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Teacher Qualifications and Evaluations


APPR Plan

APPR stands for Annual Professional Performance Review. It is the process by which teachers and principals are evaluated in New York state. The intent of APPR is to assist educators to improve the quality of instruction in schools and, in turn, to improve students’ performance and readiness for colleges and careers.

District APPR plans must meet strict state guidelines and be negotiated with local unions. Under state guidelines, APPR takes into account classroom observations and student performance. Teachers and principals across New York ultimately receive an overall effectiveness rating every year.

View the Schuylerville APPR Plan.

Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Teacher/Principal Score Release to Parents

Pursuant to Education Law Section 3012-d, parents and legal guardians of students may request the final quality rating and composite effectiveness score for each of the teachers and for the principal of the school building to which your child is assigned for the current school year. Please be advised that the law does not allow and prohibits the release of any additional information about the individual teacher beyond the final rating and composite score. The purpose of this notice is to inform you of this right and the process by which you may request such information.

Only parents and legal guardians may have access to the final quality rating and composite score of the student’s teacher(s) and principal. The school district is required by the law to take reasonable steps to insure that the person requesting the information is a parent or legal guardian of the student to whom the teacher(s) or principal is assigned. Therefore, any request must be in writing on the authorized request form. No oral requests will be honored. The school district may request additional verification, such as licenses or other photo identification, to verify that the person requesting the information is the parent or legal guardian of the student. In the case of legal guardians, the school district will require proof of guardianship (e.g., court orders, etc.). The status of the requesting person will be verified against other information concerning the student in the possession of the school district (e.g., information or documents submitted at the time of registration) and the requesting person will be notified once the request has been verified and approved.

Download an APPR Request Form.

Once the request is approved, an appointment with the administrator, or designated individual authorized to release such information, will be arranged. At the meeting the rating and score will be verbally provided. At this same meeting, the parent or guardian will also receive the required explanation regarding the rating and score to best understand them in the context of teacher evaluation and student performance. In the event a parent or guardian is unable to meet in person, they may receive the information verbally by phone.

If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact Superintendent Gregg Barthelmas.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides federal funds to improve elementary
and secondary education in the nation’s schools. ESSA requires states and local
educational agencies to take a variety of actions to ensure that all children receive the
education that they need to be prepared for success in postsecondary education,
careers, and citizenship.

New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of ESSA-Funded Programs provides information on procedures for resolving complaints submitted to them, alleging that a local educational agency, grantee, or NYSED has violated a law, rule, or regulation in the administration of any “covered Federal program” under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by ESSA identified in the link above.

These procedures offer parents and other stakeholders a process to file complaints and allow for the timely resolution of such complaints. Complaints filed against a local entity such as a school district, charter school, or grantee will be reviewed by NYSED’s Office of ESSA-Funded Programs. Complaints filed against NYSED will be reviewed by NYSED’s legal counsel.

A complainant may include any of the following: parents, public agencies, and other individuals or organizations.  If the complainant is a minor, the complaint or appeal shall also be signed by his or her guardian, unless the statute or rule under which the complaint or appeal is filed prohibits this requirement. Complaints regarding equitable services for non-public schools should follow the procedures detailed at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/nonpub/Ombudsman.html.

Each LEA in New York State is required to disseminate, free of charge, adequate information about these complaint procedures to parents of students, and appropriate private school officials or representatives.