Alternative Rating Form
Professional (tenured) and temporary professional employees (untenured) must be rated yearly. Also, a professional employee who is dismissed for incompetency must receive two consecutive unsatisfactory ratings. The rating form used for both of these ratings is the PDE-5501, which replaced the DEBE-333. A board of school directors may choose to adopt an alternative rating form instead of using the PDE-5501. If the board decides to do so, it must submit the form to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) "for approval by May 30 of the year preceding the school term in which the form is to be used." After it has been approved by the PDE, the alternative rating form is used by raters for every official rating of temporary or professional employees. The alternative rating form is restricted to the consideration of four major categories: personality, preparation, technique and pupil reaction. No numbers or numerical rating is required. The rating must be substantiated by anecdotal records and it must be discussed with the employee who is rated within five working days after the final observation upon which the rating is based.
School Code: 24 PS §11-1123
Regulations of the State Board of Education: 22 Pa Code §351.23, §351.24, §351.28
Basic Education Circular: 24 P.S. 11-1123