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 Hawaii from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Objective Student Growth Measures: Hawaii requires that 50 percent of principal performance is based on schoolwide academic learning and growth as well as at least one additional outcome indicator.
Link to Teacher Effectiveness/Instructional Leadership:
Hawaii state policy does not explicitly link principal evaluations and teacher effectiveness/instructional leadership.
Improvement Plans: Hawaii requires evaluation systems to provide "timely feedback to identify the needs of principals and guide their professional development. The Department shall include systematic and comprehensive staff development for all participants. The staff development support shall be directed both to participant understanding and utilization of the evaluation system and to providing targeted support to principals who are rated marginal."
Surveys: Hawaii explicitly allows school climate/student, parent, and community surveys for the purposes of principal evaluation.
Make an explicit link between principal evaluation and teacher effectiveness/instructional leadership.
Because the time principals spend on organizational management, instructional programming, and teacher evaluation is critically important for positive effects on both teachers and students, Hawaii should evaluate its principals—to some degree—on teacher effectiveness and instructional leadership.
Hawaii had no comment on this goal.
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.