The 360 Evaluation

1. The 360 Evaluation Is it for you?

2. Presented by: • Jim Conyers • Master School Board Member Candidate • President, Bloomfield Board of Education

3. What is the 360 Evaluation • Reference to 360 degrees of a circle. • Attempt to get input from numerous areas of the organization. • Can include maintenance, food service, administration, academic faculty, transportation or any other department.

4. Why a 360 Evaluation? • Many Board members have limited information about performance of the Superintendent. • Gives additional stake holders opportunity for input. • Provides Board and Superintendent with information from numerous sources.

5. How to do a 360 Evaluation. • Paper version: This involves printing a hard copy of the evaluation instrument, distribution to those selected and tabulation and analysis of results. • Board should decide what areas are important to be surveyed. • Develop format, decide who is going to be in charge of distribution, tabulation and analysis of the results.

6. Methodology • District has approximately 450 employees. • Survey 20% of all staff(90 people). • Print list of all staff and random number 1-5. • Survey goes to everyone with number 5. • Be certain no school or department left out. • All School Board members included. • Send email invitation to those selected explaining procedures and deadline for completion. Only School Board President has access to results.

7. Using Technology • Survey Monkey www.surveymonkey.com • Cost is $200 per year. • Use as often as needed during the year. • Multiple use for other administrators in the district—principals, directors, department heads, etc. • Immediate feedback and summary of results. • Going green. Less use of paper/saves time.

8. The questions we asked. • Would you please share your perspective of how effectively the superintendent is performing in the areas which follow. Please select a number for “1” to “5” with “1” being very ineffective and “5” being highly effective. If you have no perspective of that area, please select “N/A”.

9. Visibility to staff • This was designed to determine if the superintendent was out working in the district or mainly worked from the office through memos, emails and surrogates. • We felt it was important for stake holders to recognize the superintendent and see involvement in the district.

10. Accessibility by staff. We believed that it is important that the staff have some method of access to the superintendent. Do staff members feel comfortable in bringing issues to the superintendent and will the superintendent be open to staff input. Is superintendent’s office friendly and welcoming or are there many barriers.

11. Community Relations. • Do community members recognize the superintendent and see him/her as an involved in community ? • Would community members feel like they know the superintendent and feel at ease bringing issues forward?

12. Instructional Leadership • One of the functions of the superintendent is to provide leadership for the district in educational areas. • Superintendents should be knowledgeable in educational issues and practices in order to lead staff to maximize effectiveness.

13. Organizational management. • Superintendents need to be able to make sure all parts of the district work together effectively. • This requires knowledge of the functions of each department and the ability to coordinate their activities.

14. Ethical behavior. • Do staff consider the superintendent to be honest? • Does the superintendent deal with everyone fairly and professionally? • Does the superintendent maintain confidentiality and avoid mistreating staff?

15. Superintendent Evaluation • 1. Please share your perspective of how effectively the superintendent is performing in the areas which follow. Please select a number from “1” to “5” with “1” being very ineffective and “5” being highly effective. If you have no perspective please select “NA.” • 1 2 3 4 5 NA • Visibility to staff • Accessibility by staff • Community Relations • Instructional Leadership • Organizational Leadership • Ethical Behavior

16. # 2 Commendable Performance Areas • In the following comment/essay box, you may provide a written comment regarding “Commendable Performance Areas,” where you may enter those things that you view as being done in a very positive way by our superintendent.

17. #3 Areas for Improvement. • In the following comment/essay box, you may provide a written comment regarding “Areas for Improvement,” where you may suggest changes in behavior of the superintendent that would improve his/her performance.

18. Factors for Success • Support from Board. • Rater accountability to provide honest feedback. • Rater anonymity and confidentiality. • Easy to use feedback and report format, • Accountability for action planning and follow through by person being rated as well as Board.

19. Using the Results • Debate whether results should only be used for improvement by superintendent or used for evaluation by Board. • Can superintendent be expected to improve base on feed back or does he/she need incentives and/or consequences.

20. Improvement Model • If you give superintendent information, he/she will make necessary changes • Not necessary to force managers to make improvements. • Opportunity to see ourselves as others see us. • Raters may be more honest if think results being used for improvement only. • Less threatening to superintendent and may get more “buy in” to process.

21. Criticisms of Improvement Model • People resistant to change unless forced to do so. • May feel results are not accurate and therefore not willing to implement change. • Change requires effort and may feel there is no worthwhile payoff.

22. Evaluation Model • Board has responsibility for evaluating superintendent and establishing goals for improvement. • Model provides information from areas of organization not easily accessible to Board. • Data used in developing goals for the superintendent. • Organizations resist change and this is a way of showing where change is needed.

23. Criticisms of Evaluation Model • Can be misused by individual Board members who have a personal agenda. • Raters may be less inclined to be honest if they support boss but see need for improvement. • Raters may see process to “get the boss” rather than improve they system. • Superintendent may have less support for process.

24. What do you think? • Self improvement or Evaluation. • How about both?

25. THATS ALL FOLKS! • Questions??? • Comments • Sources: • Bracken, David. Should360-Degree Feedback be Used Only for Developmental Purposes? Center for Creative Leadership, 1997.