TONASKET – Tonasket School District Board members and Superintendent Steve McCullough held a work session during their board meeting August 10, 2015; exploring Team Operating Principles and Protocols, discussing the Levy and Bond Timeline, and examining a Superintendent Evaluation Process.
The school board is in the process of developing Team Operating Principles and Protocols, and has been looking at examples from several school districts as they work to create one for the Tonasket School District. McCullough said it was important to develop the protocols as well as revisit them occasionally to make certain “We are all on the same page.”
Sample Operating Principles and Protocols were examined from Pateros, Kelso, Snohomish, Prosser, Manson and Curlew.
“Those were just examples I chose as a starting point for the conversation,” McCullough said.
In the Levy and Bond Timeline work session, a conceptual project schedule addressing added classroom space, safety and security was detailed, with a sample timeline of a resolution filing deadline of December 24, 2015; an approximate date ballots mailed of January 22, 2016; an election date of February 9, 2016; a move-in date to new elementary school classrooms of December 2017; and a move-in date to new middle school classrooms of May 2018.
“This is just an example of what we should be doing as we start to plan our work for a potential bond and levy,” said McCullough.
The Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) is conducting a Washington Superintendent Evaluation Initiative to develop and pilot multiple superintendent evaluation methods, materials and training for possible recommendation to Washington school boards and superintendents. A steering committee is in place to review progress among five work groups that are piloting potential approaches. Northwest school districts are using a Standards-based pilot, King and Pierce County school districts are using an Outcome-based pilot, the Road Map school districts are using a 360-approach pilot, Southwest school districts are using a Five-step system pilot and Eastern Washington school districts are using a Continuous Quality Improvement Superintendent Evaluation (CQISE) pilot.
The CQISE is designed to provide an annual performance review (June to June) of school district Superintendents. It is intended to promote high levels of leadership effectiveness, professional growth and ongoing dialogue between superintendents and district school boards.
There are five steps involved in this evaluation pilot: develop or revisit a standards-based job description; identify annual district objectives and develop work plans; conduct a formative review mid-year; and conduct a summative evaluation at the end of the year.
The board also looked closer at the Washington Standards-based evaluation pilot used in Northwest school districts. This pilot evaluation has five categories of standards: visionary leadership, instructional leadership, effective management, inclusive practice, ethical leadership and socio-political context.
The board examined a Superintendent Evaluation document by the North Central Educational Service District used by the Pateros School District that looks at the following seven categories: educational leadership, fiscal management, staff supervision, board relationships, policy governance and planning, community leadership and personal qualities. A rating system is used in each category with ratings of unsatisfactory, basic/emerging, proficient or distinguished.
The board also looked at an Outcomes-Based Superintendent Evaluation Through a Year-Long Process model that takes into account the nature of the board of directors, the board’s role, the superintendent’s role, and how the superintendent responsibility, authority, and accountability are defined, delegated and carried out.
The school board will continue their work session at the August 24 school board meeting, and have moved the regular school board meeting to 7:30 p.m. on August 31.
