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DP311A – Evaluation of Administrators

  • Effective: 11/10/87
  • Revision: 9/26/2017
  1. Board Directive
    The Board is committed to an on-going evaluation program for administrative personnel that is aligned to the Utah Educational Leadership Standards and that complies with Jordan District policy and state law.  (See Utah Code §53A-8a-7 and State Rule R277-531.)  The Board delegates to the District Administration responsibility for assuring that the evaluation program is reasonable and fair and based upon an evaluation instrument which is valid and reliable.It is the policy of the Board to require all administrative personnel to participate in the evaluation program for the following purposes:

    1. To promote the professional growth and development of educators.
    2. To recognize and encourage the use of effective administrative behaviors.
    3. To identify administrators according to their abilities with the performance expectation that administrators strive to receive an effective or highly effective rating.
    4. To provide a basis for decisions affecting employment.
  2. Administrative Policy
    The evaluation process for administrative personnel shall be administered according to the following administrative policy provisions:

    1. Definitions
      1. "Working days" means the days the administrator being evaluated is under contract to work.
      2. "Career administrator" means a licensed employee entitled to continued employment under the policies of the District.
      3. "Provisional administrator" means any administrator who is in his/her first year of employment.
      4. "Probationary administrator" means any administrator employed by the District whose performance is not satisfactory.
      5. "JAES evaluation" (Jordan Administrator Evaluation System) means the evaluation system for all certified administrators, which is completed on an electronic platform. The JAES will be the evaluation of professional levels of performance.
      6. A "summative evaluation" is an evaluation designed to present conclusions about the merit of a person's performance. Employment and compensation decisions are made based on summative evaluations.  JAES is the District's summative evaluation tool.
      7. A "formative evaluation" is an informal evaluation designed and used to promote growth and improvement in a person's performance.
      8. "Other lines of evidence" used for evaluation may include, but are not limited to, documented concerns or positive written communications from parents, staff or immediate supervisor, awards and recognitions for outstanding administrative performance, and/or documented deficiencies in work habits, student growth scores, and stakeholder input.
      9. “Stakeholder input” is input from parents, students, teachers, and support professionals collected by appropriate data gathering methods and represents quality practice.
      10. A "mentor" is an administrator assigned by the immediate supervisor to assist a provisional or probationary administrator to become informed about the administrative process and school system.
      11. A "consulting administrator" is an administrator who has completed special training in coaching and assisting administrators in improving administrative skills and effectiveness. Consulting administrators are assigned to administrators by the immediate supervisor.
      12. A “level of performance” means upon the completion of a JEAS evaluation the administrator will receive one of the four following differentiated levels of performance: highly effective, effective, emerging/minimally effective, or not effective.
    2. The JAES is the District's tool for evaluating an administrator's performance, adapted from the Utah State Board of Education Leadership Observation Tool.
    3. The Administrator Interim Evaluation, based on the Utah Educational Leadership Standards, is the District’s tool for conducting interim evaluations of career administrators.
    4. Each administrative employee shall be evaluated by his/her immediate supervisor.
    5. The District Administration shall review the purposes and procedures of the evaluation program with all administrators at least once each contract year, and each administrator shall have access to the online evaluation instrument.  All administrators due to be evaluated shall be notified at least fifteen (15) working days prior to the evaluation process.
    6. All new administrators shall be assigned a mentor.  The mentor will assist the new administrator in becoming informed about the administrative profession and school system.
    7. Evaluation frequency
      1. Career administrators shall be evaluated annually.
      2. Provisional administrators shall be evaluated at least twice in their initial year.
      3. Probationary administrators shall be evaluated when necessary as determined by the immediate supervisor.
      4. The immediate supervisor may evaluate an administrator whenever it is deemed necessary.
    8. A JAES evaluation process shall include:
      1. An orientation meeting which is held for all administrators and immediate supervisors to provide a review of the JAES process and the specific dates and general procedures to be used.
      2. The administrator is notified at least fifteen (15) working days before the evaluation is to begin.
      3. The supervisor and the administrator jointly determine what lines of evidence will be shown to demonstrate performance levels of the leadership standards.
      4. Formative conferences with the supervisor and the administrator being evaluated shall take place to monitor lines of evidence for levels of performance.
      5. The administrator being evaluated will rate themselves on the Utah Educational Leadership Standards, providing lines of evidence to support the rating.
      6. The supervisor completes the evaluation of administrator using the Utah Educational Leadership Standards and rubric.
      7. A summative conference will take place wherein the supervisor and the evaluated administrator will review the supervisor’s rating and the overall level of performance.
      8. If the administrator does not agree with any portion of the JAES Evaluation, the administrator has the right to respond in writing stating his/her views. This written report must be submitted to the Administrator of Human Resources within thirty (30) calendar days of the Professional Development meeting.
      9. The evaluation is acknowledged by both the supervisor and the administrator. The administrator’s acknowledgement does not necessarily indicate agreement with the evaluation, but acknowledges that the administrator has met with the supervisor and has received the information.
    9. Administrators whose JAES total score is in the level of performance of “Not Effective” may not advance on the adopted salary schedule.
      1. When compensation is withheld, both the administrator and the immediate supervisor will sign verifying documentation.
    10. The remediation process for all administrators whose JAES total score is in the level of performance of the “Not Effective” range is as follows:
      1. A Professional Development Contract must be completed within ten (10) days of the professional development meeting.
        1. The Professional Development Contract must identify the performance expectations and/or standards which resulted in a level of performance "Not Effective" rating.
        2. A plan of action to correct these deficiencies must be developed which includes specific resources provided to the administrator, a schedule for periodic review of progress, the types of evidence required to demonstrate satisfactory progress, and the assignment of a "consulting administrator."
        3. The length of remediation cannot exceed six calendar months, excluding July.
        4. The immediate supervisor must meet at least monthly, and the consulting administrator at least twice monthly with the administrator to assess progress and to provide assistance.
        5. Administrators on remediation are required to compile documentation of progress and improvement in the specific goal areas.
      2. At the conclusion of the remediation period, a second Professional Development meeting is held. At this meeting, the immediate supervisor reviews the administrator's documentation and determines the degree of progress made.
      3. The immediate supervisor confers with the Superintendent to determine the action to be taken.
        1. Remediation Completed: If the administrator has demonstrated satisfactory progress, including successful completion of all goals, he/she is re-designated as a career administrator.
        2. Remediation Extended: If the administrator has shown progress and has met some of the goals, the Professional Development Contract is revised and the remediation process is repeated.
        3. Probation: If the administrator has not shown at least moderate improvement and has not met the majority of his/her goals, the administrator is placed on probation.
        4. Change in Assignment: At the discretion of the Superintendent, a change in assignment may occur at any time during the remediation process.
      4. Probation ProceduresWhen an administrator is placed on probation, the following process is implemented:
        1. The remediation process is repeated and a Professional Development Contract is negotiated and implemented.
        2. Near the end of the probationary period, a second JAES is completed.
        3. The designated status of an administrator on probation means that the continued employment of the administrator is in question and that termination may result if performance appraisal ratings are not raised to meet the standard.
        4. At the conclusion of the evaluation, a Professional Development meeting is held. At the meeting, the immediate supervisor reviews the administrator's documentation, the results of the JAES and determines the degree of progress made.
        5. The immediate supervisor confers with the Superintendent to determine the action to be taken. Possible actions include:
          1. Probation Completed: If the administrator has demonstrated satisfactory progress, including successful completion of all goals, he/she is re-designated a career administrator.
          2. Change in Assignment: At the discretion of the Superintendent, a change in assignment may occur at any time during this process.
          3. Termination: The termination of an administrator follows the procedures as specified in District Policy DP316A—Orderly Termination Procedures.
    11. Right to Review and Appeal
      1. Administrators have fifteen (15) calendar days following the completion of the evaluation process to request a review of the evaluation findings.
      2. If an evaluation results in adverse employment action administrators have a right to appeal the procedure under District Policy DP315 NEG—Grievance Procedures.
    12. An Administrator Interim Evaluation shall be conducted as an evaluation for a career administrator each year a JAES evaluation is not administered; however, a JAES evaluation may be administered the same year an Administrator Interim Evaluation is administered, if requested by the principal, principal’s designee or immediate supervisor. The Administrator Interim Evaluation shall be used by the administrator and immediate supervisor as a formative tool throughout the school year that the evaluation takes place.
      1. The Administrator Interim Evaluation shall be made available to the administrator by the supervisor within the first month of the school year that the evaluation takes place.
      2. The Administrator Interim Evaluation will be discussed and acknowledged by both the administrator and the principal or immediate supervisor by the end of the school year that the evaluation takes place. The administrator’s acknowledgement indicates receipt of the report but does not necessarily signify agreement with its contents.
      3. The performance rating on the Administrator Interim Evaluation is the total score from the administrator’s most recent JAES evaluation.
    13. Evaluation records are classified as “Private Records” and shall be managed according to the provisions of District Policy DP367 – District Records Management.
    14. Nothing in this Policy shall prevent the District from taking appropriate disciplinary action for cause as provided for by Utah law, the Utah Code, Utah Administrative Rule, or District Policy DP316A - Orderly Termination Procedure—Administrators.