ERIC Number: EJ983681
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0271-6062
EISSN: N/A
The Future of Principal Evaluation
Clifford, Matthew; Ross, Steven
Principal, v91 n5 p16-19 May-Jun 2012
The need to improve the quality of principal evaluation systems is long overdue. Although states and districts generally require principal evaluations, research and experience tell that many state and district evaluations do not reflect current standards and practices for principals, and that evaluation is not systematically administered. When evaluation does occur, principals often describe it as a rote exercise, rather than a valuable learning experience. Within states and districts, principals might not be evaluated against the same criteria or using the same processes. Thus, the current "system" for principal evaluation is no system at all. As such, high-stakes decisions about principal performance are challenging to make. Buoyed by federal incentive programs such as Race to the Top, new legislation in 31 states promise sweeping changes in the way principals' performance is evaluated. To meet this promise, new principal performance evaluation must be fair, accurate, and useful. Without accurate and useful feedback, principals do not have the information that they need to fine tune their practices to the dynamic needs and expectations of their schools. Performance evaluation can be an integral part of leader professional development, and should, therefore, be designed and aligned to support leader learning systems. But, new performance evaluations will not be a useful form of feedback for principals, or the people that support them, unless the processes are accurate, systematic, and impactful. Principal performance evaluations should be: (1) educative; (2) created by and for principals; (3) valid and reliable; (4) relevant; (5) fair; (6) flexible; and (7) embedded in a human capital system. Principal evaluation systems should also, appropriately, include multiple measures of principal practice which should address: (1) professional qualities and practices; (2) professional growth and learning; (3) school culture and climate; (4) stakeholder satisfaction; and (5) student educational outcomes. Meaningful evaluations require long-term commitments. New evaluation systems will not likely be perfect, but states and districts committed to long-term improvement will be best positioned to improve system performance and produce feedback that principals deserve, and trusted data with which to make defensible decisions about performance.
Descriptors: Outcomes of Education, Stakeholders, Principals, Feedback (Response), Human Capital, School Culture, Administrator Evaluation, Administrator Effectiveness, Professional Development
National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). 1615 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 800-386-2377; Tel: 703-684-3345; Fax: 800-396-2377; e-mail: naesp@naesp.org; Web site: http://www.naesp.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A