Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
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Principal Evaluation As A Tool For Growth
How to help principals lead and learn
By Donna J. Micheaux and Jennifer L. Parvin
April 2018
Vol. 39 No. 2
How can we use principal evaluation as a tool for growth? We grappled with this question as we worked with principals and principal supervisors who were implementing new principal evaluation systems across the United States. As we progressed, one thing became clear: Principal evaluation systems without explicit and aligned professional learning simply re-create a system of compliance and fail to improve leadership capacity. Although there have been concerted efforts at the national, state, and local levels to develop more comprehensive and rigorous principal evaluation systems, few address the huge investment in learning that is needed to improve practice. Given the complexity of the role of today’s principals, they must learn a new set of skills and knowledge to create innovative learning environments. The intent of
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This article is sponsored by The Wallace Foundation, www.wallace.org.
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