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State Board of Education Approves Rule to Implement New Teacher and Leader Evaluation Measures

Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES) use measures of student achievement and student growth 
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
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April 3, 2014 – The State Board of Education adopted a new rule at its April meeting, establishing that all school systems and charter schools will implement the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES) by the 2014-2015 school year.
 
State Board Rule 160-5-1 .37 meets the requirements of House Bill 244, passed in 2013, which requires the Department of Education to establish a teacher and leader evaluation process that is fully implemented by 2014-15.
The rule passed today establishes that:
·        By the 2014-15 school year, each school system and charter school shall implement an evaluation system developed by the Georgia Department of Education for teachers, assistant principals, and principals that uses measures of student achievement and student growth.
·        School systems shall base decisions regarding retention, promotion, compensation, dismissals, and other staffing decisions, including transfers, placements, and preferences in the event of reductions of force, primarily on the results of the new evaluation system.
·        The newly developed evaluation system shall give every teacher of record, assistant principal, or principal one of four ratings levels.
“Full implementation of the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System and Leader Keys Effectiveness System is an important step toward providing the best possible instruction for all of Georgia’s students,” State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge said. “During pilot implementation, we have received feedback from teachers and administrators that confirms that both systems will increase communication and collaboration among school staffs, and deepen educators’ ability to prepare their students for the future.”  
 
The Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES) are new ways of evaluating teachers and administrators based on objective measures such as student growth and achievement.
 
Teachers, principals, and assistant principals will receive one of four ratings: Exemplary, Proficient, Needs Development, or Ineffective. Proficient is the target rating for both teachers and school leaders. 
 
During the 2013-14 school year, 99% of all public and charter districts and schools are in full or pilot implementation of TKES and LKES.
 
The 26 Race to the Top school districts began piloting the program in 2012. In 2012-13, Georgia conducted a full-year implementation of TKES and LKES, with 54 districts, two state agencies, four LEA charter schools and 16 additional schools participating.
 
TKES and LKES are major components of Georgia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver. The U.S. Department of Education granted Georgia a no-cost extension of its Race to the Top grant to provide more time for statewide rollout for training and implementation of the systems.
 

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