Principal Evaluations

In 2010, the Washington state legislature passed a law requiring every school district to establish a new teacher and principal evaluation system by 2013. This legislation recognized the critical importance of teacher and leadership quality in affecting student growth. Lake Washington School District has adopted the Association of Washington School Principals Leadership Framework for its evaluation of principals. This evaluation system is in use beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

Like the teacher evaluation framework, this leadership framework also spells out eight criteria. Each criterion has two or more elements spelling out what quality school leadership consists of. Principals are evaluated on a scale of distinguished (4), proficient (3), basic (2), or unsatisfactory (1) on these elements. The criteria and elements follow.

Principal/Associate Principal Evaluation Criteria

Criterion 1: Creating a Culture: Creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students and staff.
1.1 Develops and sustains focus on a shared mission and clear vision for improvement of learning and teaching
1.2 Engages in essential conversations for ongoing improvement
1.3 Facilitates collaborative processes leading toward continuous improvement
1.4 Creates opportunities for shared leadership
 
Criterion 2: Ensuring School Safety: Providing for school safety.
2.1 Provides for Physical Safety
2.2 Provides for social, emotional, and intellectual safety
 
Criterion 3: Planning with Data: Leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of a data-driven plan for increasing student achievement, including the use of multiple student data elements.
3.1 Recognizes and seeks out multiple data sources
3.2 Analyzes and interprets multiple data sources to inform school-level improvement efforts
3.3 Implements data driven plan for improved teaching and learning
3.4 Assists staff to use data to guide, modify, and improve classroom teaching and student learning
3.5 Provides evidence of student growth that results from the school improvement planning process (Student Growth Rubric)
 
Criterion 4: Aligning Curriculum: Assisting instructional staff with alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment with state and local district learning goals.
4.1 Assists staff in aligning curricula to state and local district learning goals
4.2 Assists staff in aligning best instructional practices to state and district learning goals
4.3 Assists staff in aligning assessment practices to best instructional practices
 
Criterion 5: Improving Instruction: Monitoring, assisting, and evaluating effective instruction and assessment practices.
5.1 Monitors instruction and assessment practices
5.2 Assists staff in developing required student growth plan and identifying valid, reliable sources of evidence of effectiveness
5.3 Assists staff in implementing effective instruction and assessment practices
5.4 Evaluates staff in effective instruction and assessment practices
5.5 Provides evidence of student growth of selected teachers (Student Growth Rubric)
 
Criterion 6: Managing Resources: Managing both staff and fiscal resources to support student achievement and legal responsibilities.
6.1 Managing human resources (assignment, hiring)
6.2 Managing human resources (ongoing professional development)
6.3 Managing fiscal resources
6.4 Fulfilling legal responsibilities
 
Criterion 7: Engaging Communities: Partnering with the school community to promote student learning.
7.1 Communicates with community to promote learning
7.2 Partners with families and school community
 
Criterion 8: Closing the Gap: Demonstrating commitment to closing the achievement gap.
8.1 Identifies barriers to achievement and knows how to close resulting gaps
8.2 Demonstrates a commitment to close the achievement gap
8.3 Provides evidence of growth in student learning (Student Growth Rubric)