8340 - PROVIDING A REFERENCE

Upper Arlington City School District

Administrative Guidelines

8340 - PROVIDING A REFERENCE

Administrators who choose to provide a letter of reference, when asked, for any District employee or former employee shall adhere to the following when preparing such a letter:

	A.	The request should be reduced to writing and submitted with enough lead time to allow a timely response.
		The request shall include the name and title to whom the reference is to be directed, and the complete mailing address to which the letter is to be mailed.
	B.	The letter of reference shall include only statements that are truthful and factual, and substantiated by the administrator’s first hand knowledge of the employee or former employee and/or the employee or former employee’s personnel file. When drafting the letter, the administrator should include the following:

		1.	A description of the position that the administrator holds as well as the position to which the employee or former employee is or was assigned in the District, and the period of time upon which the administrator’s comments are based.
		2.	The duties assigned to the employee or former employee, and the manner in which s/he performed those duties and responsibilities. Any and all comments pertaining to the employee or former employee’s job performance shall be based upon direct knowledge by the administrator and/or comments contained within employee or former employee’s performance evaluations.
		3.	If appropriate, the letter may also describe any additional duties or assignments of the employee or former employee, such as extracurricular or co-curricular assignments, and the manner in which the employee or former employee performed those duties and responsibilities.

The letter of reference shall not include any of the following:

		1.	any statements that the administrator knows to be untrue
		2.	any statements made in bad faith
		3.	any statements that are motivated by anger, grudges, jealousy, resentment, or ill will toward the employee or former employee
		4.	any statements that include exaggerations
		5.	any statements that are based upon incomplete investigations involving the employee or former employee

In all cases a copy of any letter of reference provided by an administrator for a District employee or former employee shall be filed in the employee or former employee’s personnel file.

An administrator who chooses to provide a reference by phone for a District employee or former employee shall adhere to the guidelines delineated in B and C above.