A study of evaluation systems for school principals in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Dawe, Roland A. (1983) A study of evaluation systems for school principals in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine principal evaluation systems available in Newfoundland and Labrador and make proposals for future development in this area. More specifically, this study attempted to answer the following questions: -- 1. How many school boards in the Province have developed formal systems for the evaluation of principals? -- 2. What are the major characteristics of these systems, in accordance with the following elements: -- Purposes; Criteria; Procedures; including evaluators, instruments, and processes used. -- 3. What differences exist among school boards with respect to their systems for the formal evaluation of principals? -- 4. What are the perceptions of superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, and vice-principals in a sample of school districts regarding current programs and how they can be approved? -- 5. What use is made of evaluation results in these selected districts? -- 6. What procedures were used by personnel in these districts in developing their evaluation systems? -- 7. What suggestions should be made for future developments in the area of principal evaluation in Newfoundland and Labrador? -- The Lawton Systems Model for Evaluation provided the theoretical framework used to examine the questions pertaining to the principal evaluation systems available in Newfoundland and Labrador. -- Data for the study were obtained from three sources: school board documentation outlining purposes, criteria, and procedures used in the evaluation of principals; interviews conducted with superintendents, assistant superintendents, and principals; and from questionnaires. The sample for the questionnaire component of the study included all superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals and vice-principals in eight randomly-chosen school boards. These eight boards were selected from a total of 19 boards reporting possession of principal evaluation systems. The collection of questionnaire data occurred during the Spring of 1983, with an overall return rate of 87.5 percent. Documentary analysis was used to describe those evaluation systems already in existence, with frequencies and comparison of means being used to analyze the questionnaire data. -- The results of the study led to the following major conclusions: -- 1. Current practices in principal evaluation throughout the Province are generally the same. -- 2. The prime purpose for evaluation is the improvement of performance or instruction. -- 3. While current practices are generally the same, it is difficult to produce a list of criteria that would be common to all school districts. The criteria included in a principal evaluation system are determined somewhat by local conditions and requirements. -- 4. With reference to procedures for evaluation there was strongest support for the involvement of principals themselves as evaluators. All respondent groups preferred general school evaluation as a process and the conference technique as an instrument for evaluation. -- 5. The committee approach was recommended as the procedure that should be used to develop an evaluation system.

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