Resources

This publication, cowritten by Karen Kearney of the Leadership Initiative at WestEd, draws from an in-depth review of research and professional literature on principal evaluation and personnel evaluation standards to present 13 key features identified as critical in establishing a comprehensive principal evaluation system.

These features were validated through focus groups of superintendents, human resource administrators, principals, and professors of education administration, along with numerous conversations with practitioners, experts, and researchers in K-12 and higher education, instructional leadership, and personnel evaluation.

In addition, the features were reviewed against the personnel evaluation standards described in the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) Framework 2009(2).

These key elements can provide a basis:

• On which to study district implementation and resources in support of these features—and their possible connection to improving student outcomes
• For a reflective guide for school districts to look at the systems, practices, and support framing of their principal evaluation systems.

They can be used for both research and practice purposes and support the development of coherent principal evaluation systems.