Q1: Name of Evaluator (School Committee Member)Kip FonshQ2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership IndicatorsI-A. Curriculum: Ensures that all instructional staffdesign effective and rigorous standards-based units ofinstruction consisting of well-structured lessons withmeasureable outcomes.ProficientI-B. Instruction: Ensures that practices in all settingsreflect high expectations regarding content and qualityof effort and work, engage all students, and arepersonalized to accommodate diverse learning styles,needs, interests, and levels of readiness.ProficientI-C. Assessment: Ensures that all principals andadministrators facilitate practices that propel personnelto use a variety of formal and informal methods andassessments to measure student learning, growth,and understanding and make necessary adjustmentsto their practice when students are not learning.ProficientI-D. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timelysupervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment withstate regulations and contract provisions.ProficientI-E. Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses multiplesources of evidence related to student learningincluding state, district, and school assessment resultsand growth datato inform school and district goalsand improve organizational performance, educatoreffectiveness, and student learning.ProficientCOMPLETE COMPLETECollector: Collector: Web Link 1Web Link 1 (Web Link) (Web Link)Started: Started: Monday, July 13, 2015 6:55:56 AM Monday, July 13, 2015 6:55:56 AMLast Modified: Last Modified: Monday, July 13, 2015 9:45:54 AM Monday, July 13, 2015 9:45:54 AMTime Spent: Time Spent: 02:49:58 02:49:58IP Address: IP Address: 161.77.201.89 161.77.201.89PAGE 1: Superintendent Evaluation for Maria GerykPAGE 2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership#37 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ3: Overall Rating for Standard One: Instructional Leadership: The education leader promotes thelearning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision thatmakes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.(no label) ProficientQ4: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Since 2011 and her initial appointment as superintendent, Superintendent Geryk has taken steps to empower Central Office and building administrators. To this evaluator these efforts seem largely successful and are a core element of Geryk's ongoing efforts to create and enhance programs, practices and procedures that have as their intended outcome an elevation of standards and expectations for all students. In addition, there appears to be concerted efforts to create systems whereby administrators and instructional staff work together to establish lessons that engage, stimulate and engage students at all levels, but particularly for underperforming students. Furthermore, there is evidence of the establishment of a culture that demands high standards and expectations for staff at all levels and for students. It is clear that the mission to address the ongoing needs to those youngsters who are not performing at grade level continues to be a priority for this administration. There is also evidence that this administration makes appropriate use of data to inform decision making. This includes the use of surveys to determine both staff and community needs and perceptions. Geryk exhibits a fully developed understanding of current educational research related to best practices as it relates to the need for ongoing instruction related professional development. It is clear that the challenge before the school committees is to provide the resources necessary to continue this work.PAGE 3: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations8 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations IndicatorsII-A. Environment: Develops and executes effectiveplans, procedures, routines, and operational systemsto address a full range of safety, health, emotional,and social needs.ExemplaryII-B. Human Resources Management andDevelopment: Implements a cohesive approach torecruiting, hiring, induction, development, and careergrowth that promotes high-quality and effectivepractice.ProficientII-C. Scheduling and Management InformationSystems: Uses systems to ensure optimal use of dataand time for teaching, learning, and collaboration,minimizing disruptions and distractions for school-levelstaff.ProficientII-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands andcomplies with state and federal laws and mandates,school committee policies, collective bargainingagreements, and ethical guidelines.ProficientII-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supportsthe districts vision, mission, and goals; allocates andmanages expenditures consistent with district- andschool-level goals and available resources.ExemplaryQ6: Overall Rating for Standard II: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment,using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling.(no label) ProficientQ7: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Facing intense community pressure to address the climate, culture and safety of the district's schools, Geryk has responded by clearly placing the emotional, social and physical safety of students and staff as a high priority. Her efforts to collaborate with all town entities including police and fire to insure these goals is exemplary. Of particular note is the effort to address the mental health and behavior of students who have demonstrated needs and at risk circumstances. The work in this area is significant evidence of the programs, procedures and practices that Geryk has installed throughout the schools. Also, it must noted her efforts to address a major community concern, the policies and practices related to school discipline. With assistance from a very strong Business Department and fiscal managers, Geryk has demonstrated an ability to craft budgets during very demanding fiscal times that minimize the damage to programs as much as can be expected given the depth of the budgetary cuts required.PAGE 4: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community Engagement9 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ8: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementIII-A. Engagement: Actively ensures that all familiesare welcome members of the classroom and schoolcommunity and can contribute to the effectiveness ofthe classroom, school, district, and community.ProficientIII-B. Sharing Responsibility: Continuously collaborateswith families and community stakeholders to supportstudent learning and development at home, school,and in the community.ProficientIII-C. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way,culturally proficient communication with families andcommunity stakeholders about student learning andperformance.ProficientIII-D. Family Concerns: Addresses family andcommunity concerns in an equitable, effective, andefficient manner.ExemplaryQ9: Overall Rating for Standard III: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, communityorganizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the district and its schools.(no label) ProficientQ10: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).While there will always be miles to go, Geryk is to be commended, along with her staff, at taking major steps to foster an inclusive environment for family engagement. While there are still intensely dissatisfied sectors of the community, the creation of the Family Center was a long overdue effort to create a positive, welcoming and safe environment for families to engage the District. The various ancillary aspects of the Center provide significant evidence of a genuine, sincere effort to establish links to all members of the community. To this evaluator this may be the most important contribution Superintendent Geryk has made to the educational community as well as the larger community.PAGE 5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional Culture10 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ11: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional CultureIV-A. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters ashared commitment to high standards of service,teaching, and learning with high expectations forachievement for all.ProficientIV-B. Cultural Proficiency: Ensures that policies andpractices enable staff members and students tointeract effectively in a culturally diverse environmentin which students backgrounds, identities, strengths,and challenges are respected.ProficientIV-C. Communication: Demonstrates stronginterpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.ProficientIV-D. Continuous Learning: Develops and nurtures aculture in which staff members are reflective abouttheir practice and use student data, current research,best practices, and theory to continuously adaptpractice and achieve improved results. Models thesebehaviors in his or her own practice.ProficientIV-E. Shared Vision: Successfully and continuouslyengages all stakeholders in the creation of a sharededucational vision in which every student is preparedto succeed in postsecondary education and become aresponsible citizen and global contributor.ProficientIV-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies forresponding to disagreement and dissent,constructively resolving conflict and buildingconsensus throughout a district or school community.ProficientQ12: Overall Rating for Standard IV: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by nurturing and sustaining a districtwide culture of reflectivepractice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.(no label) ProficientQ13: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).During the multiple years of this evaluator's tenure on the Regional School Committee I have been witness to the emergence of intense and, at times, very contentious community discussions regarding the promises and realities of a culturally diverse community. There have been occasions when it appeared that certain elements of the community were more intent on fostering tensions rather than seeking common and collaborative solutions to problems that not only concern our communities, but are broader societal matters as well. This is an area where many were unprepared for the intensity of many of the attacks generated by these controversies. In the opinion of this evaluator this will continue to be an area that Superintendent Geryk will need to continue to build on what she has already done to address this matter. For many in the community, what she does will never be enough or sufficient. However, her work this past year provides evidence of an awareness of the controversy, a willingness to address it, and the creativity to generate solutions.11 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ14: Assess Performance on Standards (copy from questions 3, 6, 9, and 12)Standard I: Instructional Leadership ProficientStandard II: Management and Operations ProficientStandard III: Family and Community Engagement ProficientStandard IV: Professional Culture ProficientQ15: STUDENT LEARNING GOAL: We will utilize data such as the recent TELL survey results, familysurveys, and achievement data to build the District and School Improvement Plans with actionablestudent goals based on feedback from families, staff, and student achievement data. In addition, wewill use evidence-based practices (with citations) to ensure that our methodology is supported bycurrent research.(no label) MetQ16: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL: With my guidance and supervision, principals will developdetailed plans for a staff development program at faculty meetings that improves the effectiveness ofteachers efforts to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Tapping internal and externalexpertise, priority will be placed on examining the effects of institutionalized bias on studentsidentity and their learning and culturally proficient instruction and school practices. In addition, I willobserve teaching with principals on a regular basis to ensure that principals are skilled in describingthe instructional strategies needed to support all learners and offer feedback to teachers in this area.(no label) MetQ17: District Improvement Goal: To create a functional structure to support students and families inpreparing students with special education needs for transition to post-secondary life.(no label) MetQ18: District Improvement Goal (Part A): To successfully implement phase one of the AmherstTogether Collective Impact Initiative: Building Foundations for Community Engagement(no label) MetQ19: Overall Summative Performance(no label) ProficientPAGE 6: Assess Performance on Standards (summary of above)PAGE 7: Assess Progress Towards GoalsPAGE 8: Rate Overall Summative Performance12 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ20: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).This evaluator would like to make one additional comment and that is to recognize Superintendent Geryk's ability to put together a Central Office staff of extraordinary talent and expertise. This ability is also manifested in the quality of the building administrations as well.13 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ1: Name of Evaluator (School Committee Member)Darius ModestowQ2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership IndicatorsI-A. Curriculum: Ensures that all instructional staffdesign effective and rigorous standards-based units ofinstruction consisting of well-structured lessons withmeasureable outcomes.ProficientI-B. Instruction: Ensures that practices in all settingsreflect high expectations regarding content and qualityof effort and work, engage all students, and arepersonalized to accommodate diverse learning styles,needs, interests, and levels of readiness.ProficientI-C. Assessment: Ensures that all principals andadministrators facilitate practices that propel personnelto use a variety of formal and informal methods andassessments to measure student learning, growth,and understanding and make necessary adjustmentsto their practice when students are not learning.ProficientI-D. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timelysupervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment withstate regulations and contract provisions.ExemplaryI-E. Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses multiplesources of evidence related to student learningincluding state, district, and school assessment resultsand growth datato inform school and district goalsand improve organizational performance, educatoreffectiveness, and student learning.ExemplaryCOMPLETE COMPLETECollector: Collector: Web Link 1Web Link 1 (Web Link) (Web Link)Started: Started: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 9:30:29 AM Tuesday, July 14, 2015 9:30:29 AMLast Modified: Last Modified: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 11:33:28 AM Tuesday, July 14, 2015 11:33:28 AMTime Spent: Time Spent: 02:02:59 02:02:59IP Address: IP Address: 66.59.57.130 66.59.57.130PAGE 1: Superintendent Evaluation for Maria GerykPAGE 2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership#414 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ3: Overall Rating for Standard One: Instructional Leadership: The education leader promotes thelearning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision thatmakes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.(no label) ProficientQ4: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).I-D: Amherst-Pelham was chosen as one of four exemplary districts to be featured in a series of videos on implementing the new Educator Evaluation model.I-E:Implemented an achievement data system (Inform) , Along with School Committee members, encouraged broad staff participation in the TELL survey (resulting in each school meeting the threshold to receive results), Surveyed families about their experience with their child(ren)s school(s)Q5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations IndicatorsII-A. Environment: Develops and executes effectiveplans, procedures, routines, and operational systemsto address a full range of safety, health, emotional,and social needs.ExemplaryII-B. Human Resources Management andDevelopment: Implements a cohesive approach torecruiting, hiring, induction, development, and careergrowth that promotes high-quality and effectivepractice.ProficientII-C. Scheduling and Management InformationSystems: Uses systems to ensure optimal use of dataand time for teaching, learning, and collaboration,minimizing disruptions and distractions for school-levelstaff.ProficientII-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands andcomplies with state and federal laws and mandates,school committee policies, collective bargainingagreements, and ethical guidelines.ProficientII-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supportsthe districts vision, mission, and goals; allocates andmanages expenditures consistent with district- andschool-level goals and available resources.ProficientQ6: Overall Rating for Standard II: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment,using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling.(no label) ProficientPAGE 3: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations15 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ7: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).II-A: The Superintendent has shown in her decision making that student safety is put first.She creates policies and procedures that promote safe schools ahead of popular opinions. I.e. Dogs, bus conduct, secure buildings.Q8: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementIII-A. Engagement: Actively ensures that all familiesare welcome members of the classroom and schoolcommunity and can contribute to the effectiveness ofthe classroom, school, district, and community.ProficientIII-B. Sharing Responsibility: Continuously collaborateswith families and community stakeholders to supportstudent learning and development at home, school,and in the community.ExemplaryIII-C. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way,culturally proficient communication with families andcommunity stakeholders about student learning andperformance.ExemplaryIII-D. Family Concerns: Addresses family andcommunity concerns in an equitable, effective, andefficient manner.ExemplaryQ9: Overall Rating for Standard III: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, communityorganizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the district and its schools.(no label) ExemplaryQ10: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).The superintendent's fourth goal outlined and successfully delivered community outreach and partnership to support the mission of the school.While the majority of this goal took place in the Amherst community the overall promotion of partnership could be felt throughout all districts.PAGE 4: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementPAGE 5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional Culture16 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ11: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional CultureIV-A. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters ashared commitment to high standards of service,teaching, and learning with high expectations forachievement for all.ProficientIV-B. Cultural Proficiency: Ensures that policies andpractices enable staff members and students tointeract effectively in a culturally diverse environmentin which students backgrounds, identities, strengths,and challenges are respected.ExemplaryIV-C. Communication: Demonstrates stronginterpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.ExemplaryIV-D. Continuous Learning: Develops and nurtures aculture in which staff members are reflective abouttheir practice and use student data, current research,best practices, and theory to continuously adaptpractice and achieve improved results. Models thesebehaviors in his or her own practice.ExemplaryIV-E. Shared Vision: Successfully and continuouslyengages all stakeholders in the creation of a sharededucational vision in which every student is preparedto succeed in postsecondary education and become aresponsible citizen and global contributor.ProficientIV-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies forresponding to disagreement and dissent,constructively resolving conflict and buildingconsensus throughout a district or school community.ExemplaryQ12: Overall Rating for Standard IV: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by nurturing and sustaining a districtwide culture of reflectivepractice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.(no label) ExemplaryQ13: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).IV-B:The Professional Practice Goal emphasised the need for the staff in each school to look at their own cultural proficiency with support.The Superintendent made excellent progress on this goal and her team should be recognized for their efforts as this type of change does not happen within one evaluation cycle. IV-C: The Superintendent communicates well with all stakeholders.Many of these conversations can be difficult and require a great deal of tact and grace. IV-D: Progress in goals of Student Learning andProfessional Practice show a district self examining and using that data to reflect and develop best practices. IV-F: A great deal of conflicts are managed behind the scenes and have more layers than what is seen by the public.The Superintendent manages very well an often hyper critical community and school committees that have at times created more issues/work with personal ideas rather than the developed district goals.17 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ14: Assess Performance on Standards (copy from questions 3, 6, 9, and 12)Standard I: Instructional Leadership ProficientStandard II: Management and Operations ProficientStandard III: Family and Community Engagement ExemplaryStandard IV: Professional Culture ExemplaryQ15: STUDENT LEARNING GOAL: We will utilize data such as the recent TELL survey results, familysurveys, and achievement data to build the District and School Improvement Plans with actionablestudent goals based on feedback from families, staff, and student achievement data. In addition, wewill use evidence-based practices (with citations) to ensure that our methodology is supported bycurrent research.(no label) ExceededComments (optional)"Met" does not capture the amount of work done on this goal so I have given it an "exceeded" mark.Q16: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL: With my guidance and supervision, principals will developdetailed plans for a staff development program at faculty meetings that improves the effectiveness ofteachers efforts to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Tapping internal and externalexpertise, priority will be placed on examining the effects of institutionalized bias on studentsidentity and their learning and culturally proficient instruction and school practices. In addition, I willobserve teaching with principals on a regular basis to ensure that principals are skilled in describingthe instructional strategies needed to support all learners and offer feedback to teachers in this area.(no label) ExceededComments (optional)"Met" does not capture the amount of work done on this goal so I have given it an "exceeded" mark.Q17: District Improvement Goal: To create a functional structure to support students and families inpreparing students with special education needs for transition to post-secondary life.(no label) MetComments (optional)Evidence shows having met this goal. Not a Pelham School Goal.PAGE 6: Assess Performance on Standards (summary of above)PAGE 7: Assess Progress Towards Goals18 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ18: District Improvement Goal (Part A): To successfully implement phase one of the AmherstTogether Collective Impact Initiative: Building Foundations for Community Engagement(no label) ExceededComments (optional)Has met the goal of phase one. This plan has been done very well and is acknowledged by this "exceeded"mark.Q19: Overall Summative Performance(no label) ExemplaryQ20: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Superintendent Geryk has received a Exemplary mark for her Summative Performance. It is difficult to give an "Exemplary" Summative mark, as exceeding in every standard is near impossible given the scope of this evaluation. To have an exemplary evaluation does not indicate a perfect year or that all standards found in this evaluation are without need of work. However, because of the amount of success Mrs. Geryk and her team has shown in areas of concentration (goals) set by the school committee, she deserves this recognition. She has had an excellent year as leader of our school district.PAGE 8: Rate Overall Summative Performance19 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ1: Name of Evaluator (School Committee Member)Lawrence E. O'BrienQ2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership IndicatorsI-A. Curriculum: Ensures that all instructional staffdesign effective and rigorous standards-based units ofinstruction consisting of well-structured lessons withmeasureable outcomes.ProficientI-B. Instruction: Ensures that practices in all settingsreflect high expectations regarding content and qualityof effort and work, engage all students, and arepersonalized to accommodate diverse learning styles,needs, interests, and levels of readiness.ProficientI-C. Assessment: Ensures that all principals andadministrators facilitate practices that propel personnelto use a variety of formal and informal methods andassessments to measure student learning, growth,and understanding and make necessary adjustmentsto their practice when students are not learning.ProficientI-D. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timelysupervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment withstate regulations and contract provisions.ExemplaryI-E. Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses multiplesources of evidence related to student learningincluding state, district, and school assessment resultsand growth datato inform school and district goalsand improve organizational performance, educatoreffectiveness, and student learning.ProficientCOMPLETE COMPLETECollector: Collector: Web Link 1Web Link 1 (Web Link) (Web Link)Started: Started: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 12:45:42 PM Wednesday, July 15, 2015 12:45:42 PMLast Modified: Last Modified: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 2:50:50 PM Wednesday, July 15, 2015 2:50:50 PMTime Spent: Time Spent: 02:05:08 02:05:08IP Address: IP Address: 108.8.205.40 108.8.205.40PAGE 1: Superintendent Evaluation for Maria GerykPAGE 2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership#520 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ3: Overall Rating for Standard One: Instructional Leadership: The education leader promotes thelearning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision thatmakes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.(no label) ProficientQ4: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).I think the true standout evidence in this category are the Department of Elementary and Secondary videos on our district's successful implementation of the relatively new evaluation system.The "Proficient" ranking In the other categories are based on the clear evidence that a lot of macro-systems have been put in place by Superintendent Geryk, (including the introduction of curriculum leaders and the elementary level) but I think in future evaluations it would helpful to receive more specific evidence of follow-through with these macro-systems.For example, district staff have done and continue to do very good work horizontally and vertically integrating the curriculum in various subject areas, now it's time to start getting more refined evidence of the common assessments that have been put in place to measure the success of those curricula.Q5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations IndicatorsII-A. Environment: Develops and executes effectiveplans, procedures, routines, and operational systemsto address a full range of safety, health, emotional,and social needs.ExemplaryII-B. Human Resources Management andDevelopment: Implements a cohesive approach torecruiting, hiring, induction, development, and careergrowth that promotes high-quality and effectivepractice.ProficientII-C. Scheduling and Management InformationSystems: Uses systems to ensure optimal use of dataand time for teaching, learning, and collaboration,minimizing disruptions and distractions for school-levelstaff.Needs ImprovementII-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands andcomplies with state and federal laws and mandates,school committee policies, collective bargainingagreements, and ethical guidelines.Needs ImprovementII-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supportsthe districts vision, mission, and goals; allocates andmanages expenditures consistent with district- andschool-level goals and available resources.ExemplaryPAGE 3: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations21 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ6: Overall Rating for Standard II: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment,using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling.(no label) ProficientQ7: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).The exemplary ratings in this category can be attributed to the creation and work of the Interagency Transition Team, the District Transition Working Group and the other initiatives discussed in Superintendent Geryk's self-evaluation on Standard III-B-1.Well done.The needs improvement ratings in II-C and II-D are in response to my ongoing concerns about the many upcoming changes at ARMS that I think will have an adverse effect on student learning and staff morale, as well as a strong, but respectful disagreement with her about Policy IGA, specifically regarding the role of the School Committee in curriculum development and program evaluation.Finally, I can't give enough praise for the work of our Budget and Finance Director, Mr. Mangano, and his top-notch work at collaborating with the superintendent and her other direct reports at creating a budget that aligns with our district's goals.Well done!Q8: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementIII-A. Engagement: Actively ensures that all familiesare welcome members of the classroom and schoolcommunity and can contribute to the effectiveness ofthe classroom, school, district, and community.ExemplaryIII-B. Sharing Responsibility: Continuously collaborateswith families and community stakeholders to supportstudent learning and development at home, school,and in the community.ProficientIII-C. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way,culturally proficient communication with families andcommunity stakeholders about student learning andperformance.Needs ImprovementIII-D. Family Concerns: Addresses family andcommunity concerns in an equitable, effective, andefficient manner.ProficientQ9: Overall Rating for Standard III: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, communityorganizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the district and its schools.(no label) ProficientPAGE 4: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community Engagement22 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ10: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).While Superintendent Geryk has helped create or outright established such highly regarded initiatives as Amherst Together or the ARPS Family Center (with all of it's excellent programs such as Family University), there have been occasions when some initiatives have been marred by insufficient communication.As I noted in the previous category, there were many problems with the initial ARMS schedule change presentation in terms of communication with the Regional School Committee, as well as parents.However, it would only be fair for me to note that the presentation of the ARHS schedule changes indicated that the superintendent and her administrative team learned from the previous unfortunate experience and handled that in a much more skillful manner.Q11: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional CultureIV-A. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters ashared commitment to high standards of service,teaching, and learning with high expectations forachievement for all.ExemplaryIV-B. Cultural Proficiency: Ensures that policies andpractices enable staff members and students tointeract effectively in a culturally diverse environmentin which students backgrounds, identities, strengths,and challenges are respected.ProficientIV-C. Communication: Demonstrates stronginterpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.ProficientIV-D. Continuous Learning: Develops and nurtures aculture in which staff members are reflective abouttheir practice and use student data, current research,best practices, and theory to continuously adaptpractice and achieve improved results. Models thesebehaviors in his or her own practice.ProficientIV-E. Shared Vision: Successfully and continuouslyengages all stakeholders in the creation of a sharededucational vision in which every student is preparedto succeed in postsecondary education and become aresponsible citizen and global contributor.ProficientIV-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies forresponding to disagreement and dissent,constructively resolving conflict and buildingconsensus throughout a district or school community.Needs ImprovementQ12: Overall Rating for Standard IV: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by nurturing and sustaining a districtwide culture of reflectivepractice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.(no label) ProficientPAGE 5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional Culture23 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ13: Comments and analysis (comments arerecommended for any overall rating; however,ratings other than proficient require the elevator toprovide comments including rationale, evidence,and feedback for improvement).Respondent skipped thisquestionQ14: Assess Performance on Standards (copy from questions 3, 6, 9, and 12)Standard I: Instructional Leadership ProficientStandard II: Management and Operations ProficientStandard III: Family and Community Engagement ProficientStandard IV: Professional Culture ProficientQ15: STUDENT LEARNING GOAL: We will utilize data such as the recent TELL survey results, familysurveys, and achievement data to build the District and School Improvement Plans with actionablestudent goals based on feedback from families, staff, and student achievement data. In addition, wewill use evidence-based practices (with citations) to ensure that our methodology is supported bycurrent research.(no label) MetQ16: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL: With my guidance and supervision, principals will developdetailed plans for a staff development program at faculty meetings that improves the effectiveness ofteachers efforts to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Tapping internal and externalexpertise, priority will be placed on examining the effects of institutionalized bias on studentsidentity and their learning and culturally proficient instruction and school practices. In addition, I willobserve teaching with principals on a regular basis to ensure that principals are skilled in describingthe instructional strategies needed to support all learners and offer feedback to teachers in this area.(no label) Significant ProgressComments (optional)I think that Superintendent Geryk has made significant progress toward getting into our schools to observeher principals at work, but that she needs to do even more of that, even if it means delegating less to theAssistant Superintendent.Q17: District Improvement Goal: To create a functional structure to support students and families inpreparing students with special education needs for transition to post-secondary life.(no label) MetPAGE 6: Assess Performance on Standards (summary of above)PAGE 7: Assess Progress Towards Goals24 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ18: District Improvement Goal (Part A): To successfully implement phase one of the AmherstTogether Collective Impact Initiative: Building Foundations for Community Engagement(no label) MetQ19: Overall Summative Performance(no label) ProficientQ20: Comments and analysis (comments arerecommended for any overall rating; however,ratings other than proficient require the elevator toprovide comments including rationale, evidence,and feedback for improvement).Respondent skipped thisquestionPAGE 8: Rate Overall Summative Performance25 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ1: Name of Evaluator (School Committee Member)Katherine AppyQ2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership IndicatorsI-A. Curriculum: Ensures that all instructional staffdesign effective and rigorous standards-based units ofinstruction consisting of well-structured lessons withmeasureable outcomes.ProficientI-B. Instruction: Ensures that practices in all settingsreflect high expectations regarding content and qualityof effort and work, engage all students, and arepersonalized to accommodate diverse learning styles,needs, interests, and levels of readiness.ExemplaryI-C. Assessment: Ensures that all principals andadministrators facilitate practices that propel personnelto use a variety of formal and informal methods andassessments to measure student learning, growth,and understanding and make necessary adjustmentsto their practice when students are not learning.ProficientI-D. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timelysupervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment withstate regulations and contract provisions.ExemplaryI-E. Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses multiplesources of evidence related to student learningincluding state, district, and school assessment resultsand growth datato inform school and district goalsand improve organizational performance, educatoreffectiveness, and student learning.ExemplaryCOMPLETE COMPLETECollector: Collector: Web Link 1Web Link 1 (Web Link) (Web Link)Started: Started: Saturday, July 11, 2015 9:02:19 AM Saturday, July 11, 2015 9:02:19 AMLast Modified: Last Modified: Thursday, July 16, 2015 5:22:37 PM Thursday, July 16, 2015 5:22:37 PMTime Spent: Time Spent: Over a day Over a dayIP Address: IP Address: 50.187.48.133 50.187.48.133PAGE 1: Superintendent Evaluation for Maria GerykPAGE 2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership#626 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ3: Overall Rating for Standard One: Instructional Leadership: The education leader promotes thelearning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision thatmakes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.(no label) ExemplaryQ4: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).In the 4 years that I have been on School Committee, I have watched and learned as the Superintendent and her leadership team have created the conditions to move our districts forward in the service of meeting the needs of our diverse student population.The revision of the High School mathematics pathway is one example of this ongoing curricular work.At the Elementary level the focus on early literacy demonstrates the Superintendents understanding of the importance of early literacy in the long term academic success of students.Arts integrationat the elementary level is another example of valuing the strengths, interests and values of our children and our community, while simultaneouslymoving the learning experience and access to best instruction for all kids, forward.Last year, a survey of teachers and staff revealed a general sense of unhappiness with the then current Professional Development offerings. The Superintendent responded to this feedback by initiating and supporting a new Professional Development model that I believe is really exceptional.It draws on the expertise of our own faculty and staff.The feedback to this shift in Professional Development has been strongly positive as reflected in the summaries and feedback provided to the School Committee.Another major initiative the creation of in-house sequences to support our own staff in obtaining certifications- is really innovative and responsive to the staff and communitys desire to hire from our own communitys talent poolin order to more strongly reflect our diverse population.The implementation of instructional coaches at the secondary level( coaches already in place at the elementary level)and the expansion of the co-teaching model demonstrates the Superintendents use of evidence based strategies to meet the needs of all learners.Continued work and growth on observation and meaningful feedback to staff through the use of the evaluation model, continues.Our district was one of 4 chosen across the State as a model to be highlighted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.The evidence provided through the videos ( produced by DESE) were really wonderful and demonstrated how advanced our districts are in the professional use of the new evaluation model.It is clear, that Instructional Leadership is an area of real strength for the Superintendent.Her focus on instruction and our students experience in the classroom, is essential to our schools meeting the mission of providing access to best instruction for every student in the district.I will be interested to see how these instructional changes, in particular co-teaching, plays out in our schools to benefit kids.In addition, I look forward to the implementation of the Arts Integration model at the Middle School.I was glad to see the Superintendent increase her time in the schools at the secondary level.While it was great that the Assistant Superintendent was present at the elementary level, I am pleased that the Superintendent plans to spend more time there next year.PAGE 3: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations27 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations IndicatorsII-A. Environment: Develops and executes effectiveplans, procedures, routines, and operational systemsto address a full range of safety, health, emotional,and social needs.ProficientII-B. Human Resources Management andDevelopment: Implements a cohesive approach torecruiting, hiring, induction, development, and careergrowth that promotes high-quality and effectivepractice.ProficientII-C. Scheduling and Management InformationSystems: Uses systems to ensure optimal use of dataand time for teaching, learning, and collaboration,minimizing disruptions and distractions for school-levelstaff.ExemplaryII-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands andcomplies with state and federal laws and mandates,school committee policies, collective bargainingagreements, and ethical guidelines.ProficientII-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supportsthe districts vision, mission, and goals; allocates andmanages expenditures consistent with district- andschool-level goals and available resources.ExemplaryQ6: Overall Rating for Standard II: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment,using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling.(no label) Proficient28 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ7: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).As a member of the Wildwood Building Committee, I have had a firsthand experience of the work being done toward a substantial school building project.The process has thus far, been comprehensive, collaborative. I believe the communication methods weve utilized so far, have been successful and theongoing communication plan, well considered. The exploration of a possible consolidation of our secondary schools is another large project which I believe is essential to the health of our schools.Given flat funding and declining enrollment, we must consider how to continuously improve our schools.I appreciate the Superintendents thoughtful multi year vision, centering around sustainability and the survival of a school district that continues to reflect our community values.The Superintendent has contracted with the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration to design and facilitate an engagement process around this possible consolidation and other projects that will support our schools. The Superintendent has led the Districts adjustment to a change in the law that addresses student discipline but, she did not stop there.She directed the revision of the codes of conduct and supported substantial professional development related to restorative practices.In addition the district under the Superintendents leadership, is becoming more adept at using and analyzing discipline date to support continued efforts to reduce the amount of time students spend outside the classroom and away from learning.There is a clear ongoing effort to recruit, retain and support staff.I appreciate that the Superintendent is gathering information from faculty, staff and consultants to strengthen these efforts.The hiring of our new Finance Director was a strong decision.In my 4 years on the Committee, this years budget process was by far the best. The Director and his documents, were clear, instructive and collaborative.The review and adjustment of time on learning was undertaken this year, in particular at the secondary level. The process at the Middle School could have gone much more smoothly.I am glad that the Superintendent took this feedback and adjusted the High School process, which then went exceptionally well.Q8: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementIII-A. Engagement: Actively ensures that all familiesare welcome members of the classroom and schoolcommunity and can contribute to the effectiveness ofthe classroom, school, district, and community.ExemplaryIII-B. Sharing Responsibility: Continuously collaborateswith families and community stakeholders to supportstudent learning and development at home, school,and in the community.ExemplaryIII-C. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way,culturally proficient communication with families andcommunity stakeholders about student learning andperformance.ProficientIII-D. Family Concerns: Addresses family andcommunity concerns in an equitable, effective, andefficient manner.ProficientPAGE 4: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community Engagement29 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ9: Overall Rating for Standard III: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, communityorganizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the district and its schools.(no label) ProficientQ10: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Family and Community engagement play a significant part in the academic success of children.Over the last several years, this has been a tremendous focus of the Superintendent and a vital part of moving our districts toward schools in which every student can achieve to the best of their ability.The Family Center is the cornerstone of this effort.Its staff has supported and engaged hundreds of students and their families.The Family Lecture series, Steps to Success, Juntos We Play and Family University are just some of the concrete strategies used by the Center to do outreach and support student learning.This year we saw the beginning of a Family Engagement Review process at each school that I hope will provide baseline information to support each school in designing actionable steps.This engagement included focus groups of staff and faculty as well as families.I will be interested in seeing how this work progresses.The Parent Teacher Home Visit Project is another evidence based initiative that I look forward to supporting and engaginghistorically undeserved students.Numerous partnerships have been established with community organizations and institutions of higher learning to benefit our students.The University of Chicago Impact Connections sounds as though it will provide as assessment of our system which could support the creation of a multi-year plan.Another step toward continuous improvement.The formation of these partnerships in the service of advancing our schools is another particular strength of our Superintendent.While, as I mentioned the Middle School schedule roll out received a great deal of negative feedback, I believe the math program change, the High School schedule process and the MSBA process have gone extremely well.Communication with the School Committee has increased this year and is much appreciated.Communication in general by the Superintendent has gotten better.The weekly written updates to families and the School Committee have been informative.I have heard positive comments from community members specifically about these updates.I also thought the newspaper articles and corresponding videos were terrific.We must continue to focus on community engagement and communicating clearly and in a timely fashion with our community.I really appreciate and recognize the Superintendents efforts in implementing some new strategies this year.PAGE 5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional Culture30 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ11: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional CultureIV-A. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters ashared commitment to high standards of service,teaching, and learning with high expectations forachievement for all.ExemplaryIV-B. Cultural Proficiency: Ensures that policies andpractices enable staff members and students tointeract effectively in a culturally diverse environmentin which students backgrounds, identities, strengths,and challenges are respected.ProficientIV-C. Communication: Demonstrates stronginterpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.ExemplaryIV-D. Continuous Learning: Develops and nurtures aculture in which staff members are reflective abouttheir practice and use student data, current research,best practices, and theory to continuously adaptpractice and achieve improved results. Models thesebehaviors in his or her own practice.ExemplaryIV-E. Shared Vision: Successfully and continuouslyengages all stakeholders in the creation of a sharededucational vision in which every student is preparedto succeed in postsecondary education and become aresponsible citizen and global contributor.ProficientIV-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies forresponding to disagreement and dissent,constructively resolving conflict and buildingconsensus throughout a district or school community.Needs ImprovementQ12: Overall Rating for Standard IV: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by nurturing and sustaining a districtwide culture of reflectivepractice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.(no label) ExemplaryQ13: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).I believe the Superintendent has grown substantially in her ability to use multiple methods of communication to represent the school communitys voice.Some of these methods included the local newspaper, a blog, Twitter, PSAs, Amherst Media segments and weekly emails to families and School Committee.The Superintendents commitment to continuous learning is demonstrated at all levels of the organization, including the District Leadership team, the mentoring and induction series, the coaching model and the professional development model.The creation of Amherst Together-in collaboration with the Town- is a clear effort to create a collaborative environment to support our students. One of the strategies I particularly appreciated was the gathering of perception data which then allowed stakeholders to work on collective impact action plans to strengthen community connection and engagement.The perception data report is detailed and professionally done.I also understand that the presentation to the community of the data was very well done and well attended.31 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ14: Assess Performance on Standards (copy from questions 3, 6, 9, and 12)Standard I: Instructional Leadership ExemplaryStandard II: Management and Operations ProficientStandard III: Family and Community Engagement ProficientStandard IV: Professional Culture ExemplaryQ15: STUDENT LEARNING GOAL: We will utilize data such as the recent TELL survey results, familysurveys, and achievement data to build the District and School Improvement Plans with actionablestudent goals based on feedback from families, staff, and student achievement data. In addition, wewill use evidence-based practices (with citations) to ensure that our methodology is supported bycurrent research.(no label) MetQ16: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL: With my guidance and supervision, principals will developdetailed plans for a staff development program at faculty meetings that improves the effectiveness ofteachers efforts to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Tapping internal and externalexpertise, priority will be placed on examining the effects of institutionalized bias on studentsidentity and their learning and culturally proficient instruction and school practices. In addition, I willobserve teaching with principals on a regular basis to ensure that principals are skilled in describingthe instructional strategies needed to support all learners and offer feedback to teachers in this area.(no label) MetQ17: District Improvement Goal: To create a functional structure to support students and families inpreparing students with special education needs for transition to post-secondary life.(no label) MetQ18: District Improvement Goal (Part A): To successfully implement phase one of the AmherstTogether Collective Impact Initiative: Building Foundations for Community Engagement(no label) MetQ19: Overall Summative Performance(no label) ExemplaryPAGE 6: Assess Performance on Standards (summary of above)PAGE 7: Assess Progress Towards GoalsPAGE 8: Rate Overall Summative Performance32 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ20: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).As referenced in my feedback earlier in this evaluation I believe the Superintendent has worked tirelessly to created the conditions for our districts to be sustainable, comprehensive and remarkable public schools.Schools that understand the importance of providing teachers with the support, data and feedback they need to offer our students the best possible differentiated instruction for a variety of learning styles.The Superintendent understands that it benefits all learners to keep students in the classroom, together as a learning community. It is extraordinary, that the Amherst public schools have given money back to the Town for the last two years.This represents the Superintendent's management and long term planning in a time when many districts are losing not only teachers, but enriching programs.Even at the secondary level- where large cuts where required- the budget was created to have as little impact on the classroom as possible.Over the time I have been on School Committee I have experienced our Superintendent as a visionary leader and have watched as this leadership style has matured. Our district under her leadership, has been recognized by national and state agencies and organizations.The Superintendent has a unique ability to communicate her vision and develop and implement strategies to realize it. She juggles many balls in the air and for the most part, does so with grace and equanimity.It is clear that she puts students first in whatever she does.It can be hard at times in our community to maintain this student focus.The Superintendent is able to hold on to what's important in moving the district to a place that she believes is best for all students.33 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ1: Name of Evaluator (School Committee Member)Kathleen TraphagenQ2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership IndicatorsI-A. Curriculum: Ensures that all instructional staffdesign effective and rigorous standards-based units ofinstruction consisting of well-structured lessons withmeasureable outcomes.ProficientI-B. Instruction: Ensures that practices in all settingsreflect high expectations regarding content and qualityof effort and work, engage all students, and arepersonalized to accommodate diverse learning styles,needs, interests, and levels of readiness.ProficientI-C. Assessment: Ensures that all principals andadministrators facilitate practices that propel personnelto use a variety of formal and informal methods andassessments to measure student learning, growth,and understanding and make necessary adjustmentsto their practice when students are not learning.ProficientI-D. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timelysupervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment withstate regulations and contract provisions.ProficientI-E. Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses multiplesources of evidence related to student learningincluding state, district, and school assessment resultsand growth datato inform school and district goalsand improve organizational performance, educatoreffectiveness, and student learning.Needs ImprovementCOMPLETE COMPLETECollector: Collector: Web Link 1Web Link 1 (Web Link) (Web Link)Started: Started: Saturday, July 18, 2015 10:21:00 AM Saturday, July 18, 2015 10:21:00 AMLast Modified: Last Modified: Saturday, July 18, 2015 4:06:44 PM Saturday, July 18, 2015 4:06:44 PMTime Spent: Time Spent: 05:45:44 05:45:44IP Address: IP Address: 50.187.50.4 50.187.50.4PAGE 1: Superintendent Evaluation for Maria GerykPAGE 2: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard I: Instructional Leadership#734 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ3: Overall Rating for Standard One: Instructional Leadership: The education leader promotes thelearning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision thatmakes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.(no label) ProficientQ4: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Commendations:Undertaking the multi-year effort at the elementary level to establish a unified curricula is no small project and I commend Maria and the leadership team for persevering in this. It is not easy to unify schedules and support teachers in using curricula that enhances and doesnt dampen teachers creativity and selves they bring to the work and at the same time meet the needs of the increasingly diverse student population. Creating elementary curricula leaders seems a promising strategy and Id be interested in the teachers perspective on the effectiveness of that strategy. I think the district is beginning to see the benefits of this work, including the arts integration project, grade-wide reading and math groups, etc. examples of things that can only happen when each classroom is not its own island any longer.I am also grateful for the restoration of third grade music instruction.I applaud the increase in co-teaching and the initiative to work toward inclusion as much as possible, and hope the district will continue to provide out-of-classroom support when needed, provide the supports the teachers need to work in this new way, and evaluate this effort well.I think rejecting the kindergarten grant was the right decision, thank you for listening to the teachers on the undue assessment burden that took away their time with students. Please continue to review the number and nature of assessments that students take, and understanding that many of these are within the purview of the district, streamline as much as possible. At the same time, many assessments are still fairly flat in what they ask of our kids multiple choice, fill in the blank, etc. How can we push the envelope so that kids are engaged in performance based and more complex assessments and are given the time for self reflection to understand themselves as learners?I am glad to see the initiative to use Understanding by Design and emphasis on increasing cognitive demand (which I had to look up since its education jargon) but I found it aligns already with a point I wanted to make about increasing teachers capacity to support students to think in complex ways and apply information in new settings, and create, rather than just take in static information. Thank you for the specific documentation of the learning rounds at ARMS which show how complex a task it is to change instructional practice to do this. I am interested in how the district will understand how much change is taking place here and how you will evaluate your various initiatives on this.I am really glad to see the focus on improving professional development from last year and how that has already had an impact (at least as seen in how teachers rate their experiences).Concerns:With the ongoing push toward common curricula and schedules at the elementary level, it is critical to preserve and expand teacher autonomy, respect their experience, and give room for their creativity. Not every class should look the same. Not every afterschool program needs to offer the same things. Individual teachers and schools need to have the support and autonomy to creatively teach including projects (backed by evidence of success) that might not be happening exactly the same way or even at all in other classrooms and schools.On curricula I still dont see any evidence that the needs of advanced students at the elementary or ARMS level are prioritized or met. Even the RTI pyramid only focuses attention on kids who are not getting it, there is 35 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeylevel are prioritized or met. Even the RTI pyramid only focuses attention on kids who are not getting it, there is not even an indication that kids who are above grade level need extra attention, much any discussion about how to meet their needs. For example, the Fort River Data Driven Instructional Planning Form, has the same box for At or Above Target. This is two different things! This needs to be taken seriously for so many reasons losing families to other educational choices, turning kids off because they are bored, many will act out, many will disengage. The go-to instructional strategy for kids who are above target is still to have them help other kids. This is unacceptable.The reason why I noted Needs Improvement to the data informed decision making is because the SIPs - particularly the elementary SIPs and the DIP lack measurable outcomes. IE2 notes: "Provides support to principles in their efforts to create focused, measurable goals" but I haven't seen this. Also as I note here in many places, there are so many initiatives on which process oriented outputs are reported but outcomes are not.Other than in the ARMS SIP, I dont see the focus I am hoping for on how, in the curriculum mapping (and unification at the elementary level), the district understands and is prioritizing the need to transform curricula to reflect cultures and ways of being other than the dominant white paradigm. I would like to see a comprehensive preK-12 plan focused on teacher professional development around equity, race, implicit bias, identity etc. There is a lot going on here but its not presented or communicated coherently, its all in pieces and its hard to see how it adds up and how it will be evaluated comprehensively. It seems from the evaluations of the specific equity-focused teacher PD sessions at the elementary level, they do not have a clear idea of how the PD they did applies to their teaching practice. Its unclear what the pathway of PD is this is clearly not a one and done experience but whats the trajectory?Q5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations IndicatorsII-A. Environment: Develops and executes effectiveplans, procedures, routines, and operational systemsto address a full range of safety, health, emotional,and social needs.ProficientII-B. Human Resources Management andDevelopment: Implements a cohesive approach torecruiting, hiring, induction, development, and careergrowth that promotes high-quality and effectivepractice.Needs ImprovementII-C. Scheduling and Management InformationSystems: Uses systems to ensure optimal use of dataand time for teaching, learning, and collaboration,minimizing disruptions and distractions for school-levelstaff.ProficientII-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands andcomplies with state and federal laws and mandates,school committee policies, collective bargainingagreements, and ethical guidelines.ProficientII-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supportsthe districts vision, mission, and goals; allocates andmanages expenditures consistent with district- andschool-level goals and available resources.ExemplaryPAGE 3: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations36 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ6: Overall Rating for Standard II: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment,using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling.(no label) ProficientQ7: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).Re: meeting the safety, health, social and emotional needs of students: I dont see clear evidence that PBIS works. I may be missing something here. I can see there is data: the ARMS curriculum day 12/1 meeting agenda shows that there is data on PBIS and staff are using it but that data has not been shared with the SC and community so we can understand the efficacy of this strategy. I also think its important to implement and evaluate PBIS with an understanding that the norms we begin with are of the dominant white, middle or upper class paradigm. How are we examining this in our schools and making changes that recognize and welcome other norms? How are teachers and staff held accountable for understanding this and acting in ways that understand/validate non-dominant cultural paradigms? Im glad the discipline code has been updated and fewer suspensions mean kids are not losing learning time but there is much more work to do on understanding how implicit bias plays into how teachers react to lower level infractions. We also need to ensure that while we examine the disciplinary frameworks, we continue to hold all kids accountable for behavior, and dont let the unintended consequence be that behavior is unchecked and kids are unsafe. This is really hard and I commend the district for doing this.I think there is still work to be done on student leadership and ownership over climate. I know the ARHS student advisory tried to work this year on a problem they identified: increasing support for students with mental stress and depression. I think their perspective was they were not that successful due to adult barriers and concerns. This needs to be worked on.Bullying is a problem in Amherst. As an SC member I have heard this year of cases of bullying at the elementary, middle and high schools that all resulted in families withdrawing kids because of the inability of the schools to keep their kids safe. None of the families that spoke to me were sent an exit survey.The needs improvement refers to the lack of progress in hiring and retaining teachers and staff of color. The data shows that we are okay compared to some districts in the state, but I dont think that should be our benchmark. Overall it looks like there was no change last year in the percentage of teachers of color and in Amherst elementary schools over the last 8 years we have lost ground. Right now for example at Fort River, I believe there is one classroom teacher of color in the entire school. There are no African American or Latino teachers. The vast majority of students at FR will have no teachers of color K-6 at all. Crocker doesnt look all that much better. This is really unacceptable. I wondering about accountability measures that take improving in this area into account.On the other hand I recognize that progress has been made at the regional and Pelham levels so thats encouraging but we are so far from where we need to be, and diversifying the staff is foundational to meeting our equity goals long term. We need new ideas and partnerships and we need more data on what strategies are working and which are not. I see that you have tried Diversity Ambassadors, MTEL subsidies, and a para teacher training program. What are the outcomes of these?The data you provided on retention is not granular enough to understand why teachers of color leave; I understand that its a privacy issue. I hope the ALANA faculty group will help. The notes you provided on this group are not really specific enough to understand if it is having impact or what your specific goals are for this group. ARPS must do better retaining teachers of color. What will it take?Thanks for taking on the Wildwood Building Project with an expansive vision and in a way that includes community voices. Thanks also for creative visioning around the middle-high school consolidation idea, and for continuing to help to shepherd the complicated project of regionalization. I appreciate your perseverance in 37 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeycontinuing to help to shepherd the complicated project of regionalization. I appreciate your perseverance in trying to communicate to the larger community that the ongoing structural deficits and declining student populations will mean we need to have different school structures moving forward if we dont do this we will have to make more unwanted cuts to teaching and learning and everything we value about our schools.Of course the issue that dominated the scheduling conversation this year was the middle school schedule change, which I will address later not here because I think it's more than a schedule change. On finances, exemplary management deserves commendation, yet Amherst still has a very high per pupil cost and I hope Rick Hood's longstanding suggestion to develop a clear explanation for this happens this next year. I don't think the response at Town Meeting was adequate.Q8: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community EngagementIII-A. Engagement: Actively ensures that all familiesare welcome members of the classroom and schoolcommunity and can contribute to the effectiveness ofthe classroom, school, district, and community.ProficientIII-B. Sharing Responsibility: Continuously collaborateswith families and community stakeholders to supportstudent learning and development at home, school,and in the community.ProficientIII-C. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way,culturally proficient communication with families andcommunity stakeholders about student learning andperformance.ProficientIII-D. Family Concerns: Addresses family andcommunity concerns in an equitable, effective, andefficient manner.ProficientQ9: Overall Rating for Standard III: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, communityorganizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the district and its schools.(no label) ProficientPAGE 4: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard III: Family and Community Engagement38 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ10: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).The depth and breadth of the Family Center work is impressive. I am still not totally clear on the outcomes of the FC as a whole or specific initiatives like Steps to Success or Family University, or what the district strategy is to evaluate this work.The Youth Culture Initiative sounds excellent, also not sure of outcomes. One of the things that strikes me is that in all the equity work, it is really focused on youth of color which is fine but the district needs to also focus on helping white students and their families understand their role in achieving equity, understanding bias, privilege, the ways the structures are set up to benefit the dominant paradigm and how they can use their privilege to advance equity. I do not see this happening yet.It's also really hard to evaluate with any certainty if all families consider themselves welcomed in the school community and how to support learning at home. The equity work with family focus groups facilitated by UMASS will hopefully help. Baseline information and then measurable goals from each school about family/teacher conference participation would be one way to provide concrete family involvement information and uncover gaps that may be overlooked right now.Communication I understand that the district has put a lot of effort into communication and the weekly updates from teachers provide a great amount of information and teachers are very accessible - or at least many teachers are. Weekly newsletters from the Supt are a good addition - are you tracking the open rate? It would be good to do this in a way where you can track analytics. It would also help if there was a searchable staff directory at ARPS website with emails for all staff, with the capacity to search by person, or school, grade level, function, etc.Good that there is a bullying report button now I wonder if people are using it? I see there is still an ombudsperson, fine but I dont know the impact of this role. I see that people have been trained in restorative practices but I dont know the impact.Outreach to community and partnerships are impressive. I liked the idea of the newspaper articles, but try to eliminate the use of jargon. What is the watch rate for Voice in Our Schools? Overall, communications strategies could be more quantitatively evaluated.PAGE 5: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional Culture39 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ11: Superintendents Performance Rating for Standard IV: Professional CultureIV-A. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters ashared commitment to high standards of service,teaching, and learning with high expectations forachievement for all.ProficientIV-B. Cultural Proficiency: Ensures that policies andpractices enable staff members and students tointeract effectively in a culturally diverse environmentin which students backgrounds, identities, strengths,and challenges are respected.ProficientIV-C. Communication: Demonstrates stronginterpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.ProficientIV-D. Continuous Learning: Develops and nurtures aculture in which staff members are reflective abouttheir practice and use student data, current research,best practices, and theory to continuously adaptpractice and achieve improved results. Models thesebehaviors in his or her own practice.ProficientIV-E. Shared Vision: Successfully and continuouslyengages all stakeholders in the creation of a sharededucational vision in which every student is preparedto succeed in postsecondary education and become aresponsible citizen and global contributor.Needs ImprovementIV-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies forresponding to disagreement and dissent,constructively resolving conflict and buildingconsensus throughout a district or school community.Needs ImprovementQ12: Overall Rating for Standard IV: The education leader promotes the learning and growth of allstudents and the success of all staff by nurturing and sustaining a districtwide culture of reflectivepractice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.(no label) Proficient40 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ13: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).I want to discuss the ARMS middle school schedule change here and this is the main reason for Needs Improvement in E and F. Since this is a duplicative and clumsy rubric it's hard to choose exactly where to place each discussion, but since the problem I see was primarily external communications, and process within the building - professional culture - I am putting it here. In sum, there was a lot wrong with the substance, process and communication of that project. The key takeaways:1) Poor communication. Good things about the proposal such as the increase in academic class time to enable the workshop model and increased engagement and knowledge for all kids were lost because they were communicated so poorly. Also people who resisted the change were made to feel like they did not understand or prioritize equitable access to learning for all children which was unfair and a bad strategy for communication.Also the communication was not at all transparent. Announcing that the change preserves access to our rich array of specials when in fact many kids would have had less access in the original proposal, makes no sense. Dont say the change preserves language when it guts it. Dont say the districtvalues aesthetics (actually dont even use that word) when kids will have to choose between language and art in 8th grade as in the original proposal. Being upfront about hard choices is the best strategy and I know the district is trying to do that with the ARHS schedule change process. People understand what they are losing, it does only harm to pretend they are not losing it especially if you havent explained what they are gaining.Any kind of organizational change of that magnitude needed teacher buy in and this schedule change did not have it, teachers were really bypassed in this process and there is no excuse for that. Its clear that this change is not just a schedule change and it should have been under SC purview. The SC is to be blamed for not asserting ourselves on this. It would have been so much better if the district and school leadership co-created the framework with the teachers, invited feedback from the school committee and community with plenty of time, understood how to talk about the benefits and tradeoffs, and reasonably, asked the SC to vote on it. The way it played out damaged community relations a lot.Q14: Assess Performance on Standards (copy from questions 3, 6, 9, and 12)Standard I: Instructional Leadership ProficientStandard II: Management and Operations ProficientStandard III: Family and Community Engagement ProficientStandard IV: Professional Culture ProficientPAGE 6: Assess Performance on Standards (summary of above)PAGE 7: Assess Progress Towards Goals41 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ15: STUDENT LEARNING GOAL: We will utilize data such as the recent TELL survey results, familysurveys, and achievement data to build the District and School Improvement Plans with actionablestudent goals based on feedback from families, staff, and student achievement data. In addition, wewill use evidence-based practices (with citations) to ensure that our methodology is supported bycurrent research.(no label) Significant ProgressComments (optional)As said, I am still looking for measurable outcomes on the SIPs and DIP. That said, the district did use TELLsurvey data and various assessments to design improvements to programs and PD.Q16: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL: With my guidance and supervision, principals will developdetailed plans for a staff development program at faculty meetings that improves the effectiveness ofteachers efforts to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Tapping internal and externalexpertise, priority will be placed on examining the effects of institutionalized bias on studentsidentity and their learning and culturally proficient instruction and school practices. In addition, I willobserve teaching with principals on a regular basis to ensure that principals are skilled in describingthe instructional strategies needed to support all learners and offer feedback to teachers in this area.(no label) Significant ProgressComments (optional)I've already discussed the equity PD throughout. Excellent that this work has begun! Need to see thecoherent K-12 and over-the-course-of-a-teacher's-tenure plan. Need to see more about how teacherschange practice as a result of PD or if they even know based on the PD how to change practice.Q17: District Improvement Goal: To create a functional structure to support students and families inpreparing students with special education needs for transition to post-secondary life.(no label) MetQ18: District Improvement Goal (Part A): To successfully implement phase one of the AmherstTogether Collective Impact Initiative: Building Foundations for Community Engagement(no label) MetComments (optional)In depth interesting data from the UMASS collaboration, and great to have the Forum for Youth Investmenttrip. How does this translate into impact the district and the district priorities?Q19: Overall Summative Performance(no label) ProficientPAGE 8: Rate Overall Summative Performance42 / 95Superintendent Evaluation 2014-2015 (School Committee) SurveyMonkeyQ20: Comments and analysis (comments are recommended for any overall rating; however, ratingsother than proficient require the elevator to provide comments including rationale, evidence, andfeedback for improvement).On the process of this evaluation, I think we still have much room for improvement. We were asked to read 227 documents to complete this evaluation some of these documents were 20-30 pages long, others 100-200 pages long. Others were one page. I think there were at least 3 different summaries of all of this written by Maria some of which contained repetitive information, some of which had nuggets that didn't appear anywhere else. Many documents did not provide valuable evaluative information, others were extremely helpful. The haphazard way they were curated required going through them all to ensure that we werent missing anything, yet this was overwhelming and made it nearly impossible to maintain a clear sense of what we are being asked to evaluate. Combine that with this clumsy, repetitive rubric (cites communication at least 4 times in different places) and really, there has to be a better way. Last year in my evaluation I mentioned more work on understanding the difference between outputs and outcomes and using evidence to document outcomes. Next year I am hoping that the Superintendent can provide a reasonably-sized set of documents which instead of including everything but the kitchen sink, are curated strategically to help us understand the evidence she is presenting toward top priority goals. Perhaps provide outcome evidence for progress on each DIP goal, in order, and leave it at that. Overall, I believe you are doing a good job Maria and Amherst is fortunate to have you. I have detailed throughout here a lot of areas for commendation and also for improvement.Areas to work on include:-increasing racial/cultural diversity of the faculty and administration - a clear plan and accountability for reaching reasonable goals in a specific timeframe-enabling families and community to provide early input into big changes -engaging transparently and non-defensively with a range of community members about things that still need to be transformed in order for all kids to succeed -- even if those conversations are difficult and don't proceed according to protocol. -providing measurable goals and communicating to a range of stakeholders on progress in as clear a way as possible.-Supporting teachers to be leaders. -Meeting the needs of advanced students at the elementary and middle school levels.I appreciate you taking on the hard work of making our district successful for all students and not being satisfied with the fact that it is successful for most. This is not an easy conversation or realization for the community or the schools to have, and tends to make you unpopular at times, but you have stuck with it and are not backing down from the need for change. I admire that. I also admire that you are actively engaged in supporting teachers to improve their practice and in p