Philosophy and Approach

The School ADvance Administrator Evaluation System is based on Four Assumptions, which are grounded in the work of researchers in the field of educator performance evaluation:

• The ultimate goal of educator evaluation is to achieve better results for students by fostering improved effectiveness of teachers and leaders.
• New accountability requirements have enormous implications for administrators’ expertise and for the way they do business and spend their time.
• High-stakes accountability must be balanced with ongoing feedback and support for continuous improvement.
• Evaluation should not be something we do to people; rather, it should empower employees to take responsibility for their own learning, growth, and performance.

The School ADvance System holds to Ten Core Values, which we believe hold up through many perspectives; community, board, administrator, teacher, student. Those Ten Core Values are the following:

1. Growing capacity for better student results
2. Two-way dialogue and interaction
3. A grounding in research supported practice
4. Self-Assessment and reflective practice
5. Authentic feedback
6. Growth targets that really matter
7. Personal ownership
8. Context, conditions, and student characteristics
9. Multiple sources of data/evidence
10. Student results

Moreover, the developers have identified six research-aligned principles and critical elements that must be part of any comprehensive educator evaluation system for teachers and administrators.

As a result, the School ADvance Administrator Evaluation System is:

1. Authentic, using evidence-based practices to achieve better student outcomes
2. Professional, building personal commitment and efficacy for growth and improvement
3. Purpose Driven, focused on measurable improvement targets for student success
4. Adaptive, fostering self-assessment, reflective practice, action research, and innovative methods of improving student results
5. Evidence Based, data informed, using multiple sources of qualitative and quantitative data tied to student achievement and evidence-based practice including achievement and observation data
6. Inclusive, serving all, with alignment between student, teacher, administrator, and district improvement goals

By incorporating these elements, School ADvance can assist building leaders, district leaders, and boards of education in answering the three important questions regarding their own work:

• Where am I right now in my learning and performance?
• Where should I focus next to learn, grow, and improve?
• How should I proceed to reach that next level of performance?