Login
Member Directory
Superintendent Evaluation and Board Self-Evaluation
Evaluation is an essential part of the continuous improvement process. Many boards struggle with board self-evaluation and superintendent evaluation because they don’t have a structured evaluation tool and process. ASBA is pleased to offer both board and superintendent evaluation tools. Both are research-based and easily completed. They also work together to assess progress and identify opportunities to make informed decisions that maximize district resources (people, time, money) and ensure student success. These tools are free as an included value of membership.
Districts are required to assess staff and students yearly to provide accountability. Similarly, boards have the opportunity to self-evaluate and, while not required, it is a best practice in governance and aligns with the Eight Characteristics of Effective Boards*.
ASBA’s board self-evaluation tool centers around five pillars of board service. They are conduct and ethics, vision, structure, accountability and advocacy. Each pillar has a number of corresponding benchmarks that allow boards to drill down into specific areas of strength and opportunity.
Upon request, the board and superintendent receive a link to the online evaluation tool. This evaluation is anonymous and can be completed in approximately 10 minutes. Following the completion of the survey, a detailed report will be sent to the district.
The report provides question-by-question data. It will allow your governance team to identify and prioritize areas of consensus to create board goals and inform superintendent/district goals.
ASBA also provides facilitation for the discussion of the detailed report and the creation of board goals. To see our facilitation offerings and request training: https://azsba.org/services/training-board-support-services/custom-on-site-trainings/
Connect with Nikkie Whaley at nwhaley@azsba.org for more information and a survey link for your district.
*Dervarics, C, O’Brian, E (January 28, 2011). “Eight Characteristics of Effective School Boards.”
Superintendent Evaluation
The superintendent evaluation tool, available from ASBA, has six domains, several standards under each domain and performance indicators for each of the standards. These domains, standards and indicators include the basic duties of the superintendent. We’ve also allowed the ability for board/superintendent teams to customize the tool by assigning weights to each domain, linking performance pay to the tool and incorporating yearly superintendent goals as part of the evaluation process.
The Arizona School Administrators and ASBA partnered to develop a comprehensive, standardized, evidence-based and flexible evaluation tool for school boards to utilize when administering the statutorily required yearly performance evaluation of the superintendent.
Ten school districts piloted the superintendent evaluation tool for 2021. The survey results from those districts showed that:
- 100% of board members agreed that the evaluation tool was effective in helping understand the key competencies of the superintendent’s job.
- 100% of superintendents reported that the tool provided more clarity around the governing board’s expectations.
ASBA can facilitate discussion of the superintendent evaluation tool with the board/superintendent team prior to the start of the evaluation process to ensure a successful and rewarding evaluation process for the superintendent and governing board. To see our facilitation offerings and request training: https://azsba.org.services/training-board-support-services/custom-on-site-trainings/
For more information on the tool and/or to receive a copy of it, connect with Julie Bacon at jbacon@azsba.org.