BILL NUMBER: SB 688	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


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 introduced, Romero. Education: teacher evaluations.
   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 the governing board of every 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 that solicits comprehensive data on
different aspect 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. 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 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, or data derived from evaluations
of, 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 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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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 governing board of
every school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive,
shall 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 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.
   (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.
   (d) Data derived from evaluations conducted pursuant to this
section with respect to any individual teacher shall be confidential
and released only to that teacher. No administrator or any other
school or district official shall view any completed questionnaire
evaluating, or data derived from evaluations of, any individual
teacher without the express written consent of that teacher.
   (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 pursuant to this section in writing.
  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.