Abstract
Research Problem. Formal evaluation of school superintendents has received minimal attention in accountability movements. The purpose of this study was to examine formal superintendent evaluation processes and practices used in selected California public schools as these processes and practices compared to guidelines established by the California School Boards Association. The study asked, "How do the C.S.B.A. Guidelines for Effective Superintendent Evaluation compare to literature in personnel evaluation and formal superintendent evaluation processes and practices in selected California public schools?" Research Methodology. Descriptive research was used for this study. A qualitative examination of the literature was conducted. Documents used for superintendent evaluation were reviewed qualitatively and quantitatively. Cross tabulation tables were used to illustrate the data obtained from 82 out of 100 school districts in three Southern California counties. Findings. The C.S.B.A. Guidelines for Effective Superintendent Evaluation received the support of personnel literature. Thirty-seven or 45.1 percent of the districts had regular scheduling, written policies and procedures, and evaluation instrumentation. C.S.B.A. Guideline 9 calling for the evaluation of the Board by the superintendent received less than 50 percent incorporation in districts' formal evaluation processes and practices. Twenty-two or 26.8 percent of the districts, responded that they did not possess superintendent evaluation documents. Seventeen of these twenty-two districts had an enrollment of 1-1000 students. Conclusions. The C.S.B.A. Guidelines for Effective Superintendent Evaluation are supported by the literature in personnel evaluation. Most districts utilize regular scheduling, written policies and procedures, evaluation instrumentation and incorporate the C.S.B.A. guidelines. Districts of 1-1000 are, overwhelmingly, not utilizing superintendent evaluation documents. Evaluation of the Board by the superintendent as recommended in Guideline 9, is seldom included in superintendent evaluation procedures. Recommendations. The California School Boards Association Guidelines for Effective Superintendent Evaluation should be incorporated in the evaluation processes and practices of all school districts. Training, inservice, and support for development of formal superintendent evaluation processes and practices should be provided and required for all school district superintendents and boards of education. Further research is recommended to determine relationships between formal evaluation processes, superintendent effectiveness and quality of education.