Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policy
The data and analysis on this page is from 2019. View and download the most recent policy data and analysis on Principal Effectiveness in Florida from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Objective student growth measures: Florida requires that one-third of a principal's evaluation rating be based on data and indicators of student performance.
Link to teacher effectiveness/instructional leadership: Florida requires that at least one-third of the evaluation be based on instructional leadership. Evaluation criteria for instructional leadership must include indicators based on adopted leadership standards, including performance measures related to "the effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the administrator's appropriate use of evaluation criteria and procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or effective level, and other leadership practices that result in student learning growth."
Improvement plans: Florida requires that for principals who receive an unsatisfactory evaluation, the evaluator must make recommendations regarding the specific areas of unsatisfactory performance, and "provide assistance in helping to correct deficiencies within a prescribed period of time."
Surveys: Florida's district-designed systems "may include a means to give parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide input into the administrator's performance evaluation."
As a result of Florida's strong principal effectiveness policies, no recommendations are provided.
Florida recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.
7G: Principal Effectiveness
Research demonstrates that there is a clear link between school leadership and school outcomes.[1] Principals foster school improvement by shaping school goals, policies and practices, and social and organizational structures.[2] Principals vary significantly in their effectiveness, and research suggests that high-quality principals positively affect student achievement, in-school discipline, parents' perceptions of schools, and school climates.[3] Further, principals affect teacher retention and recruitment;[4] effective principals are more adept at retaining effective teachers and removing ineffective teachers.[5] The time principals spend on organizational management, instructional programming, and teacher evaluation is critically important for positive effects on teachers and students.[6] Because principals are an essential component of creating successful schools, their effectiveness should be regularly evaluated by trained evaluators on systems that include objective measures. Such systems will help to ensure that all principals receive the feedback and support necessary to improve their practice and, ultimately, student and school outcomes.