STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Minnesota’s principal evaluation requirements are contained in Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.147.
Purpose
The purpose of the evaluation is to enhance a principal's leadership skills and support and improve teaching practices, school performance, and student achievement. Although the working group was directed to develop a model for evaluation, statute clearly indicates that it is the responsibility of a district to develop and implement a performance-based system for annually evaluating school principals assigned to supervise a school building within the district.
The evaluation must be designed to improve teaching and learning by supporting the principal in shaping the school's professional environment and developing teacher quality, performance, and effectiveness.
Requirements
Specifications in statute require that the evaluation:
Be an annual evaluation
Include formative and summative evaluations
Be consistent with the job description, a district's long-term plans and goals, and the
principal's own professional multiyear growth plans and goals;
Include on-the-job observations and previous evaluations;
Allow surveys to help identify a principal's effectiveness, leadership skills and
processes, and strengths and weaknesses
Use longitudinal data on student academic growth as an evaluation component
Incorporate district achievement goals and targets
Be linked to professional development that emphasizes improved teaching and learning,
curriculum and instruction, student learning, and a collaborative professional culture
Implement a plan to improve a principal's performance
Specify the procedure and consequence if the principal's performance is not improved
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Waiver Principles
In November, shortly after the working group started, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) submitted a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver application. Principle 3 in the waiver application requires MDE to develop and adopt guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems. Several specific expectations are included as part of this requirement. As a result, these requirements in the NCLB waiver principles were also discussed and considered. (See Appendix E for these requirements.)