Following are challenges when trying to select school administrator and superintendent evaluation software for school improvement:
Inadequate leadership evaluation methodology
The evaluator is in control leading the evaluation process with a top-down approach, limited opportunities for observations and the evaluatee has little control or input. The process is often based on the teacher evaluation model—but it does NOT apply to education leaders.
Doesn’t cover the entire leadership team
Most evaluation platforms were not made for superintendents or the school board, nor do they include district leaders, directors, school business administrators, or support staff for school improvement.
Missing popular evaluations rubrics for superintendent evaluation
Most platforms are built around a singular rubric and do not offer a library of rubric choices. If you don’t use “their” rubric, you cannot use their software.
Many are manual and hard-to-use
Rather than improving efficiencies, many of the systems use old interfaces, some are spreadsheet-based, don’t have contemporary features or automation such as autosave or auto-reminders.
Some are non-responsive
In most instances, product support doesn’t exist in City. Emails go unanswered while attempts to call only give an option of leaving a message.
The Big Question?
So… how do you conduct your evaluations in City while avoiding the use of an inadequate methodology, not using different evaluation systems with different leaders, not forced with one option of an evaluation rubric — preferably with a system that is extremely easy-to-use, but also provides immediate support if needed?
Perhaps you should consider…
Introducing…
Best Solution
There are FIVE main reasons to consider SuperEval
- BEST Evaluation Methodology
- The BEST coverage of leadership team
- Handles ALL popular rubrics
- One of the MOST automated & easiest
- One of the BEST user support
Let’s consider each of these reasons in detail.
1) BEST Evaluation Methodology for School Administrator and Superintendent Evaluation in City
SuperEval is the FIRST and ONLY system specifically made for the School Board, Superintendent, and other positions in educational leadership. Other evaluation models started with the teachers (they can sell more licenses), and then try to use the same methodology for the principals, central office administrators, and, in some cases, the superintendent! Clearly, their roles and responsibilities are NOT the same.
Creating Annual Aligned Goals
The evaluation process in City begins with creating annual goals derived from longer-term district goals for school improvement. Aligned performance goals create focus areas of leadership to advance district priorities.
Employ Reflective Practice Theory
This practice requires that you take the time to reflect on your work in leadership. This leads to new insights, ideas, and continuous learning transcending the process from an event of compliance to a meaningful leadership development experience.
Leadership Portfolio
This digital portfolio allows you to upload examples of leadership in a variety of digital formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDFs, Videos, Google Docs/Slides, etc.) This allows you to capture the work of leadership driving an evidence-based evaluation process.
Self-Evaluation Capabilities
After reviewing your reflective narrative and supporting evidence in the leadership portfolio, you can place yourself on the agreed-upon rubric. This allows for a “data view” comparing the rubric ratings of the evaluator and the evaluatee providing an excellent catalyst for year-end discussions.
Leadership Competency Selection
Allows you to use all or part of an evaluation rubric in City, with or without goals, providing the flexibility to focus on specific desired competencies.
2) The BEST coverage of leadership team
Unlike alternatives, that only cover the teacher or a principal and assistant principal, SuperEval was made to evaluate your ENTIRE leadership team for system-wide school improvement.
School Board
School board members can participate in a self-evaluation process, reflecting on 25 practices of “highly effective” school boards. This process allows a board to monitor the board’s performance and define new annual objectives in a model of continuous improvement as a governance body.
Superintendent
The superintendent is empowered to take an active role in the evaluation process with the school board in City. They lead the process with a self-assessment supported by reflective narratives and a leadership portfolio that showcases evidence of achievement. This drives an objective and evidence-based evaluation process providing objective feedback from the Board on leadership performance.
Central Office Administrators
Regardless of the educational leader’s role in the central office administration and operations, they are empowered to actively engage in their evaluation. Their goals are derived from longer-term district goals and priorities while the choice of rubric can be based on specific professional practices.
Principals and Assistant Principals
Building-level administrators, such as principals, follow the same research-based evaluation methodology as other administrators in actively engaging in their evaluation process for school improvement. However, numerous modifications and customizations are often needed at this level to comply with the local state regulations that often dictate the elements of a principal’s evaluation process.
Support Staff
Regardless of your position in the district, they can still lead their own evaluation process! Support staff are seen as leaders in their own area and are empowered to set goals, be reflective on their professional practice, self-assess and support their rating through an evidence portfolio.
3) Handles ALL popular rubrics
Many systems were not made for superintendents or were designed for a singular leadership evaluation rubric or set of standards for school improvement. In contrast, SuperEval handles all the major rubrics (and it is VERY easy to add additional rubrics that may be required).
The growing library of rubrics includes:
- California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL)
- CoSN Empowered Superintendent CTO Evaluation Rubric
- Dean/Athletic Director Evaluation Rubric
- Framework for Leadership (Pennsylvania Department of Education)
- Illinois Performance Standards for Education Leaders
- Marshall Principal Evaluation Rubric
- McREL International Balanced Leadership Evaluation Rubrics
- New York State School Boards Association – BOCES Superintendent
- New York State School Boards Association – School Board Evaluation
- New York State School Boards Association – Superintendent Evaluation
- Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Rubric (PASA)
- Performance Goals Evaluation
- Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)
- School Business Official Evaluation Tool
- SuperEval Superintendent Model Evaluation Rubric
- The COUNCIL’s Superintendent Model Evaluation
- The COUNCIL’s BOCES Superintendent Model Evaluation
- The Framework for Reflection and Growth
- The Multidimensional Leadership Performance Rubric (MLPR)
- The Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric (MPPR)
- Thoughtful Classroom Principal Effectiveness Framework
4) One of the MOST automated & easiest
Leverages the most current technologies of automation with a clean software interface creates an easy-to-use and world-class user experience.
AutoSave
When writing goals, reflections, or comments, your work is always auto-saved and never lost.
Auto Time Stamps
SuperEval automatically dates and timestamps work in the evaluation process from step completion, reflection, and comments to applying a digital signature to finalize the evaluation.
Auto Compiler
Allows you to generate custom PDFs for specific reporting needs. It is also used to compile multiple evaluations and feedback into a single evaluation saving considerable time.
Auto Invite for New Users
Gives your leadership team immediate access to their new accounts–includes a “get started” video for additional support.
Auto Emails & SMS Notifications
Notifies users of items that require their attention in the evaluation process such as upcoming deadlines or unread feedback from an evaluator.
5) One of the BEST with user support
A world-class product that comes with world-class customer service.
Award-winning Support
The support team is a two-time Stevie Award Winner for Front-line Customer Service Team of the Year (Technology Industries Category).
Support Team – Master’s Degree in Education
When you call for help, you are talking to an educator that understands education and the product.
Phone, email, instant chat
When you need help, you have a direct line to a real educator—not an automated system or voicemail.
Neurotic Responsiveness
If you have a question or need, you get the help you need as soon as possible—usually immediately.
Online Resources
The program includes In-line page help, manuals, videos, and other user support.
What’s Holding You Back?
Now that you can see some of the advantages of SuperEval, what’s holding you back? Following are common questions.
Is the information online secure?
Yes. It uses the latest security systems. Here is an article that describes the SuperEval security.
Can I integrate other platforms like Board Docs or Google Docs?
Yes
Is there an online storage limitation in the portfolios?
No
My superintendent doesn’t evaluate me now—will this help?
Yes. Even though they are not any problems and your work in leadership is recognized and appreciated, this is the best time to put in a meaningful evaluation process.
Do I have to do more work than I am now?
There is a time commitment to being a reflective leader and leading your evaluation process. User feedback confirms it is time well-spent.
Is there money in the budget for this platform?
When comparing the time savings in using this platform along with the critical importance of a meaningful evaluation process, a small investment provides big returns in value.
My board is not techy—is it hard to use?
No. SuperEval was carefully designed to be extremely easy to use even for the techno neophyte. There are additional roles for internal assistance, such as a board clerk, to help board members as well as the external support from our award-winning support team.
Picture Your Old Life
As the superintendent, you just finished the conversation with your Board about your annual review. You are NOT happy. It didn’t include all your successes, you had little input, and you felt the feedback was more personal on how some board members felt about you rather than objective feedback on your leadership performance.
You were given an overall “score of 3.5” but it carries little meaning. Later that week in the local paper, there is an article about your evaluation. Ugh!
As the board, you were happy with the superintendent’s job, but the year-end conversation with the superintendent didn’t go well. Where do we go from here with a strained relationship?
Your New Life
You just picked up SuperEval—wow, what a difference. It followed all the best practices, goals were set, the expectations of the board were clearly defined, and the superintendent was able to easily contribute and participate in an evidence-based evaluation process.
Best of all—it was easy to use, and it drove rich, objective, and meaningful dialogue between the superintendent and board at the end of the year. The feedback was critical but the relationship was healthy as the team discussed areas of focus and setting new goals in the next year.
The board and superintendent were pleased… there were actual smiles.
Life is Good