Superintendent Evaluation in Massachusetts

Conducting a thoughtful, fair and useful evaluation of the superintendent is both important and challenging. The following guidance, rubrics, and video series are intended to support all aspects of a meaningful evaluation.

Model System Guidance: Evaluating Superintendents and District Level Administrators

Updated guidance reflects a goal-driven process of evaluating superintendents and other district administrators. Guidance reflects regulatory requirements and articulates best practices related to establishing clear processes, setting meaningful goals, identifying focus Indicators, collecting and sharing evidence, and determining summative ratings.

• Evaluating Superintendents and District Administrators

Evaluation Rubrics and Resources for Superintendent Evaluation

• Superintendent Rubric
  This rubric describes administrative leadership practice at the superintendent level in alignment with the Standards and Indicators of Effective Administrative Leadership. It is intended to be used throughout the 5-step evaluation cycle for the evaluation of the superintendent by the school committee.

• Evidence Examples for Superintendent Evaluation
  This resource includes examples of common types of evidence associated with each Standard and Indicator for Effective Administrative Leadership Practice. It is meant to guide-not prescribe-the collection of evidence for purposes of superintendent evaluation.

Superintendent Evaluation in Massachusetts: A 5-Part Video Series

In this series of five short videos, school committee members and superintendents from five districts share their experiences as they developed, implemented, and now continue to refine the superintendent evaluation process. These videos describe ways Massachusetts school districts have tackled the challenge of making good use of the superintendent evaluation requirements. Each has gone beyond compliance to develop practical approaches that help both the school committee and superintendent focus their work on actions that can, and will, make a real difference for students.

Making the Most of the Opportunity

In this video you will learn how superintendents and school committees in five Massachusetts school districts have increased transparency and goal alignment in order to ensure a fair, thoughtful, and useful superintendent evaluation process.

Organizing the Process

In this video you will learn how superintendents and school committees in five Massachusetts school districts have organized subcommittees, revised calendars, and maintained ongoing communication in order to promote effective evaluation cycles and focus on continuous improvement.

Putting Goals at the Center

In this video you will learn how superintendents and school committees in five Massachusetts school districts have developed collaborative processes to establish and monitor goals that are meaningful, measurable, and attainable.

Assessing Progress and Performance

In this video you will learn how superintendents and school committees in five Massachusetts school districts have made evaluation an ongoing conversation throughout the year as superintendents share evidence of progress towards goals and present a final report on the year's work.

Deciding and Reporting Ratings

In this video you will learn how superintendents and school committees in five Massachusetts school districts develop shared expectations around and clear processes for determining summative performance ratings.

*DESE extends its thanks to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents for their partnership in the development of this video series.

Last Updated: July 25, 2022