Effective with the 2010-2011 school year, central office staff may be evaluated annually using the North Carolina Central Office Staff Evaluation Process.

 

For purposes of this policy, Central Office Staff members include: Deputy, Assistant, and Associate Superintendents, instructional staff members with a rank of Director or above; and coordinators and teacher leaders who are not responsible for direct student instruction.

 

Purpose

 

The intended purpose of the North Carolina Central Office Staff Evaluation Process is to assess Central Office Staff members in relation to research-based strategies that have been proven to be effective. The Central Office Staff member will take the lead in conducting the evaluation process through the use of self-assessment, reflection and gathering input from various stakeholders with an interest in the leadership in the district, including the superintendent.  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.

 

Process

 

The following outlines the central office staff evaluation process.

 

Step 1: Self-Assessment

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

 

Step 2: Meeting Between Central Office Staff Member and Superintendent

At this meeting, the superintendent will provide the Central Office Staff member a complete set of materials guiding the evaluation process and an explanation of the process, the timeline, and the rubric used to determine the Central Office Staff member’s level of performance. The Central Office Staff member and the superintendent 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 Central Office Staff member should be thoroughly familiar with the North Carolina Central Office Staff Evaluation Process and all of the materials associated with it, including definitions and forms. The Central Office Staff member will also share with the superintendent 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 Central Office Staff member will collect, analyze, and synthesize the information agreed upon with the superintendent 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 superintendent well in advance of the performance discussion at which final performance levels will be discussed.

 

Step 4: Superintendent Rating of Central Office Staff Member

The superintendent will independently rate the Central Office Staff member’s performance using the North Carolina Central Office Staff 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.

 

Step 5: Final Evaluation and Goal-Setting

The Central Office Staff member and the superintendent will discuss the Central Office Staff member’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 superintendent’s summary evaluation of the Central Office Staff member, which have been prepared in advance of the meeting. Should additional data or artifacts need to be brought into the discussion, the Central Office Staff member and superintendent will agree on the artifacts needed for the review and a timeline for providing such information for the superintendent’s consideration. At this meeting, the Central Office Staff member and the superintendent will agree upon performance goals and recommendations for the subsequent school year. It will be helpful to understand the responsibilities of the Central Office Staff member and the superintendent as they engage in this process. The table below outlines those responsibilities.

 

 

 

Central Office Staff Member Responsibilities:

Superintendent Responsibilities:

·       Understand the North Carolina Central Office Staff Evaluation Process.   ·       Prepare for Step 2 – the meeting with the superintendent 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 Central Office Staff Evaluation Process.   ·       Ensure that all steps of the evaluation process are conducted as described in this document.   ·       Identify the Central Office Staff members’ strengths and areas for improvement and make recommendations for improving performance.   ·       Ensure that the contents of the Central Office Staff Summary Evaluation Worksheet contain accurate information and accurately reflect the Central Office Staff member’s performance.   ·       Participate in the evaluation discussions and guide the Central Office Staff member in establishing goals for the subsequent year.

 

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