The Ocean Gate Board of Education, in compliance with state law, will evaluate the chief school administrator at least annually. Each evaluation shall be in writing, a copy shall be provided to the chief school administrator and the superintendent and the board shall meet to discuss the findings. The evaluations shall be based upon the goals and objectives of the district, the responsibilities of the chief school administrator and such other criteria as the State Board of Education shall by regulation prescribe. Every newly appointed or elected board member shall complete the New Jersey School Boards Association’s training program on evaluation of superintendents within six months of commencement of his/her term of office. The purpose of the evaluation shall be:

A. To promote professional excellence and improve the skills of the chief school administrator;

B. To improve the quality of the education received by the pupils served by the public schools of the district;

C. To provide a basis for the review of the job performance of the chief school administrator.

Role and Responsibility of the Board

The role and responsibility of the board in this evaluation shall be:

A. To ensure each board member completes the New Jersey School Boards Association training program on the evaluation of the chief school administrator within six months of the commencement of newly appointed or elected district board member’s term of office (N.J.S.A. 18A:17-20.3, b; see board policy 9200 Orientation and Training of Board Members);

B. To review, revise and adopt procedures suggested by the chief school administrator for implementation of this policy;

C. To determine whether the services of a qualified consultant will contribute substantially to the evaluation process and to engage such a consultant as deemed appropriate to assist the board. The evaluation itself shall be the responsibility of the board;

D. To adopt an individual plan for professional growth and development of the chief school administrator based in part upon any needs identified in the evaluation. This plan shall be mutually developed by the board and the chief school administrator. The duration of the plan will be three to five years, depending on the chief school administrator’s contract with the school district. The board may determine whether to establish quantitative and/or qualitative merit criteria and the data to be used to establish the chief school administrator’s achievement of any established merit goal;

E. To hold an annual summary conference between a majority of its total membership and the chief school administrator. The annual summary conference shall be held before the written performance report is filed. The conference shall be held in private, unless the chief school administrator requests that it be held in public. The conference shall include, but not be limited to, review of the following:

1. Performance of the chief school administrator based upon the job description;
2. Progress of the chief school administrator in achieving and/or implementing the school district’s goals, program objectives, policies, instructional priorities, State goals, and statutory requirements; and
3. Indicators of student progress and growth toward program objectives.

F. To prepare, by July 1, subsequent to the annual summary conference, an annual written performance report, approved by a majority of the full membership of the board. This report shall include:

1. Performance areas of strength;
2. Performance areas needing improvement based upon the job description and evaluation criteria in “E” above;
3. Recommendations for professional growth and development;
4. A summary of available indicators of pupil progress and growth and a statement of how these available indicators relate to the effectiveness of the overall program and the performance of the chief school administrator;
5. Provision for performance data which have not been included in the report prepared by the board of education to be entered into the record by the chief school administrator within 10 working days after the completion of the report.

G. To add all written performance reports and supporting data, including, but not limited to, indicators of student progress and growth to a chief school administrator’s personnel file. The records shall be confidential and not be subject to public inspection or copying pursuant to the Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.

H. To determine whether the chief school administrator has performed contractual duties so ineffectively or has engaged in conduct unbecoming a chief school administrator such that tenure charges should be certified to the Commissioner of Education as applicable or other appropriate disciplinary action taken.

Role and Responsibility of the Chief School Administrator

The board shall determine the role and responsibility in consultation with the chief school administrator. The chief school administrator shall provide information and propose procedures for:

A. Development of a job description and evaluation criteria, based upon the district’s local goals, program objectives, policies, instructional priorities, state goals, statutory requirements, and the functions, duties and responsibilities of the chief school administrator. The evaluation criteria shall include but not be limited to available indicators of pupil progress;

B. Specification of methods of data collection and reporting appropriate to the job description;

C. Design of evaluation instruments suited to reviewing the chief school administrator’s performance based upon the job description;

D. Establishing an evaluation calendar to include a date for the annual conference and including appropriate information to allow proper consideration of all the items to be included in the subsequent written performance report;

E. After the board’s adoption of the annual written performance report, to provide all other appropriate information relative to evaluation of his/her performance not contained in the report.

F. Preparation and review of the Professional Growth Plan for the administrator’s professional development.

The policy shall be delivered to the chief school administrator upon adoption. Amendments to the policy shall be distributed within 10 working days after adoption.

NJSBA Review/Update: August 2008, October 2017
Adopted: January 21, 2009
Revised: April 2014
Readopted: April 30, 2014
Revised/Readopted: May 17, 2017
Reviewed: May 16, 2018

Key Words

Superintendent Evaluation, Superintendent Job Description, CSA, Chief School Administrator, Evaluation