Parents’ and Guardians’ Guide to Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Ratings

The Niagara Falls City School District, in compliance with NYS Law 3012-c, provides parents with the Effectiveness Rating of their child’s current classroom Teacher and/or Principal upon written request.  What is an Effectiveness Rating and how is it determined?

Effectiveness Ratings

An Effectiveness Rating consists of three parts:

20% Student Achievement:  

(Individual test scores on NYS or Local Assessments. Assessments used are determined by Grade level or Course.)

20% Student Growth:

Growth in student achievement over one year or from year to year.

60% Evidence-based Classroom Observations:

Planning for instruction; Teaching- Quality of the delivery of instruction; Classroom Environment - Quality of Teacher & Student relationships.

Once the three components are combined,teachers are given a rating on scale of 1 – 4, as follows:

 1= Ineffective; 2 = Developing; 3 = Effective; 4 = Highly Effective.

Keeping with New York State guidelines, teachers who are rated Ineffective or Developing will collaborate with School Administration to create and implement an Improvement Plan. The Niagara Falls City School District remains committed to the continuous improvement of all of our teachers, faculty, staff and students.  Parents or guardians who would like to request the effectiveness rating of their child’s current Teacher or Principal should submit a written request  to their child’s Principal.

 Click Below to Access Transparency Report Information:

 Niagara Falls Transparency Report