A guide to best practices during the principal evaluation process
Principal performance evaluation can be an effective lever for improving and supporting principal talent because — when done well — it establishes a districtwide definition of effective leadership that grounds and focuses all other principal talent management work in the district. Feedback provided through the evaluation process can support individual principals in improving their practice, and results of the evaluation can inform district policies and decisions, such as how to strategically target professional learning supports or to determine qualifications for incentives.
Above all, the Bush Institute believes that evaluation systems are a way to help professionals — in this case principals — grow so that they are better able to serve their teachers and students. It is not a chance to “catch” principals doing something wrong, or a tool to punish. This guidebook identifies key best practices that can help ensure the appropriate intent is realized during the principal evaluation process.
