AR 4112.61Guidelines for Writing Letters of Reference

Administrators are often requested to provide a letter of reference for employees for one of three primary purposes: for award or grants, for admission into educational programs and for employment purposes. The following are the District’s guidelines for writing letters of reference should the administrator desire to do so.

Letters for Awards, Grants, Continuing Education

To qualify for a reference letter:

1. The letter must be specifically for the award or grant for which the applicant is applying.
2. The employee’s most recent evaluation must reflect all “meets or exceeds standards”.
3. The employee must not have been on a plan for improvement in the previous two years.

References and Letters of Reference for Employment Purposes

Reference letters or written reference may be provided when:

1. An employee has resigned.
2. The reference is a confidential reference written directly to another employer or for a confidential placement file.
3. The administrator receives the approval of a member of the District senior management.

Exceptions to these guidelines may be requested through the Superintendent.