Sunday, 17 November 2019

Performance Management Review Summary


Our Term 3 review of the Performance Management policy came at a timely moment in relation to the Accord between the Ministry of Education, NZEI Te Riu Roa and PPTA Te Wehengarua. A serious rethink of performance appraisal is underway, with the legislation around performance appraisal likely to change in 2020.

Many schools questioned if it was worth updating our SchoolDocs Performance Management policy and sub-policies until the government considerations are complete, but in September the Teaching Council clarified its expectations around the current minimum requirements for the issue or renewal of a practicing certificate, and both the Teaching Council and the PPTA recommended reviewing performance management now to remove unnecessary compliance and work.

With this and the feedback of our schools in mind, we have updated our performance management policy to clarify the current expectations and signal the climate of professional trust. Many schools wanted more focus on positives and growth, and the updated policy takes this into account. We are working on a professional development policy which will link in here when ready.

In terms of other feedback, it wasn’t clear to all schools who the policy is for and that there are sub-topics about the appraisal of the principal and non-teaching staff. A number of schools asked for more clarity around the reporting requirements to the board, and other schools were looking for clarity around timelines, or wanted a greater emphasis on the strategic vision of the school. Several schools noted that it is good that we explain that performance management and competency are separate processes, but some found the separation unclear.

We have updated our policy for greater clarity around all these components. All feedback from schools was carefully considered and taken into account where possible. If your school sought changes that haven’t made it into our updates, make sure to contact us to discuss your needs.



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