Section 11-1138.8 - Rating tool.(a) Discontinuation.--Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the rating form under 22 Pa. Code § 351.21 (relating to rating form) and any alternative rating forms approved under 22 Pa. Code Ch. 351 (relating to teacher tenure hearings) prior to the implementation of this subarticle shall be discontinued for use in the evaluation of professional and temporary professional employees.(b) Department duties.-- (1) The department shall establish professional development programs for professional employees serving as classroom teachers, temporary professional employees serving as classroom teachers, nonteaching professional employees, nonteaching temporary professional employees, principals and chief school administrators and any other individuals designated as evaluators.(2) The professional development programs established under this subsection shall be tailored to the specific groups of employees listed in this subsection and shall be differentiated for evaluators and individuals being evaluated. The programs shall include the following: (i) An overview of the purposes and rationales for each component of the evaluation system.(ii) Suggestions for appropriate collaboration, timelines and communications between employee and employer.(iii) Suggested criteria to guide quality implementation of this subarticle in both the content of an evaluation and in the process of administering an evaluation.(3) The department shall make the professional development programs established under this subsection available to all school districts, intermediate units and area CAREER AND TECHNICAL schools. The department shall make the professional development programs established under this subsection available to all employees by posting the professional development programs on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.(4) The department shall develop a standard professional development program to improve the consistency and quality of teacher-specific data measures across applicable schools.(c)Professional development requirements.-- (1) Each temporary professional employee serving as a classroom teacher and each nonteaching temporary professional employee shall complete the appropriate professional development program tailored to the evaluation system for classroom teachers or nonteaching professionals during the employee's probationary period.(2) Each principal shall complete the professional development programs tailored to evaluators and to the principal evaluation system within the first six months of the employee's appointment as a principal.(3) Schools shall incorporate training on the teacher observation and evaluation model inclusive of the consistent use of quality teacher-specific data and building-level data within student performance measures into induction programs required under 22 Pa Code § 49.16 (relating to approval of induction plans ).(4) Each professional employee and principal shall complete a condensed version of the programs designed under subsection (b) every seven years. Added by P.L. TBD 2020 No. 13, § 3, eff. 3/27/2020.