District Unveils Principal Eval Plan

A new evaluation plan for New Haven’s public school principals will take student performance into account. That may mean high marks for principals like Iline Tracey, who boosted flagging test scores at King/Robinson Magnet School.

As the school district unveiled its new evaluation system for school principals on Monday, the latest element of an ambitious citywide school reform initiative, the Board of Education took a moment to honor Tracey (pictured) and two other school leaders who are already high performers.

The release of the proposed principal evaluation system follows that of a new teacher evaluation system, which was made public two weeks ago. That system received national attention, including an endorsement by the New York Times editorial page last week. The plan has been cited for its groundbreaking inclusion of student performance as a factor in the evaluation of teachers.

The principal system does the same. Under the new plan, school-wide student performance will be considered when grading principal performance.

That could be good news for Iline Tracey. She turned around King/Robinson K‑8 school, which was at one time on a federal ​“low-performer” watch list. Under Tracey’s leadership, the school had double-digit test score gains for several years in a row.

Tracey was recognized at Monday’s Board of Ed meeting for her leadership at King/Robinson. She was one of three principals to appear before the board with their new awards from the Magnet Schools of America organization. The King/Robinson school and Principal Gina Wells (at center in photo) of John Daniels School both received awards for being Magnet Schools of Distinction. The awards are given to schools that show a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, desegregation efforts, and community involvement.

Principal Peggy Moore (at left in photo), of Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, received a Magnet Schools of America award for being Principal of the Year for Region I, which includes all of New England. That award is given out for leadership in promoting equality, diversity, and academic excellence.

“It’s quite an honor for New Haven,” said Bob Canelli, New Haven’s magnet school supervisor.

Matrix II

Following the board’s recognition of the three principals, Assistant School Superintendent Garth Harries gave a brief outline of the new principal evaluation system.

It’s similar to the new teacher evaluation program, he said. Both emphasize frequent and ​“concrete” feedback. Both include student performance. For principals, this could mean looking at things like a school’s graduation rate, Harries said.

The principal system ​“runs parallel” to teacher evaluations, Harries said. ​“Accountability needs to be all through the organization.”

As with the new teacher evaluations, principals will be graded on a five-point scale, using a matrix that balances ​“leadership practices” with ​“student learning and school performance growth.” The former looks at how the principal manages the school and leads faculty and staff. The latter looks at student achievement and how the school overall is performing academically.

Harries said the new evaluation system emphasizes frequent evaluation throughout the school year, paired with ongoing feedback and coaching to help principals improve.

Principal evaluations will be conducted by ​“Directors of Instruction” — three administrators in the school district’s central office. Assistant principal evaluations will be conducted by principals.

The board did not vote on the proposed new evaluation system. Nor did it vote two weeks ago on the teacher evaluation plan. Harries said the board will be asked for its endorsement at some point in the future. He said he was not sure if the new plan needs the official approval of the board before it can be implemented.

The new evaluation systems are expected to takes effect in the fall.