Assessing the Promise of Standards-Based Performance Evaluation for Principals: Results from a Randomized Trial

Abstract

Principals (N = 76) in a large western U.S. school district were randomly assigned to be evaluated using either a new standards-based system or to continue with the old system. It was hypothesized that principals evaluated with the new system would report clearer performance expectations, better feedback, greater fairness and system satisfaction, and spending more effort on priorities emphasized in the new system. Surveys and interviews were used to assess these perceptions. The hypotheses about feedback and satisfaction were supported. The study also revealed several issues with implementing standards-based evaluation, including competition with many other messages that define performance expectations for principals.

A previous version of this article was presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, April 10, 2007, Chicago, Illinois. The research reported in this article was supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, Education Finance, Leadership, and Management Research Program (Grant R305E05135). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Institute for Educational Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, the institutional partners of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, the Wisconsin Center for Education Research or the University of Wisconsin–Madison.