California Senate Bill SB688 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: SB 688AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 23, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Senator Romero FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to add Section 44665.1 to the Education Code, relating to education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 688, as amended, Romero. Education: teacher evaluations  : pupil surveys . Existing law requires that the performance of a certificated employee shall be evaluated and assessed on a periodic basis as it reasonably relates to the progress of pupils toward standards, the instructional techniques and strategies used by the employee, the employee's adherence to curricular objectives, and the establishment and maintenance of a suitable learning environment, as specified. This bill would  require   permit  the governing board of  every   any  school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive,  on or before January 1, 2011,  to establish a committee of high school pupils and teachers to develop and monitor a  formalized  process by which pupils provide feedback  on an annual basis  to teachers in that district. The bill would require the committees to develop and administer  an evaluation questionnaire   a pupil survey  that solicits comprehensive data on different  aspect   aspects  of a class and the effectiveness of the teacher in teaching the class, and allows for data to be compared among  teachers and across academic departments   all of a teacher's classes  .  The bill would require teachers to be evaluated every three years by pupils who are currently enrolled in classes they teach.  The bill would also provide that data derived from  evaluations   pupil surveys  with respect to any individual teacher shall be confidential and released only to that teacher and that no administrator or any other school or district official shall view any completed  questionnaire evaluating   pupil survey of  , or data derived from  evaluations of   pupil surveys pertaining to   ,  any individual teacher without the express written consent of that teacher.  Because this bill would require school districts to perform additional duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.   The bill would also prohibit the pupil surveys to be included in, or used to influence, the existing teacher evaluation process, if any, in any school district that adopts this pupil feedback process.   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.   The bill would also require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the California Association of Student Councils, to develop model guidelines for the teacher evaluation process for voluntary adoption by local school districts and to post them on their Internet Web site on or before January 1, 2011.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program:  yes   no  . THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 44665.1 is added to the Education Code, to read: 44665.1. (a)  On or before January 1, 2011, the   The  governing board of every school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive,  shall   may  establish a committee of high school pupils and teachers to develop and monitor a  formalized  process by which pupils provide feedback  on an annual basis  to teachers in that district who teach classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive. (b) The committees established pursuant to subdivision (a) shall develop and administer  an evaluation questionnaire   a pupil survey  that solicits comprehensive data on different aspects of a class and the effectiveness of the teacher in teaching the class, and allows for data to be compared among  teachers and across academic departments.   all of a teacher's classes.   (c) All teachers within a district who teach classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall be placed into three evaluation groups. Using the questionnaire developed pursuant to subdivision (b), teachers within each group will be evaluated every three years by pupils who are currently enrolled in classes they teach.   (c) Using the pupil survey developed pursuant to subdivision (b), teachers will receive pupil input via the surveys every three years from pupils who are currently enrolled in classes they teach.  (d) Data derived from  evaluations   pupil surveys  conducted pursuant to this section with respect to any individual teacher shall  conform to the following requirements:   (1)     The data shall  be confidential and  shall be  released only to that teacher.  No   (2) The pupil survey data shall not become part of a teacher's personnel record.   (3)     No  administrator or any other school or district official shall view any completed  questionnaire evaluating   pupil survey  , or data derived from  evaluations of,   pupil surveys, pertaining to  any individual teacher without the express written consent of that teacher.  (4) The pupil surveys and any information they contain shall not be used for collective bargaining purposes.   (5) The pupil surveys shall not be included in, nor shall they be used to influence, the existing teacher evaluation process, if any, in any school district that adopts the pupil feedback process described in this section.   (6) The pupil surveys and the data they contain shall be used to foster improved communication between pupils and teachers, to augment existing professional development activities, and to improve individual classes and teaching methods for future generations of pupils.  (e) Each teacher within the district who teaches classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall receive the data derived from  evaluations of him or her   the pupil surveys conducted  pursuant to this section in writing.  (f) The department, in consultation with the California Association of Student Councils, shall develop model guidelines for the teacher evaluation process for voluntary adoption by local school districts. The guidelines shall be posted on the department's Internet Web site on or before January 1, 2011.   SEC. 2.   If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.