Sec. 21.352. LOCAL ROLE

(a) In appraising teachers, each school district shall use:

(1) the appraisal process and performance criteria developed by the commissioner; or

(2) an appraisal process and performance criteria:

(A) developed by the district- and campus-level committees established under Section 11.251;

(B) containing the items described by Sections 21.351(a)(1) and (2); and

(C) adopted by the board of trustees.

(b) The board of trustees may reject an appraisal process and performance criteria developed by the district- and campus-level committees but may not modify the process or criteria.

(c) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, appraisal must be done at least once during each school year. A teacher may be appraised less frequently if the teacher agrees in writing and the teacher's most recent evaluation rated the teacher as at least proficient, or the equivalent, and did not identify any area of deficiency. A teacher who is appraised less frequently than annually must be appraised at least once during each period of five school years. The district shall maintain a written copy of the evaluation of each teacher's performance in the teacher's personnel file. Each teacher is entitled to receive a written copy of the evaluation on its completion. After receiving a written copy of the evaluation, a teacher is entitled to a second appraisal by a different appraiser or to submit a written rebuttal to the evaluation to be attached to the evaluation in the teacher's personnel file. The evaluation and any rebuttal may be given to another school district at which the teacher has applied for employment at the request of that district.

(d) A teacher may be given advance notice of the date or time of an appraisal, but advance notice is not required.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 244, Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2003.