S.C. Code Regs. § § 43-165.1

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 43-165.1 - Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (PADEPP)

I. PURPOSE

The State Board of Education, (SBE) through the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), is required to adopt statewide performance standards and criteria that shall serve as a foundation for all processes used for assisting, developing, and evaluating principals employed in the school districts of this state. School districts shall use the standards and procedures adopted by the SBE for the purposes of conducting evaluations and guiding the professional development of principals. Districts are to consider evaluation results in making decisions regarding principal development, compensation, promotion, retention, and removal.

The SCDE shall ensure the implementation of principal evaluation in the school districts.

Principals must be evaluated using the Performance Standards and Criteria for Principal Evaluation adopted by the SBE. Additional performance standards and criteria may be established by the superintendent. As required by S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-24-30, the principal's annual Professional Development Plan (PDP) shall be established on the basis of the PADEPP Performance Standards and Criteria and the school's renewal plan.

II. DEFINITIONS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS EVALUATION PROGRAM

A. PRINCIPAL: A principal is the chief administrative head or director of an elementary, middle, or secondary school or of a vocational, technical, special education, or alternative school. Induction principals are those serving for the first time as building-level principals. These principals are considered probationary until they have completed the requirements of the Principal Induction Program (PIP) and have received an overall rating of Proficient or higher on the PADEPP evaluation instrument.

B. EVALUATOR: The evaluator is the district superintendent and/or the superintendent's designee. All evaluators must have successfully completed the SCDE's PADEPP training before evaluating principals.

C. EVALUATION INSTRUMENT: The evaluation instrument developed by the SCDE is based upon the PADEPP Performance Standards and Criteria and is available from the SCDE. In lieu of the state instrument, districts and charter schools may request permission to use an alternative evaluation process that meets state requirements and national standards. This instrument must be approved by the SCDE and the SBE.

D. EVALUATION CYCLE: The evaluation cycle shall be consistent with the school year as defined by law. After induction, principals shall be evaluated as stated in Section III.

III. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

A. PRINCIPALS WITH TIER 1 CERTIFICATION

(1) First-year principals shall participate in an induction program as provided for in SBE Reg. 43-167, "Principal Induction Program." The superintendent or his or her designee shall provide the first-year principal with written and oral feedback relative to each performance standard and criterion. Principals are to receive this feedback at least at mid-year and end-of-year conferences. The superintendent or his or her designee will observe, collect relevant data, consult with the first-year principal on a regular and consistent basis, and provide the first-year principal with an informal written evaluation.

(2) Upon successful completion of both the South Carolina PIP and a full evaluation on the PADEPP evaluation instrument or the approved alternative evaluation instrument, the principal will be eligible for Tier 2 principal certification. If the overall rating on the PADEPP evaluation instrument or the approved alternative evaluation instrument in any year immediately subsequent to the induction year of employment as a principal is below Proficient, the principal will remain on Tier 1 certification until the SCDE receives verification from the employing school district that the principal has achieved an overall rating of Proficient or higher on PADEPP or the approved alternative evaluation instrument.

B. PRINCIPALS WITH TIER 2 CERTIFICATION

The superintendent or his or her designee shall evaluate Tier 2 principals annually. A full evaluation using all PADEPP Performance Standards will be conducted at least every third year. The evaluation shall address each of the PADEPP Performance Standards and accompanying Criteria. Principal evaluations on years between full evaluations will include Performance Standards for Instructional Leadership, Principal's Professional Development, and all Performance Standards rated the previous year as below "Proficient," as well as any additional Performance Standards identified in the Principal's PDP. Full evaluations may, of course, be conducted every year, if the superintendent chooses to do so. A principal is to receive feedback from the superintendent or his designee regarding the principal's performance at least at mid-year and end-of-year conferences.

IV. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND CRITERIA

Principal preparation programs and school districts must address, but are not limited to, the Performance Standards and Criteria for the PADEPP, as specified in the SBE's PADEPP implementation guidelines.

V. EVALUATION PROCESS

A. The evaluation of each principal shall consist of both formative and summative phases.

(1) The formative phase shall begin with an initial review of the evaluation instrument by the evaluator with the principal. Regular conferences shall be held to discuss the principal's progress and shall include an analysis of the data collected during the year.

(2) The summative phase shall provide for evaluative conclusions regarding the principal's performance based upon the data collected. Upon completion of the evaluation, the evaluator will meet with the principal to discuss the findings in terms of each of the PADEPP Performance Standards, as well as the overall results. At the conclusion of the meeting, the evaluator and the principal shall sign the evaluation form, and a copy shall be given to the principal.

B. After reviewing the overall results of the evaluation, the principal and evaluator shall establish the principal's annual PDP on the basis of the identified strengths and weaknesses, as well as the school's renewal plan and identified areas of student growth.

C. Satisfactory performance on an evaluation does not guarantee reemployment as a principal.

D. Each principal has the right to respond in writing to the completed principal evaluation instrument. This written response must be submitted to the evaluator within ten working days of the summative conference.

E. All appeals shall follow local school district policies and procedures governing the local appeal process.

VI. DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Each school district shall ensure that principals receive awareness training that includes

(1) the PADEPP Performance Standards and Criteria for Principal Evaluation,

(2) the PADEPP principal evaluation instrument, and

(3) Reg. 43-165.1, "Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (PADEPP)."

B. Each school district shall ensure that the district superintendent and the superintendent's designee(s) are trained as evaluators of principals.

C. Each school district shall designate one individual to be trained as a district coordinator for the PADEPP. This coordinator shall be responsible for the administration of the evaluation program consistent with this regulation, including an annual submission for all principals in their district.

D. Each school district shall maintain principal evaluation data and shall ensure the confidentiality of the evaluation results in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.

E. Each school district shall submit annual assurances and required principal evaluation data to the SCDE indicating compliance with this regulation and the PADEPP implementation guidelines.

F. Each school district shall utilize the results from the principal evaluations in decisions regarding principal development, compensation, promotion, retention, and removal.

VII. SCDE RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY

A. The SCDE shall ensure that the PADEPP is appropriately implemented by each school district in accordance with this regulation and the PADEPP implementation guidelines.

B. The SCDE shall collect from school districts required principal evaluation data, as well as Assurance/Validation forms, in order to

(1) determine trends and inform decisions concerning educational leadership preparation and professional development, and

(2) ensure that the PADEPP is being appropriately administered in accordance with this regulation and the law governing the evaluation of principals.

C. The SCDE shall provide school districts with ongoing technical assistance in the form of training, consultation, and advisement. Specifically, the training will ensure that participants have the knowledge and skills necessary to collect and document data relative to a principal's performance, analyze the data to identify the principal's performance strengths and weaknesses, provide feedback to the principal in terms of the PADEPP Performance Standards and Criteria, and counsel, coach, and assist the principal to improve effectiveness. Additionally, the training will ensure that participants are prepared to evaluate the principal in a valid, reliable manner, and to make a summative judgment regarding the principal's performance.

D. The SCDE has the authority to develop guidelines, approved by the SBE, in accordance with the provisions of this regulation.

S.C. Code Regs. § 43-165.1

Added by State Register Volume 25, Issue No. 6, eff June 22, 2001. Amended by State Register Volume 33, Issue No. 6, eff June 26, 2009; State Register Volume 35, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2011; State Register Volume 39, Issue No. 06, eff. 6/26/2015; State Register Volume 42, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/25/2018.