Thoughtful California school district trustees might associate the task of evaluating the superintendent with the responsibility to set direction for the district. While it is important to recognize this, the superintendent evaluation process also plays a part in how boards fulfill their responsibility and accountability to their education partners within school systems, and the broader community at large.

The evaluation process is uniquely positioned to support the growth of the superintendent as the leader of the administrative team and staff, in addition to being the board’s non-elected governance team member. It can contribute to making continuous progress toward measurable district goals. High-achieving boards maximize the superintendent’s evaluation process to demonstrate the importance of being accountable to all those in the community.

Some questions to consider regarding superintendent evaluation:

• How have the trustees ensured that the superintendent evaluation ties into the district’s stated vision?
• What mechanism does the board use to provide an opportunity for mid-course corrections between formal evaluation dates, to prevent small concerns from growing into significant issues?
• In what ways do the trustees foster a productive working relationship with the superintendent that facilitates setting specific performance goals for them?
• How does the district provide ample advance notice to trustees about input deadlines? Using the governance calendar as a roadmap can help ensure that the superintendent evaluation is completed in a timely fashion.
• With what communications methods has the district informed trustees that the board’s evaluation of the superintendent is required by law?

In summary, governing boards should embrace the opportunity to ensure accountability regarding how they supervise, guide and support their superintendent. And they can confidently know that the task of ensuring accountability will be well-served if the evaluation process is goal-based, data-driven, ongoing and collaborative.