Wednesday, September 11, 2013
SPRINGDALE — Principals are able to more easily achieve goals because of a new principal evaluation system, said Kathy Morledge, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, prekindergarten through seventh grade.
School districts in Arkansas are testing a principal evaluation system from the Arkansas Department of Education during the 2013-14 school year, said Kim Garrett, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, eighth through 12th grade. The system is called Leadership Excellence and Development. Garrett and Morledge spoke with the Springdale School Broad about the new system at Tuesday’s meeting.
The new process makes it easier for principals to achieve goals because it makes them look more closely at the details, Morledge said. District administrators have added to the assessments by requiring principals submit data, such as test scores, to support why certain goals need to be met and evidence showing goals have been met. The details help principals focus on the steps they need to take to accomplish goals, she said.
District administrators are required to assess all 29 principals based on six standards, Morledge said. Each district in the state had a different evaluation process prior to the new system. This is because there was no statewide evaluation system before this school year, said Clay Hendrix, assistant superintendent for education innovation, technology systems, science, technology, engineering and math.
Principal Evaluation
Standards principals will be evaluated on include:
• Vision, mission and goals
• Teaching and learning
• Managing organizational systems and safety
• Collaborating with families and stakeholders
• Ethics and integrity
• The education system
Source: Springdale School District
“It’s a game changer in a very positive way,” he said.
Evaluations consist of a yearlong process with seven assessments throughout the school year, Morledge said. Each assessment allows district administrators to look at different standards and goals the principals are trying to meet. Principals completed self-evaluations and participated in an initial assessment with a district administrator at the beginning of the school year.
“It’s very intensive, but I think it’s a very good process,” she said.
Time is the largest challenge administrators have found, Morledge said. Each of the initial assessments for the school year lasted about an hour and a half.
“There are things we’re learning as we go,” she said.