CATEGORY:
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
The Board of Trustees
believes that the Performance Evaluation of the Superintendent of Schools will
improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the school jurisdiction.
1. The position of
Superintendent of Schools is established in the School Act and Alberta
Learning Regulations, as are details of qualifications, appointment, and
general duties. The Superintendent is
the chief education officer of the school system and chief executive officer of
the Board of Trustees. As chief
executive officer, the Superintendent is accountable to the board for the
performance of the entire school jurisdiction.
2. Appointment of
the Superintendent of Schools is a function of the Board of Trustees, subject
to the approval of the Minister of Learning.
The School Act requires that the Superintendent’s appointment be
for a term not exceeding five years, with the option to extend the appointment
for additional terms subject to Ministerial approval.
3. A Board of
Trustees is required to submit Form 4 from the Alberta Learning
Regulations to obtain the Minister’s approval for the appointment of a
Superintendent of Schools. Form 4
requires a Board to ensure that performance evaluation criteria and processes
are in place relative to the Superintendent of Schools.
The Board of Trustees and its Superintendent of Schools constitute a leadership team. A positive working relationship between Board and Superintendent is therefore essential to the effective operation of the school jurisdiction. The process for evaluating the Superintendent’s performance should enhance Board-Superintendent relationships by clarifying roles and responsibilities and providing both the Board and Superintendent with pertinent information relative to the effectiveness of the Superintendent and, ultimately, the performance of the school system as a whole. The eventual purpose of the evaluation process is therefore the improvement of learning opportunities for students through effective leadership by the Superintendent of Schools.
1. The Superintendent of Schools is employed by, and is directly responsible to, the Board of Trustees. Therefore, the evaluation of the Superintendent should be a corporate Board assessment achieved, ideally, by consensus but, if necessary, by majority vote.
2. Consideration may be given to developing a comprehensive Board/Superintendent Leadership Team evaluation process. In that regard, the evaluation process can further serve to enhance the working relationship between the Board and the Superintendent and their overall effectiveness as a leadership team in the school system.
3. The evaluation
process should be based on:
a. predetermined
criteria as specified in legislation (i.e. Section 94 of the School Act)
and the Superintendent’s job description as outlined in Board policy and/or
contract of employment
b. the achievement
of school system goals specified in the school system’s Three-Year Education
Plan and measured in the Annual Education Results Report, and
c. agreed-upon
methodology for data collection, analysis, and reporting
d. a consideration
of contextual and special factors that may have affected the Superintendent’s
performance (e.g. health problems, labour disputes,
financial cutbacks, Board decisions/direction, etc.)
In the context of the above, data generated by the evaluation process should be objective, demonstrable, reliable, and directly related to the evaluation criteria. In addition, the methodology for data collection should be subject to high standards of personal integrity and professionalism.
4. The evaluation process should, for the most part, be a dynamic continuous process. Consideration should therefore be given to using two types of evaluation:
a. Growth-oriented
evaluations in which the board and Superintendent annually identify goals,
strategies and measures that will facilitate Superintendent and school system
improvements. Self-evaluation should be
a key component of this type of evaluation.
b. Contractual
evaluations that are related to the expiration of the Superintendent’s term
contract and/or which arise out of performance issues.
5. Contractual evaluations should occur as a natural progression from growth-oriented evaluations. Although they are ultimately intended to perform a judgmental function with regard to the Superintendent’s contract of employment, they should also be designed to improve the quality of leadership while reflecting the rules of natural justice. Therefore, if the Board identifies significant concerns with the Superintendent’s performance, the Board should:
a. provide the
Superintendent with a written outline of its concerns and clearly state the
expectations for improved practice
b. provide the
Superintendent with an opportunity to discuss the concerns and expectations for
improved practice
c. provide the
Superintendent with a reasonable amount of time to address the Board’s concerns
and meet its expectations for improved practice
d. provide the
Superintendent with an opportunity to discuss the progress made towards
addressing the Board’s concerns and meeting its expectations for improved
practice. Ideally, this discussion
should take place prior to making a final decision relative to the
Superintendent’s contract of employment
DATE
OF ADOPTION:
DATE
OF AMENDMENT:
REVIEW
DATE: April
2006
LEGAL REFERENCE:
§
School Act
(Sections 94 and 94.1)
§
§
Form 4: Minister’s Initial Approval of a
Superintendent
§
Executive
Officer Performance Evaluation: An
Introductory Guide (A publication of the Alberta School Trustees Association)
§
Local Board
Policy
CROSS-REFERENCE: