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 Georgia from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Objective student growth measures: Georgia requires student growth to count for 40 percent of a principal's evaluation rating.
Link to teacher effectiveness/instructional leadership: Georgia requires that a principal's evaluation be based on the Leader Assessment of Performance Standards, which includes "Human Resources Leadership." The human resources management standard requires that "the leader fosters effective human resources management through the selection, induction, support, and retention of quality instructional and support personnel." The teacher/staff evaluation standard requires that "the leader fairly and consistently evaluates school personnel in accordance with state and district guidelines and provides them with timely and constructive feedback focused on improved student learning."
Improvement plans: Georgia requires a remediation plan for principals who receive ratings of needs development and ineffective.
Surveys: Georgia requires that school climate surveys count for 10 percent. A combination of additional data (achievement gap reduction, beat the odds, and College and Career Ready Performance Index data) counts for 20 percent of the principal evaluation rating.
As a result of Georgia's strong principal effectiveness policies, no recommendations are provided.
Georgia 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.