Professional Report

required achievement tests; or scoring below grade level as a result of a diagnostic assessment.

ACADEMIC SANCTIONS

3302.12

If a school is ranked in the lowest 5% of all schools in the state on the annual performance index and meets any combination of the following conditions for three consecutive years:  the school is in either academic watch or academic emergency;  the school has received a grade of “F” for the value-added progress dimension;  the school has received an overall grade of “F”, then the district board of education must: 1)close the school and reassign the students to other schools; 2)contract with another regular public school district or non-profit or “for profit” entity with a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate the school; 3)replace the school’s principal and teaching staff, exempt the school from board rules on curriculum and instruction (if requested by the new principal), and provide funding at least equal to the district’s per pupil funding; or 4)reopen the school as a conversion community school. If the Board has adopted a policy on the suspension of administrative contracts, it may suspend contracts in accordance with that policy. Ohio law specifically recognizes “financial conditions” of the district as one of the authorized reasons for the contract suspensions. The policy (which must address such issues as reasons for suspension, order of suspension, and restoration rights) must be developed from input from the superintendent and all administrators. Other administrative personnel include: pupil services employees (but not school counselors); administrative specialists or “an equivalent of either one” so long as they spend less than 50% of their time teaching or working with students; any non-licensed employee considered a supervisor or management level employee (see ORC 4117.01); and a business manager. While the law specifically excludes assistant superintendents, principals, and assistant principals from the definition of “other administrators,” those positions are treated almost identically when it comes to such issues as evaluation, contract renewal, and reductions in force. Administrative personnel must be evaluated once annually in the years in which their contracts are not expiring and twice during the year that their contract does expire. A copy of the first evaluation must be provided to the employee at least sixty days prior to the date on which the Board takes action on the contract. A copy of the final evaluation (containing the superintendent’s recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal of the contract) must be provided to the employee at least five days prior to the board’s action on the contract. The procedures for the evaluation of administrators shall be based on principles comparable to the teacher evaluation policy found in ORC 3319.111. A restructured school cannot be required to restructure again for three consecutive years after the implementation of the prior restructuring. Please see also SAFE HARBOR below.

ADMINISTRATOR CONTRACT SUSPENSION

3319.171

ADMINISTRATORS DEFINITION AND EVALUATION, OTHER

3319.02

In addition, administrators must receive notice of an opportunity to meet with the Board prior to the Board’s action on the renewal or non-renewal