Superintendent evaluation is an ongoing process
Simply evaluating a superintendent isn’t enough, asserts Steve Hansen, executive director of the British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA).
A comprehensive performance review—which identifies mutual goals, enhances communication, and builds positive relationships, as well as evaluates the superintendent’s performance—is much more effective in determining whether the board and superintendent are on the same page in their efforts to raise student achievement.
Hansen, along with BCSTA President Penny Tees, and Keven Elder, superintendent of schools in Saanich, B.C., explained BCSTA’s Performance & Planning Review (PPR) system at a Sunday afternoon workshop.
According to Hansen, the PPR is based on several guiding principles:
• The superintendent’s goals should be aligned with the vision and strategic goals of the board.
• There should be no surprises. Roles and performance expectations should be clarified, and concerns should be identified early, providing opportunities for support and resolution.
• The PPR process is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it adjusts to the conditions of the district, as well as the superintendent’s competencies and effort.
• The main intent is to provide formative, developmental feedback to the superintendent to optimize future performance.
The first step in PPR is performance planning. The board and superintendent agree upon “key results,” which describe what needs to be accomplished over the review cycle to help the district reach its student achievement and other operational goals.
Hansen suggested the identification of three to five best practices, or “key competencies,” that describe how the superintendent will work toward achieving the key results.
Effective key result statements are based on the SMART acronym, which means the goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and trackable/time limited.
The second step is ongoing monitoring and feedback. Hansen recommended the board schedule feedback sessions with the superintendent every three or four months.
The third step, review and learning, requires the gathering of trustworthy data. Interviews and surveys can be used to determine how staff members perceive the superintendent’s performance, as well as measurable data on student achievement.
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