January 7, 2021 3 min read
Springs Charter Schools
Industry:
Solution:
Supporting a Streamlined, Collaborative Evaluation Process with Online Educator and Staff Evaluation
The Scenario
The Springs Charter Schools network serves children throughout the counties of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego in Southern California. Over 9,600 students are served by the Springs Charter Schools network through its 23 programs, including 18 physical sites and other homeschool and personalized learning options. The network’s 1100+ employees, including 518 teachers, work diligently every day to provide students with a high-quality personalized education.
In 2018, Springs Charter Schools sought to implement a new evaluation and professional development tracking solution that was specifically designed for education.
The Challenge
Prior to 2018, the Springs Charter Schools network was using a human resources management system that was not education-specific to manage performance evaluations and professional development. Administrators wanted a system that was more customizable to their unique needs, enabling them to cater performance evaluations to their different programs. In addition, they were looking for a solution that was easier to use for administrators, evaluators, educators, and staff.
The Solution
The Vector Evaluations+ Solution (formerly TeachPoint) can be tailored to meet each organization’s individual needs. Forms, rubrics, and workflows can all be customized to help manage the entire evaluation process online for educators and staff. With the wide range of programs offered by Springs Charter Schools, the network has a unique mix of educator positions, requiring customized evaluation programs which they were able to easily set up in Vector Evaluations+. In addition, Springs Charter Schools also utilized Vector Evaluations+ to help implement their Springshots program to conduct evaluations three times per year instead of annually.
Monica Strain, HR Specialist for Training and Professional Development, shared that Vector Evaluations+ has helped them better manage their complex evaluation program and keep everything on track. They have implemented over 70 individual forms within the system to support their evaluation process, and the evaluator dashboard helps keep track of deadlines, schedule observations, and take action on overdue activities. According to Strain, “The Vector Evaluations+ Solution has had a positive impact on our staff. Right away they could see the difference compared to the evaluation program we were using previously. The Vector Evaluations+ Client Success Team has been a huge part of our successful implementation and rollout experience. They have helped us create a program that works for our staff and have offered amazing customer service throughout the process.”
The Results
Beyond managing and tracking evaluations online, the Vector Evaluations+ Solution also helps foster a more positive evaluation experience among Springs Charter Schools staff and their supervisors. The ability for evaluators to provide immediate feedback on observations and classroom walkthroughs, the teacher reflection feature, and the ability to upload documents, images, or videos as evidence all support a more collaborative coaching and evaluation environment.
“As a principal, I really enjoy the Vector Evaluations+ platform as it allows me an opportunity to connect with my teachers regarding their goals in a systematic way that is supported by our school. I truly enjoy its interactive component and love being able to upload pictures and evidence of how wonderful my teachers are doing,” explained Julia Krisel, Murrieta Student Center Principal.
In addition to managing the evaluation process with Vector Evaluations+, Springs Charter Schools are also using the integrated Vector PD Tracking Solution to plan, manage, and track their professional development events.
Since implementing the solution two years ago, the Springs Charter Schools network has received very positive feedback from educators and staff throughout their organization regarding the impact on their evaluation process.
