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Teacher Performance Appraisal For New Teachers

The Teacher Performance Appraisal (TPA) process for New Teachers is designed to:

• assess new teachers' skills, knowledge and attitudes
• identify strengths and areas for growth
• plan next steps for improvement.

It is also designed to:

• strengthen schools as learning communities in which new teachers have many opportunities to engage in professional exchange and collective inquiry that lead to continuous growth and development
• provide a framework to encourage improvement efforts aimed at promoting student success
• engage new teachers in professional dialogue that deepens their understanding of what it means to be a teacher as set out in the Ontario College of Teachers' Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession.

What do I need to complete the New Teacher Induction Program?

Under legislation, new teachers must receive two Satisfactory ratings on Teacher Performance Appraisals to successfully complete the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP). New teachers must have two appraisals in their first 12 months of teaching. It is anticipated that most new teachers will complete the NTIP within that time.

Satisfactory Ratings

If a teacher receives two Satisfactory ratings, the new teacher will have successfully completed the NTIP. The next appraisal will be conducted according to the cycle for experienced teachers.

New teachers who successfully complete two performance appraisals within the required time period receive a notation of successful completion of the NTIP on their Certificate of Qualification and on the Ontario College of Teachers' public register.

Development Needed or Unsatisfactory Ratings

New teachers who do not receive two Satisfactory performance ratings during their first year of teaching are required to continue the program into their second year. New teachers then have an additional 12 months to complete the NTIP.

What happens during a Teacher Performance Appraisal for New Teachers?

1. Pre-Observation Meeting to promote professional dialogue between the principal and teacher. A principal must arrange a pre-observation meeting with the teacher in preparation for the classroom observation.
2. Classroom Observation to assess the teacher’s skills, knowledge and attitudes. This is only one component of the assessment.
3. Post-Observation Meeting after the classroom observation. These meetings provide opportunities for reflection and collaboration to promote growth and improvement.
4. Summative Report to document the appraisal process. This becomes a vehicle for new teachers to reflect on the feedback they receive and to monitor their own growth.

The report includes:

• Competency Statements to focus the appraisal on the immediate skills, knowledge and attitudes that new teachers require to meet the Ontario College of Teachers' Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession.
• A Rating Scale and Rubric to assess new teachers' overall performance and provide necessary feedback about strengths and areas for growth.
• The scale for new teachers is Satisfactory or Development Needed. For a teacher who receives a Development Needed performance rating, the scale in subsequent appraisals is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
• A rubric describes evidence of teaching performance at each level of the scale for each competency.

The Summative Report Form for New Teachers is an approved form in accordance with the regulations that provides a consistent approach to documenting the appraisal process.

5. A Process for Providing Additional Support depending on the outcomes of the appraisal.

Forms and Resources

The legislation and regulations and manual set out the timelines, processes and steps to be followed of the appraisal process.

Boards may choose to use the sample forms if they consider them to be useful. Boards modifying any sample form assume responsibility for ensuring that the modified form complies with all relevant legal and policy requirements. The Ministry of Education assumes no responsibility for forms modified by boards. Boards must not attribute any modified forms to the Ministry of Education or the Government of Ontario.

• Teacher Performance Appraisal Process - Summative Report Form for New Teachers (Word, 248 KB)
• Teacher Performance Appraisal Process - Summative Report Form for New Teachers (PDF, 75 KB)
• Teacher Performance Appraisal Process - Enrichment Plan (Sample Form) (Word, 70 KB)
• Teacher Performance Appraisal Process Improvement Plan (Sample Form) (Word, 63 KB)
• Teacher Performance Appraisal Evidence Log (Optional Resource) (Word, 355 KB) 
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Legislation/Regulations