Board reviews head

School board evaluates superintendent, sets goals for year

— As reported in last week’s Eagle Observer, Randy Barrett was rehired with a 7-0 vote of the school board at its Jan. 16 meeting. But prior to the vote, Barrett underwent a review process by the board and was evaluated based on specific goals which were set by the board last January.

The goals by which Barrett’s performance was judged were:

  1. Improved ACT test scores in the district as compared to other 4A schools in Benton and Washington Counties, including developing a plan and putting it in place to improve scores on the college-readiness test.

  2. Continue to maintain a 10 percent carryover balance from one school year to the next and provide accurate and detailed financial data.

  3. Collaborate with the board and strive to carry out the intent of the school board. Keep the board informed of school-related issues and follow proper procedures.

  4. Assemble a core group of evaluators that will develop an evaluation tool to be used district-wide, with a new evaluation tool ready for board’s approval to be used in the 2012-2013 school year.

  5. Continue to show improvement in all extracurricular activities with continued competitiveness in all activities.

In its evaluation of Barrett’s performance, the board considered evidentiary documents supplied by Barrett relating to the above goals and gave Barrett high marks in all areas, thoughnoting that the teacher evaluation model was not yet complete and ready for use because Barrett, together with the board, opted to participate in a state evaluation model for teachers and administrators which is not yet finished and available for use.

In a Jan. 17 letter to school staff, Barrett explained: “This was to be the year that our district put in place a new ‘stateapproved’ teacher evaluation system as a practice model, with the actual implementation to follow next school year. That may still happen but the timeline has been slowed by scheduling outside our venue. I will keep you posted on the process.

“In the meantime, I am going to share the progression into which my evaluation has evolved. The school board establishes goals for me in January, I maintain ‘artifacts’ as to how I am seeking to meet those expectations according to the rating criteria they determine, and the board then rates me the next January. If I am rehired, the cycle continues. While ‘home grown,’ I believe it to be superior to the old checklist system.

“The process has similarities to your model. There are standards to meet, documentation required to demonstrate how you meet those standards, and an evaluation with your supervisor to determine if you did.

“I like the process because you know what is expected, know how you will be measured and have the opportunity to prioritize your own performance,” Barrett wrote.

Next year’s evaluation tool for the superintendent include the same first three goals. The third and fourth goals are:

  1. Establish a committee comprised of business leaders, parents, and community members to meet on a regular basis to increase school involvement in the community and vice versa.

  2. Continue to show improvement in all extracurricular activities with increased opportunities for J.V. [participation] in all activities.

News, Pages 7 on 01/25/2012