Consider the following principal evaluation scenario, which is all too typical in schools today: A supervisor walks through a school building, talks to a few teachers and students, meets with the principal in his or her office, and–assuming that few parent complaints have landed on the superintendent's desk–we're finished.This common practice falls far short of evidence-based, meaningful evaluation, writes James H. Stronge. And considering the importance of principal effectiveness, we must do better. Stronge describes a principal evaluation system he has developed, which is built around seven practical, research-guided performance standards: instructional leadership, school climate, human resource leadership, organizational management, communications and community relations, professionalism, and student progress. Stronge emphasizes that effective principal evaluation systems balance the principal's behaviors with the school's student achievement results and use the evaluation results to focus on improvement, not just accountability.

James H. Stronge

Principal effectiveness and evaluation

Principal Evaluation from the Ground Up

Abundant research suggests that effective teachers are the most important factor in improving student achievement. But what exactly is an effective teacher? The authors point out that the precise definition of teacher effectiveness has proven elusive, but that research does suggest six broad domains that synthesize the research on key attributes, behaviors, and attitudes of effective teachers. The authors present an overview of how the qualities of effective teachers can be grouped into these six domains—prerequisites of effective teachers, the teacher as a person, classroom management and organization, organizing for instruction, implementing instruction, and monitoring student progress—these domains can be used to craft objective screening and interviewing processes to select the best teaching candidates.

Jennifer L. Hindman

Concerned mom talks with her child's teacher during parent teacher conference. The teacher is showing the mom something on a clipboard. The mother is gesturing with her hand on her chest.

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Hiring the Best Teachers - thumbnail

School and district management

Teacher effectiveness and evaluation

Hiring the Best Teachers

James Stronge

Xian Xu

Xianxuan Xu

Soft Cover

Print Books

Qualities of Effective Principals, 2nd Edition (Print Book)

Qualities of Effective Principals, 2nd Edition

Qualities of Effective Teachers, 3rd Edition (Print Book)

Qualities of Effective Teachers, 3rd Edition

Quick Reference Guides

How to Align Assessment to Curriculum and Instruction (Quick Reference Guide)

How to Align Assessment to Curriculum and Instruction

How to Use Assessments to Inform Instruction (Quick Reference Guide)

qrgcover How To Use Assessments To Inform Instruction Stronge

How to Use Assessments to Inform Instruction

How to Create High-Quality Assessments: Qualities of Effective Teaching (Quick Reference Guide)

How to Create High-Quality Assessments: Qualities of Effective Teaching

What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There (Print Book)

What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There

Leslie Grant

Patricia Popp

Yaling Sun

Catherine Little

West Meets East: Best Practices from Expert Teachers in the U.S. and China (Print Book)

West Meets East: Best Practices from Expert Teachers in the U.S. and China

Lauri M. Leeper

Virginia C. Tonneson

Principal Evaluation: Standards, Rubrics, and Tools for Effective Performance (Print Book)

James H. Stronge

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Principal Evaluation from the Ground Up

Hiring the Best Teachers

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