Sherry Worel, Superintendent, Stoneybrooke Christian Schools , Orange County, California
School boards and effective school leaders generally recognize the need to properly evaluate the school’s chief executive officer (CEO), referred to as headmaster, superintendent, or head principal. However, frustration occurs as the leaders wrestle with the philosophy and practices associated with an effective evaluation.
Recently, a task force of school administrators and board leaders met in Colorado Springs, Colorado, charged with the task of identifying the principles and practices involved in the effective process of evaluating a school’s CEO. ACSI will publish their research and deliberations in a meaningful format this fall.
Highlighted in that publication will be the understanding that a proper evaluation of the school’s CEO benefits everyone. Simply stated, an effective, well-thought-out, regular evaluation of the school’s head is good for the board, good for the CEO, and good for the school as a whole.
The school board benefits because the process helps define the role of both the board and the CEO. It helps everyone stay on task. Since a board’s role is to govern and not to manage the school, the process of evaluation helps the board focus on its task of hiring, monitoring, and evaluating its one employee, the CEO. The process itself will help the board recognize the multifaceted nature of the CEO position. And the process promotes open dialogue and a clear understanding of priorities.
An effective process of evaluation clearly benefits the CEO. Leaders are protected when issues are clarified. The appropriate checks and balances in the leadership structure are underscored in an evaluative process. The CEO is empowered to focus on the vision and mission of the institution as the board promotes its priorities or concerns in a thoughtful and considerate manner.
Properly evaluating the CEO is also good for the school as a whole. Accountability promotes confidence. The school’s constituency expects the leadership to move the school forward. An effective evaluative process improves communication among the school community and promotes the longevity of the administrator being evaluated.
The practices associated with effective evaluations must ensure that the process is both scriptural and professional. Biblical values must be embedded in the process. It must not become a popularity contest based on individual board members’ personal likes or dislikes. The process must be rooted in a well-written and agreed-upon job description. There should be no surprises during the evaluative process, and ample time should be given for addressing areas of improvement.
Biblical values must be embedded in the process.
The CEO may complete a self-evaluation, but it would be only a part of the deliberations of the entire board. The agreed-upon criteria for consideration may also include data from various surveys of staff, parents, or other administrators; but such input is merely feedback. The board must carefully and thoughtfully articulate its own vision and concerns regarding the CEO.
In order to facilitate improvement, the board must also offer resources, guidance, and appropriate support to the CEO. Timelines for completion of tasks and for reassessment should be scheduled. The goals must be clear and measurable. The performance standards for the next year’s evaluation must be agreed upon by both the board and the CEO. The board must ensure that there are regular opportunities to track and encourage progress.
The evaluative instrument itself should be developed on the basis of the specific outcome expectations of each school. The instrument should focus on leadership domains such as the CEO’s personal and professional characteristics, student development, personnel, operations, and the issues and opportunities associated with the school’s future.
Clearly, a Christian school must embrace the need to evaluate its CEO effectively. The process ensures the continued growth and development of the institution. It appropriately empowers the board and ultimately encourages the school leader.
CEO Evaluation 8.1