Principals are the key to reform. Without effective principals, “any large system will find it next to impossible to develop capacity and place a high-quality teacher in front of every child.” Paterson Public Schools is focused on connecting standards, student learning, and professional learning to Principal/Teacher Effectiveness through an aligned Principal and Teacher Performance Evaluation System.
The performance-based evaluation system for principals, includes five standard domains of principal leadership practices for evaluation. These standards of professional practice are:
- Leadership—school administrator establishes a shared vision of success, leads change, maximizes human potential, and demonstrates leadership skills
- Instructional Program—school administrator maintains a comprehensive program of instruction, improves instructional quality, and provides for instructional assessment
- Staff Development—school administrator provides effective professional development, facilitates individual growth, and hires quality staff
- Effective Management—school administrator manages resources, time, and school climate effectively
- Professional Responsibility—Maintains positive relations with district and community and shows professional growth
A principal’s annual evaluation rating consists of two parts: 1) performance, and 2) student achievement. Each part is worth 50 points or half of the total 100 points. The performance component will be measured using the following rubrics for each of the 5 domains: