student growth percentile to measure progress toward a student growth objective.

3. Each teacher shall develop, in consultation with his or her supervisor or a principal's designee, each student growth objective. If the teacher does not agree with the student growth objectives, the principal shall make the final determination.

4. Student growth objectives and the criteria for assessing teacher performance based on the objectives shall be determined, recorded, and retained by the teacher and his or her supervisor by October 31 of each school year, or within 25 working days of the teacher's start date if the teacher begins work after October 1.

5. Adjustments to student growth objectives may be made by the teacher in consultation with his or her supervisor only when approved by the chief school administrator or designee. Adjustments shall be recorded in the teacher's personnel file on or before February 15.

i. If the SGO covers only the second semester of the school year, or if a teacher begins work after October 1, adjustments shall be recorded before the mid-point of the second semester.

6. The teacher's designated supervisor shall approve each teacher's student growth objective score. The teacher's student growth objective score, if available, shall be discussed at the teacher's annual summary conference and recorded in the teacher's personnel file.

(f) If a teacher's student growth objective score was the sole cause for an ineffective or partially effective summative rating for the 2013-2014 academic year, the teacher may appeal the summative rating by February 1, 2015, or within 15 school days of receiving the summative rating, whichever is later, to the chief school administrator or designee. Within 15 school days of receiving the appeal, the chief school administrator or designee shall notify the teacher of the decision. If the chief school administrator or designee agrees the student growth objective score was the sole cause for an ineffective or partially effective summative rating, the teacher's student growth objective score weight shall be adjusted from 15 percent to one percent and the teacher practice score weight shall be increased accordingly. Any decision of the chief school administrator with regard to recalculating a teacher's percentage weight and annual summative rating in accordance with this provision may be appealed directly to the Commissioner no later than 15 school days following the chief school administrator's or designee's decision notification to the teacher. The Commissioner shall review whether the annual summative rating was directly and numerically caused by the student growth objective score and may decide the matter on a summary basis.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:10-4.2

Amended by 46 N.J.R. 2140(a), effective 11/3/2014.

Amended by 47 N.J.R. 104(a), effective 1/5/2015

Administrative Change, 48 N.J.R. 1802(a).

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 251(a), effective 2/6/2017