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 Wisconsin from the State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies report.
Objective student growth measures: Wisconsin requires that principal evaluations include self-scored Student Learning Objectives (SLOs).
Link to teacher effectiveness/instructional leadership: Wisconsin's Framework for Professional Leadership includes a domain titled "Effective Educators," which includes instructional leadership.
Improvement plans: Wisconsin does not require that principals rated less-than-effective are placed on improvement plans.
Surveys: Wisconsin explicitly allows school climate surveys/parent surveys for the purposes of principal evaluation.
Ensure that principals receiving less-than-effective ratings are placed on a professional improvement plan.
Wisconsin should adopt a policy requiring principals who receive even one less-than-effective evaluation rating to be placed on structured improvement plans. These plans should identify noted deficiencies, define specific action steps necessary to address these deficiencies, and describe how and when progress will be measured.
Wisconsin 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.