CESSA implementation began with 81 schools in August 2012 as principals and their supervisors, the Complex Area Superintendents (CASs), jointly set goals for the year. As we worked through the implementation, and as part of our shared commitment to continuously improve and to provide supports aligned with the CESSA, it made sense to expand the implementation to all schools. Additionally, feedback from school principals was also taken into account.
Implementation will continue in all schools this school year with training for all principals and CASs. Feedback from the first year of implementation will be used to refine the system in 2014-2015.
“Effective school leadership is critical to student achievement,” said Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe. “The Department is committed to ensuring principals, teachers and schools have the support they need to reach their goals.”
Each principal will receive a rating based half on Student Outcomes (Domain 1) and half on Principal Leadership Practice (Domains 2-6). The five different leadership and performance domains include:
- Professional growth and learning
- School planning and progress
- School culture
- Professional qualities and instructional leadership
- Stakeholder support and engagement
CESSA is tied to a system of support based on short- and long-range goals for principals’ professional improvement efforts.
“This was truly a collaborative effort by HGEA and DOE teams with a goal towards raising the bar in school leadership,” stated Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.
This agreement between HGEA and the Department aligns with the Hawaii State Board of Education policy 2055 on teacher and principal performance evaluation. The Department is currently in the second year of a seven-year strategic plan that calls for preparing graduates for college or careers. Effective school leadership is fundamental to the success of this strategic plan. The Department and HGEA will continue to work together to provide school principals with guidelines, training and support in advance of successful implementation next school year.
###
