302.5 Superintendent Evaluation

The board will conduct an ongoing evaluation of the superintendent's skills, abilities, and competence, and will formally evaluate the superintendent on an annual basis.  The goal of the superintendent's formal evaluation is to ensure the education program for the students is carried out, promote growth in effective administrative leadership, clarify the superintendent's role, clarify the immediate priorities of the board, and promote a positive working relationship between the board and the superintendent. This policy supports and does not preclude the ongoing, informal evaluation of the superintendent's skills, abilities and competence. 

The superintendent will be an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by:

  • Mission, Vision and Core Values:  Develop, advocate and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
  • Ethics and Professional Norms:  Act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • Equity and Cultural Responsiveness:  Strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:  Develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • Community Care and Support for Students:  Cultivate an inclusive, caring and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
  • Professional Capacity of School Personnel:  Develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • Professional Community for Teachers and Staff:  Foster a professional community of teachers and professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.  
  • Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community:  Engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • Operations and Management:  Manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
  • School Improvement:  Act as an agent of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

The formal evaluation will be based upon the following principles:

•    The evaluation criteria shall be in writing, clearly stated and mutually agreed upon by the board and the superintendent.  The criteria will be related to the job description, the school district's goals, and the Iowa Leadership Standards. 

•    At a minimum, the evaluation process will be conducted annually at a time agreed upon;

•    Each board member shall have an opportunity to individually evaluate the superintendent, and these individual evaluations will be compiled into an overall evaluation by the entire board;

•    The board may discuss its evaluation of the superintendent in closed session upon a request from the superintendent or, if the board determines its discussion in open session will needlessly and irreparably injure the superintendent's reputation; 

•    The individual evaluation by each board member, if individual board members so desire, will not be reviewed by the superintendent.  Board members are encouraged to communicate their criticisms and concerns to the superintendent in the closed session.  The board president will develop a written summary of the individual evaluations, including both the strengths and the weaknesses of the superintendent, and place it in the superintendent's personnel file to be incorporated into the next cycle of evaluations.

This policy supports and does not preclude the ongoing, informal evaluation of the superintendent's skills, abilities and competence.
 

Legal Reference: Wedergren v. Board of Directors, 307 N.W.2d 12 (Iowa 1981).

Iowa Code §§ 279.8, .20, .23, .23A.

281 I.A.C. Ch. 83; 12.3(4).    
 

Cross Reference:    212    Closed Sessions

            302    Superintendent
 

Approved Aug. 8, 2005

Reviewed   January 13, 2025

Revised  February 10, 2025