NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Policy Manual

Effective with the 2010-2011 school year, superintendents may be evaluated annually using the North Carolina Superintendent Evaluation Process.

 

Purpose

 

The intended purpose of the North Carolina Superintendent Evaluation Process is to assess the superintendent in relation to research-based strategies that have been proven to be effective. The superintendent will take the lead in conducting the evaluation process through the use of self-assessment, reflection and gathering input from the various stakeholders with an interest in the leadership in the district, including members of the district’s Board of Education (the Board). The evidence and documentation gathered is not intended to become part of a portfolio. Rather, it should provide a basis for self-assessment, goal setting, professional development planning, and demonstration of performance on specific standards. The following steps outline the required elements of the North Carolina Superintendent Evaluation Process.

 

Process

 

The following outlines the principal evaluation process.

 

Step 1: Superintendent Self-Assessment

Each school year, the superintendent will inform the Board that an evaluation of his/her performance needs to be conducted. In preparation for the first discussion related to such an evaluation, the superintendent will assess his or her own performance using the Rubric for Evaluating North Carolina Superintendents. This self-assessment will serve as the basis for setting preliminary goals for the upcoming academic year.

 

Step 2: Meeting Between Superintendent and District Board of Education

At this meeting, the superintendent will provide members of the Board a complete set of materials guiding the evaluation process and an explanation of the process, the timeline, and the rubric used to determine the superintendent’s level of performance. The superintendent and members of the Board will agree on the conditions of the evaluation including its scope, timeline, goals, evidence and documentation necessary to demonstrate proficiency, potential consequences of poor performance, and potential benefits of accomplished or distinguished performance. Each superintendent should be thoroughly familiar with the North Carolina Superintendent Evaluation Process and all of the materials associated with it, including definitions and forms.  The superintendent will also share with the Board the results of the self-assessment and his/her plans for each area that needs to be addressed during the year. Such areas may include items that need improvement as well as areas of strength that should be expanded and enhanced.

 

Step 3: Consolidated Performance Assessment

The superintendent will collect, analyze, and synthesize the information agreed upon with the Board in Step 2 in order to prepare a comprehensive picture of performance throughout the year. This summary of the evidence and documentation needed to judge performance should be provided to the Board well in advance of the performance discussion at which final performance levels will be discussed.

 

Step 4: District School Board Rating of Superintendent

Members of the Board will independently rate the superintendent’s performance using the Superintendent Evaluation Rubric. They will then meet to discuss their individual ratings and to agree upon a single rating for each of the standards and each element associated with the standard. The Board should make every effort to achieve consensus on the superintendent’s ratings. This consensus rating will be shared with the superintendent. Individual ratings may be shared, but that is not a requirement of the evaluation process.

 

Step 5: Final Evaluation and Goal-Setting

The superintendent and the Board will discuss the superintendent’s progress toward achieving goals established for the year and the level of performance on standards as documented in steps 1 and 4. This discussion will include the self-assessment, consolidated assessment, and the Board’s summary evaluation of the superintendent, which have been prepared in advance of the meeting. Should additional data or artifacts need to be brought into the discussion, the Board and superintendent will agree on the artifacts that are needed for the review and a timeline for providing such information for the Board’s consideration. At this meeting, the superintendent and the Board will agree upon performance goals and recommendations for the subsequent school year.

 

It will be helpful to understand the responsibilities of the superintendent and the Board as they engage in this process. The table below outlines those responsibilities.

 

 

 

Superintendent Responsibilities:

Board Responsibilities

·       Understand the Superintendent Evaluation Process. ·       Prepare for Step 2 – the meeting with the Board to agree upon the guidelines for conducting the evaluation. This preparation will include completing a self-assessment, reviewing performance goals and determining which have been met and which are short of completion, and identifying change initiatives underway at their school. ·       Gather data, artifacts, evidence to support performance in relation to the standards and progress toward attaining goals. ·       Develop and implement strategies to improve personal performance/attain goals in areas individually or collaboratively identified. ·       Finalize goals and end-of-year evaluation with evaluator as soon as student achievement data is received.

·       Participate in training to understand and implement the North Carolina Superintendent Evaluation Process. ·       Ensure that all steps of the evaluation process are conducted as described in this document. ·       Identify the superintendent’s strengths and areas for improvement and make recommendations for improving performance. ·       Ensure that the contents of the Superintendent Summary Evaluation Report contain accurate information and accurately reflect the principal’s performance. ·       Participate in the evaluation discussions and guide the superintendent in establishing goals for the subsequent year.

 

All superintendents and local Boards of Education must complete approved state training on the rubric and evaluation process.