R 3224  EVALUATION OF PRINCIPALS, VICE PRINCIPALS, AND  
  	ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
A.    	Definitions – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.2 
The following words and terms shall have the following meanings when used in Policy and Regulation 3224 unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 
“Annual performance report” means a written appraisal of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s performance prepared by the designated supervisor based on the evaluation rubric for his or her position.
 
“Annual summative evaluation rating” means an annual evaluation rating that is based on appraisals of educator practice and student performance, and includes all measures captured in a Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal evaluation rubric.  The four summative performance categories are ineffective, partially effective, effective, and highly effective.
 
“Calibration” in the context of educator evaluation means a process to monitor the competency of a trained evaluator to ensure the evaluator continues to apply an educator practice instrument accurately and consistently according to the standards and definitions of the specific instrument.
 
“Chief School Administrator” means the Superintendent of Schools or the Administrative Principal if there is no Superintendent.
 
“Commissioner” means Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education. 

“Corrective Action Plan” means a written plan developed by the Superintendent or a designated supervisor in collaboration with the Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal to address deficiencies as outlined in an evaluation.  The corrective action plan shall include timelines for corrective action, responsibilities of the individual Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal and the school district for implementing the plan, and specific support that the district shall provide as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-119. 
 
“Department” means the New Jersey Department of Education.
 
“Designated supervisor” means the supervisor designated by the Superintendent of Schools or designee as the administrator’s supervisor.  
 
“District Evaluation Advisory Committee” means a group created to oversee and guide the planning and implementation of the Board of Education's evaluation policies and procedures as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.3.
 
“Educator practice instrument” means an assessment tool that provides:  scales or dimensions that capture competencies of professional performance; and differentiation of a range of professional performance as described by the scales, which must be shown in practice and/or research studies. 
 
“Evaluation” means an appraisal of an individual’s professional performance in relation to his or her job description and professional standards and based on, when applicable, the individual’s evaluation rubric.
 
“Evaluation rubric” means a set of criteria, measures, and processes used to evaluate all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals in a specific school district or local education agency.  Evaluation rubrics consist of measures of professional practice, based on educator practice instruments and student outcomes.  Each Board of Education will have an evaluation rubric specifically for teachers, another specifically for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals, and evaluation rubrics for other categories of teaching staff members.

“Indicators of student progress and growth” means the results of assessment(s) of students as defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:8, Standards and Assessment.
 “Individual professional development plan” is as defined in N.J.S.A. 		18A:6-119. 
“Job description” means a written specification of the function of a position, duties and responsibilities, the extent and limits of authority, and work relationships within and outside the school and school district.
 
“Observation” means a method of collecting data on the performance of a Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, and Assistant Principal’s assigned duties and responsibilities.  An observation for the purpose of evaluation will be included in the determination of the annual summative evaluation rating and shall be conducted by the Superintendent or designee.
 
“Post-observation conference” means a meeting, either in-person or remotely, between the supervisor who conducted the observation and the Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal for the purpose of evaluation to discuss the data collected in the observation.
 
“Principal practice instrument” means an assessment tool that provides scales or dimensions that capture competencies of professional performance; and differentiation of a range of professional performance as described by the scales, which must be shown in practice and/or research studies.  The scores from the principal practice instrument are components of the evaluation rubrics and the scores are included in the summative evaluation rating for the individual.
 
“Scoring guide” means a set of rules or criteria used to evaluate a performance, product, or project.  The purpose of a scoring guide is to provide a transparent and reliable evaluation process.  Educator practice instruments include a scoring guide that an evaluator uses to structure his or her assessments and ratings of professional practice.

“Semester” means half of the school year.
 
“Signed” means the name of one physically written by oneself or an electronic code, sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.
 
“Student growth objective” means an academic goal that teachers and designated supervisors set for groups of students.
 
“Student growth percentile” means a specific metric for measuring individual student progress on Statewide assessments by tracking how much a student’s test scores have changed relative to other students Statewide with similar scores in previous years.
 
“Superintendent” means Superintendent of Schools or Chief School Administrator.
 
“Supervisor” means an appropriately certified teaching staff member as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:1-1, or Superintendent employed in the district in a supervisory role and capacity, and possessing a school administrator, Principal, or supervisor endorsement as defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-12 and certified to evaluate a Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal.
 B.    	Applicability of Rules on Collective Bargaining Agreements – N.J.A.C. 		6A:10-1.3 
No collective bargaining agreement entered into after July 1, 2013, shall conflict with the educator evaluation system established pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.1 et seq. or any other specific statute or regulation, nor shall topics subject to bargaining involve matters of educational policy or managerial prerogatives.

C.    	Educator Evaluation Data, Information, and Annual Performance Reports – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.4
 
All information contained in annual performance reports and all information collected, compiled, and/or maintained by employees of the Board of Education for the purposes of conducting the educator evaluation process pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.1 et seq., including, but not limited to, digital records, shall be confidential.  Such information shall not be subject to public inspection or copying pursuant to the Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.  Nothing contained in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.1 et seq. shall be construed to prohibit the Department or a school district from, at its discretion, collecting evaluation data pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-123.e. or distributing aggregate statistics regarding evaluation data.
 
D.    	Evaluation of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.1
 
1.     	The Board of Education shall annually adopt evaluation rubrics for all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals.  The evaluation rubrics shall have four defined annual ratings:  ineffective, partially effective, effective, and highly effective.
 
2.     	The evaluation rubrics for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals shall include all other relevant minimum standards set forth in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-123 (P.L. 2012, c. 26, § 17c).
 
3.     	Evaluation rubrics shall be submitted to the Commissioner by August 1 for approval by August 15 of each year. 
E.     	Duties of the Board of Education – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.2 
1.     	The Board of Education shall meet the following requirements for the annual evaluation of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals, unless otherwise specified:

a.     	Establish a District Evaluation Advisory Committee to oversee and guide the planning and implementation of the Board of Education's evaluation policies and procedures as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2 et seq.;
 
b.     	Annually adopt policies and procedures developed by the Superintendent pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.4, including the evaluation rubrics approved by the Commissioner pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.1(c):
 
(1)    	The Superintendent shall develop policies and procedures that, at a minimum, ensure student performance data on the Statewide assessment is, upon receipt, promptly distributed or otherwise made available to staff members who were primarily responsible for instructing the applicable students in the school year in which the assessment was taken, as well as to staff members who are or will be primarily responsible for instructing the applicable students in the subsequent school year.
 
c.     	Ensure the Superintendent annually notifies all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals of the adopted evaluation policies and procedures no later than October 1.  If a Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal is hired after October 1, the Board/Superintendent shall notify all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals of the policies and procedures at the beginning of his or her employment.  All Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals shall be notified of amendments to the policy and procedures within ten Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal working days of adoption;
 
d.     	Annually adopt by June 1, any Commissioner-approved educator practice instruments and, as part of the process described at N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.1(c), notify the Department which instruments will be used as part of the school district’s evaluation rubrics;

e.     	Ensure the Principal of each school within the school district has established a School Improvement Panel pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-3.1.  The panel shall be established annually by August 31 and shall carry out the duties and functions described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-3.2;
 
f.      	Ensure data elements are collected and stored in an accessible and usable format.  Data elements shall include, but not be limited to, scores or evidence from observations for the purpose of evaluation and student growth objective data; and
 
g.     	Ensure the Superintendent or designee certifies to the Department that any observer who conducts an observation of a Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal for the purpose of evaluation as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-4.4; N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4; and 6A:10-6.2 shall meet the statutory observation requirements of N.J.S.A. 18A:6-119;  	18A:6-123.b.(8); and N.J.S.A. 18A:27-3.1 and the teacher member of the School Improvement Panel requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:10-3.2.
 
2.     	The Board of Education shall ensure the following training procedures are followed when implementing the evaluation rubric for all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals and, when applicable, applying the Commissioner-approved principal practice instruments:
 
a.     	Annually provide training on and descriptions of each component of the evaluation rubric for all Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals who are being evaluated in the school district and provide more thorough training for any Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals who are being evaluated for the first time.  Training shall include detailed descriptions of all evaluation rubric components including, when applicable, detailed descriptions of student achievement measures and all aspects of the principal practice instrument;

b.     	Annually provide updates and refresher training for supervisors who are conducting evaluations in the school district and more thorough training for any supervisor who will evaluate Principals, Vice Principals, or Assistant Principals for the first time.  Training shall be provided on each component of the evaluated Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s evaluation rubric before the evaluation of the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal;
 
c.     	The Superintendent shall annually certify to the Department that all supervisors of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals in the school district who are utilizing evaluation rubrics have completed training on and demonstrated competency in applying the evaluation rubrics.
F.     	District Evaluation Advisory Committee – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.3 
1.     	Members of the District Evaluation Advisory Committee shall include representation from the following groups:  teachers from each school level represented in the school district; central office administrators overseeing the teacher evaluation process; supervisors involved in teacher evaluation, when available or appropriate; and administrators conducting evaluations, including a minimum of one administrator conducting evaluations who participates on a School Improvement Panel.  Members also shall include the Superintendent, a special education administrator, a parent, and a member of the Board of Education.
 
2.     	The Superintendent may extend membership on the District Evaluation Advisory Committee to representatives of other groups and to individuals.
 
3.     	A District Evaluation Advisory Committee is not required and the Board of Education shall have the discretion to establish a District Evaluation Advisory Committee.
 G.    	Evaluation Procedures for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant 		Principals - N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.4
 1.     	The provisions outlined in Policy and Regulation 3224 and 			N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.4 shall be the minimum requirements for the 		evaluation of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals. 
2.     	Evaluation policies and procedures requiring the annual evaluation of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals shall be developed under the direction of the Superintendent, who may consult with the District Evaluation Advisory Committee or representatives from School Improvement Panels, and shall include, but not be limited to, a description of:
 
a.     	Roles and responsibilities for implementation of evaluation policies and procedures;
 
b.     	Job descriptions, evaluation rubrics for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals, the process for calculating the summative ratings and each component and the evaluation regulations set forth in N.J.A.C.                6A:10-1 et seq.;
 
c.     	Methods of data collection and reporting appropriate to each job description, including, but not limited to, the process for student attribution to teachers, Principals, Vice Principals, Assistant Principals for calculating the median and school-wide student growth percentile;
 
d.     	Processes for observations for the purpose of evaluation and post-observation conference(s) by a supervisor;
 
e.     	Process for developing and scoring student growth objectives;
 
f.      	The process for preparation of individual professional development plans; and 
 g.     	The process for preparation of an annual performance 		report by the Superintendent or designated supervisor, and 		an annual summary conference between the Principal, Vice 		Principal, or Assistant Principal and the Superintendent or 		designated supervisor. 
3.     	The annual summary conference between the designated supervisor and the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal shall be held before the annual performance report is filed.  The conference shall occur on or before June 30 of each school year and shall include, but not be limited to, a review of the following:
 
a.     	The performance of the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal based upon the job description and the scores or evidence compiled using the evaluation rubric, including, when applicable:
 
(1)    	The educator’s  practice instrument; and
 
(2)    	Available indicators or student achievement measures such as student growth objective scores and student growth percentile scores.
 
b.     	The progress of the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal toward meeting the goals of the individual professional development plan or, when applicable, the corrective action plan; and
 
c.     	The preliminary annual performance report.
 
4.     	If any scores for the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s evaluation rubric are not available at the time of the annual summary conference due to pending assessment results, the annual summative evaluation rating shall be calculated once all component ratings are available.
 
5.     	The annual performance report for the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal shall be prepared by the designated supervisor and shall include, but not be limited to:

a.     	A summative rating based on the evaluation rubric, including, when applicable, a total score for each component as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5;
 
b.     	Performance area(s) of strength and area(s) needing improvement based upon the job description and components of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s evaluation rubric; and
 
c.     	The Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s individual professional development plan or a corrective action plan from the evaluation year being reviewed in the report.
 
6.     	The Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and the designated supervisor shall sign the report within five Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal working days of the review.
 
7.     	The Board of Education shall include all performance reports and supporting data, including, but not limited to, written observation reports and additional components of the summative evaluation rating as part of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s personnel file, or in an alternative, confidential location.  If reports and data are stored in an alternate location, the personnel file shall clearly indicate the report’s location and how it can be easily accessed.  The records shall be confidential and shall 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.    	Corrective Action Plans for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.5

1.     	For each Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal rated ineffective or partially effective on the annual summative evaluation, as measured by the evaluation rubrics, a corrective action plan shall be developed by the Principal, Vice Principal, or

Assistant Principal and the designated supervisor.  If the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal does not agree with the corrective action plan’s content, the designated supervisor shall make the final determination.
 
2.     	The corrective action plan shall be developed and the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and his or her designated supervisor shall meet to discuss the corrective action plan by October 31 of the school year following the year of evaluation except:
 
a.     	If the ineffective or partially effective summative evaluation rating is received after October 1 of the school year following the year of evaluation, a corrective action plan shall be developed, and the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and his or her designated supervisor shall meet to discuss the corrective action plan within twenty-five Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal working days following the school district’s receipt of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s summative rating.
 
3.     	The content of the corrective action plan shall replace the content of the individual professional development plan required pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3(a) and 4.4(a) and shall:
 
a.     	Address areas in need of improvement identified in the principal evaluation rubric;
 
b.     	Include specific, demonstrable goals for improvement;
 
c.     	Include responsibilities of the evaluated employee and the school district for the plan’s implementation; and
 
d.     	Include timelines for meeting the goal(s).

4.     	The designated supervisor and the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal on a corrective action plan shall discuss the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s progress toward the goals outlined in the corrective action plan during each post-observation conference, when required by N.J.S.A. 	18A:27-3.1 or N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4.
 
5.     	Progress toward the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s goals outlined in the corrective action plan:
 
a.     	Shall be documented in the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s personnel file and reviewed at the annual summary conference and the mid-year evaluation.  Both the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal on a corrective action plan and his or her designated supervisor may collect data and evidence to demonstrate the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s progress toward his or her corrective action plan goals; and
 
b.     	May be used as evidence in the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s next annual summative evaluation; however, such progress shall not guarantee an effective rating on the next summative evaluation.
 
6.     	Responsibilities of the evaluated Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal on a corrective action plan shall not be exclusionary of other plans for improvement determined to be necessary by the designated supervisor.

7.     	The Superintendent or his or her designee, and the Principal, as appropriate, shall conduct a mid-year evaluation of any Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal pursuant to N.J.S.A.	18A:6-121.c.  The mid-year evaluation shall occur approximately midway between the development of the corrective action plan and the expected receipt of the next annual summative rating.  The mid-year evaluation shall include, at a minimum, a conference to        discuss progress toward the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s goals outlined in the corrective action plan.  The mid-year evaluation conference may be combined with a post-observation conference.
 
8.     	The Superintendent shall ensure Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals with a corrective action plan receive one observation and a post-observation conference in addition to the observations required in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4 for the purpose of evaluation as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.2 and 5.4. 
 
9.     	The corrective action plan shall remain in effect until the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal receives his or her next summative evaluation rating.
 
10.   	There shall be no minimum number of Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal working days a Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s corrective action plan can be in place. 
I.      	Components of Principal Evaluation Rubrics – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.1 
1.     	Unless otherwise noted, the components of the principal evaluation rubrics shall apply to teaching staff members holding the position of Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and holding a valid and effective standard, provisional, or emergency administrative certificate.
 
2.     	The principal evaluation rubric shall meet the standards provided in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-123, including, but not limited to:
 
a.     	Measures of student achievement pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2; and
 
b.     	Measures of principal practice pursuant to N.J.A.C.   6A:10-5.3 and 5.4.

3.     	To earn a summative rating, the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal shall have a student achievement score, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2 and a principal practice score pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.3 and 5.4.
 
4.     	Each score shall be converted to a percentage weight so all measures make up 100 percent of the evaluation rubric.  By August 31 prior to the school year in which the evaluation rubric applies, the Department shall provide on its website the required percentage weight of each component and the required summative rating scale.  All components shall be worth the following percentage weights or fall within the following ranges:
 
a.     	If, according to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2(b), the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal receives a school-wide student growth percentile score as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2(c), the score shall be at least ten percent and no greater than forty percent of evaluation rubric rating as determined by the Department.
 
b.     	Measure of average student growth objective for all teachers, as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2(d), shall be at least ten percent and no greater than twenty percent of evaluation rubric rating as determined by the Department.
 
c.     	Measure of administrator goal, as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2(e), shall be no less than ten percent and no greater than forty percent of evaluation rubric rating as determined by the Department.
 
d.     	Measure of principal practice, as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.3(b), shall be no less than fifty percent of evaluation rubric rating.
 
5.     	Standardized assessments, used as a measure of student progress, shall not be the predominant factor in determining a Principal’s annual summative rating.

6.     	The Department shall periodically collect principal evaluation rubric data that shall include, but are not limited to, component-level scores and annual summative ratings.
 
J.      	Student Achievement Components of Principal Evaluation Rubrics – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2
 
1.     	Measures of student achievement shall be used to determine impact on student learning and shall include the following components:
 
a.     	The school-wide student growth percentile of all students assigned to the Principal;
 
b.     	Average student growth objective scores of every teacher, as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-4.2(e), assigned to the Principal; and
 
c.     	Administrator goals set by Principals, Vice Principals, or Assistant Principals in consultation with their supervisor pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.2(e), which shall be specific and measurable, based on student growth and/or achievement data.
 
2.     	The school-wide student growth percentile score shall be included in the annual summative rating of Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals who are assigned to a school as of October 15 and who are employed in schools where student growth percentiles are available for students in one or more grades.  If the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal is employed in more than one school, the Superintendent shall assign to the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal, as appropriate, the school-wide student growth percentile from one school and shall notify the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal at the beginning of the school year of the student growth percentile assignment.
 
3.     	The Department shall calculate the school-wide student growth percentile for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals.
 
4.     	The average student growth objective scores of all teachers, as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-4.2(e), shall be a component of the Principal’s annual summative rating.  The average student growth objective scores for Vice Principals or Assistant Principals shall be determined according to the following procedures:
 
a.     	The Principal, in consultation with the Vice Principal or Assistant Principal, shall determine prior to the start of the school year, which teachers, if not all teachers in the school, shall be linked to the Vice Principal’s and Assistant Principal’s average student growth objective score.
 
b.     	If the Vice Principal or Assistant Principal does not agree with the list of teachers linked to his or her name for the purposes of this measurement, the Principal shall make the final determination.
 
5.     	Administrator goals for Principals, Vice Principals, or Assistant Principals shall be developed and measured according to the following procedures:
 
a.     	The designated supervisor shall determine for all Principals, Vice Principals, or Assistant Principals, the number of required administrator goals which shall reflect the achievement of a significant number of students within the school.  By August 31 prior to the school year in which the evaluation rubric applies, the Department shall provide on the Department’s website the minimum and maximum number of required goals, which will be at least one goal and no more than four goals.
 
b.     	Principals, Vice Principals, or Assistant Principals shall develop, in consultation with their designated supervisor, each administrator goal.  Each Vice Principal and Assistant Principal shall set goals specific to his or her job description or adopt the same goals as his or her Principal.  If the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and
his or her designated supervisor do not agree upon the administrator goal the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s designated supervisor shall make the final determination.
 
c.     	Administrator goals and the criteria for assessing performance based on those objectives shall be determined, recorded, and retained by the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal and his or her designated supervisor by October 31 of each school year, or within twenty-five Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal working days of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s start date if he or she begins work after October 1.
 
d.     	The administrator goal score shall be approved by the designated supervisor of the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal.  The Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s administrator goal score, if available, shall be discussed at his or her annual summary conference and recorded in his or her personnel file. 
K.    	Principal Practice Component of Evaluation Rubric – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.3 
1.     	Measures of principal practice shall include a measure determined through a Commissioner-approved principal practice instrument and may include a leadership measure determined through the Department-created leadership rubric.
 
2.     	Principal practice component rating shall be based on the measurement of the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s performance according to the school district’s Commissioner-approved principal practice instrument.  Observations pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4 shall be used as one form of evidence for this measurement. 
 3.     	Leadership practice shall be determined by a score on a leadership 		rubric, which will assess the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or 		Assistant Principal’s ability to improve student achievement and 		teaching staff member effectiveness through identified leader 		behaviors.  The rubric will be posted on the Department’s website 		and annually maintained. 
L.     	Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal Observations – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4
 
1.     	The Superintendent or his or her designee, shall conduct observations for the evaluation of Principals pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-121 and he or she shall be trained pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.2(b).
 
2.     	A Principal, or the Superintendent or his or her designee, shall conduct observations for the evaluation of Vice Principals and Assistant Principals pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-121.
 
3.     	For the purpose of collecting data for the evaluation of a Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal, an observation, as described in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-119 and N.J.A.C. 6A:10-1.2, may include, but is not limited to:  building walk-through, staff meeting observation, parent conference observation, or case study analysis of a significant student issue.
 
4.     	Post-observation conferences shall include the following procedures:
 
a.     	A supervisor who is present at the observation shall conduct a post-observation conference with the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal being observed.  A post-observation conference shall occur no more than fifteen Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal working days following each observation.
 
b.     	The post-observation conference shall be for the purpose of reviewing the data collected at the observation, connecting the data to the principal practice instrument and the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s individual professional development plan, collecting additional information needed for the evaluation, and offering areas to improve effectiveness.
 
c.     	With the consent of the observed Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal, post-observation conferences for individuals who are not on a corrective action plan may be conducted via written communication, including electronic communication.
 
d.     	One post-observation conference may be combined with the Principal’s, Vice Principal’s, or Assistant Principal’s annual summary conference as long as it occurs within the required fifteen Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal working days following the observation.
 
e.     	A written or electronic observation report shall be signed by the supervisor who conducted the observation and post-observation and the Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal who was observed.
 
f.      	The Principal, Vice Principal, or Assistant Principal shall submit his or her written objection(s) of the evaluation within ten Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal working days following the conference.  The objection(s) shall be attached to each party’s copy of the annual performance report.
 
5.     	Each tenured Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal shall be observed as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4, at least two times during each school year.  Each nontenured Principal, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal shall be observed as described in N.J.A.C. 6A:10-5.4 at least three times during each school year, as
required by N.J.S.A. 18A:27-3.1.  An additional observation shall be conducted pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.5(h) for Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals who are on a corrective action plan. 
M.    	Principal Practice Instrument – N.J.A.C. 6A:10-7.3 
1.     	The principal practice instrument approved by the Department shall meet the following criteria:
 
a.     	Incorporate domains of practice and/or performance criteria that align to the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders developed by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) incorporated herein by reference;
 
b.     	Include scoring guides for assessing principal practice that differentiate among a minimum of four levels of performance, and the differentiation has been shown in practice and/or research studies.  Each scoring guide shall clearly define the expectations for each category and provide a conversion to four rating categories;
 
c.     	Rely on, to the extent possible, multiple sources of evidence collected throughout the school year, including, but not limited to, evaluation of a Principal’s leadership related to:
 
(1)    	Implementing high-quality and standards-aligned curriculum, assessments, and instruction; and
 
(2)    	Evaluating the effectiveness of teaching staff members and supporting their professional growth.
 d.     	Include descriptions of specific training and 				implementation details required for the instrument to be 		effective.

Adopted:	June 17, 2014
Revised:	April 26, 2016, October 17, 2017, July 27, 2021