Re: Performance Management


"Russell" <ILUVMYCAT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:delfk4$c7l$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "JoL" <trinity.junk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:UPedne_-grlvupPeRVnyvw@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> "gertie@grumbles" <gertie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:4da0118d79gertie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > In article <EPWdnZoPPqvJT5DeRVnyvw@xxxxxxxxx>, JoL
>> > <trinity.junk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >> What is likely to happen if I haven't met 2 of my 3 performance
>> >> management targets??
>> >
>> >> Not meeting one is because the person setting the target set
>> >> something totally unobtainable (had to get 50% of a lower ability
>> >> class up to 4a, I only managed 31%!), the 2nd is due to us
>> >> thinking that the piece of software I was meant to use to develop
>> >> regular assessments on was really good and was going to help us
>> >> long run was actually a pile of poop and so I haven't managed to
>> >> set up one assessment yet on it as it is too time consuming,
>> >> children don't have passwords, it freezes when you try and use it
>> >> at school etc etc etc!!!
>> >
>> >> Thankfully I've managed the other one (taking responsibility for
>> >> trainee teachers in our department)!
>> >
>> >> Any advice? (other than making sure I have a realistic target for
>> >> pupil progress this year!)
>> >
>> >> Jo
>> >
>> > Did you have any support to achieve them? Did you ask - or discuss
>> > the problems with your line manager? Did you agree to the unrealistic
>> > one? I hope you didn't suggest it. Did you choose the software? Have
>> > you had any time allocated to use it?
>> >
>> > Failing to achieve targets can be used to keep you on the same point
>> > on the pay scale. If you have any problem, your union will advise and
>> > intervene if you have been treated unfairly.
>> >
>> > Next time, choose your own targets and make sure they are
>> > achievable!!! With little effort, too!
>> >
>> > --
>> > Gertie.
>>
>> I will be stronger with my HOD this year about unachievable targets, I
> told
>> him at the time I didn't think I had a hope as there was one boy who got
>> a
>> 3c in Year 6 (progress from Year 5) jumped to a 4c in Year 7 and I was
>> expected to get him up to 4a - I don't think so - I tried though!! (like
> I
>> said on his end of year report 'X takes any opportunity to draw or
> discuss
>> tractors rather than focus on the work set'). I did keep mentioning lack
> of
>> progress with this class to HOD he didn't seem unduly concerned (if at
> all!)
>> so I don't think it would be a problem with him, just it's when it gets
>> handed up to Head who never comes into contact with the children other
> than
>> in assembly, so won't realise what a class half full of children that
>> have
>> no desire to work is like to teach!
>>
>> The software one I'm not so concerned about as HOD and the science
>> department have had the same problems, when the product (testwise)was
> demoed
>> to us it seemed to be able to do what we wanted easily (i.e. create our
> own
>> tests using QCA questions) this however is not straightforward as you can
>> only preview questions one at a time (and each part of a question has to
> be
>> opened by itself) and this process takes (no kidding even on broadband)
> over
>> a minute, so just deciding what questions to pick is a nightmare. It is
>> useful for year 5 though setting up a pre-done test is a doddle, so they
> can
>> do the CATS tests now easily, it's all on-screen (once you have the kids
>> logged in!). I've had an afternoon at home to try and get to grips with
> the
>> software, and managed to look at about 10 questions in 2 hours (and rang
> the
>> helpline to check I wasn't being dumb and there was an easy way to
>> preview
>> questions - answer there isn't and we don't have plans to do so!!!)
>>
>
> Performance management in all the schools I have been in has been a
> "conversation" about how you are doing, how to develop, etc. It only has
> any
> *status* in terms of your career or pay if the Headteacher really wants it
> to ... it could be used against a member of staff who the Head already
> felt
> was incompetent to the point of disciplinary action, but little else. I've
> never heard of a mainscale teacher being "kept down" a point. If you are
> planning on threshold in the next year or two, it will become a small part
> of a (very very) big picture.
>
>> Am I allowed to choose my own targets, or do you mean 'suggest'? I
> thought
>> for my pupil progress one I would have for this year, '10 or more to have
>> made above average progress in said Year 8 class from their Year 6 score
>> (i.e. they have made 5 sub-levels or more progress since Year 6 to Year 8
>> Optionals)' This is more achievable as 14 of them last year made 3 or 4
>> sub-levels of progress, so these only need to make average progress this
>> year to achieve my goal!
>>
>
> I have never had numerical targets *imposed* on me anywhere. My last
> school
> took my own target setting from the tracking grids and converted these in
> %,
> with a note that they were "ambitious" targets, which is what we had been
> asked to set. My present school converted all my hard work and
> calculations
> into a rather bland "Overall, the pupils that you teach in English and
> Maths
> will make average or better progress for their age and ability" - which
> could mean anything. (I don't think the Head actually understood the
> figures
> TBH).
>
>> I'd quite like to run on the one I did achieve (trainee teacher one) as I
>> only got one 6 week placement, so don't yet feel fully up to speed on
> this.
>>
>> Jo
>
> It's also realistic to assume that the priorities of the school change
> during the year. I have in the past had targets to set up systems which -
> through negotiation with SMT - we decided that we didn't want after all.
> These targets were never even partially met, but the DH very kindly wrote
> something along the lines of "Instead of setting up a laptop computer for
> Science, Russell has instead used his time to load software on to the
> network / deliver staff training / rewrite the entire scheme of work /
> break
> the photocopier again / play with his rabbit etc." Well, the first bit
> anyway.
>
>
> Russell
>
>
I know I'm a cynical old bugger but ... I always make sure that my targets
are things I have already done. This way they are guaranteed to succeed and
you have the luxury of trying things out before setting them as targets next
year.

Never agree to a target whenrte the success depends on a third party
(pupils, other members of staff etc)

If the above two fail, always make sure that your targets are evaluated by
things which cannot be quantitatively measured

Ian


.

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