A school leadership appraisal framework can clarify expectations and responsibilities about the process, ensuring consistency across schools and alignment with the latest research. Professional standards outlining effective school leadership can guide the appraisal framework. To create synergies, policymakers should consider the links with teacher and school evaluation, a balance between developmental and accountability functions, and the contribution to national education objectives and scope for local adaptation. Considering the importance of context for successful school leadership, policy frameworks should leave sufficient scope to adjust procedures to local, school and individual circumstances.
School leader appraisal
School leaders are responsible for the quality of education in their schools and can positively impact teaching and learning. The appraisal of school leaders constitutes one lever to foster successful leadership in schools.
Key messages
A focus on pedagogical leadership in school leader appraisal encourages school leaders to take direct responsibility for the quality of learning and teaching in their school. It can also reinforce education objectives of high-quality teaching and improved student outcomes. Successful school leadership also depends on where leaders choose to focus their attention. At times, management and administration-oriented tasks can be equally as important as pedagogical leadership tasks, and school leadership appraisal frameworks should leave space for local flexibility.
Appraisal is unlikely to produce effective results if it is not appropriately linked to professional development. School leader appraisal should provide effective and useful feedback that school leaders can use for improving their practices and behaviours, and feed into an individual professional development plan. When appraisal processes are sound, valid and reliable, and perceived as fair and objective by school leaders, using appraisal results for career advancement can enhance the effectiveness and significance of accountability measures.
Context
School leader appraisal affects career advancement in many countries
Eleven out of 18 countries with available data in 2015 reported that school leader appraisal is used for decisions about career advancement. Half (9 out of 18) of the countries with available data use school leader appraisals to inform school leaders’ professional development activities, while 6 countries reported that they do not do so.
Use of results from school leader appraisals (2015)
School leader appraisals are being used for both summative and formative purposes
Half of the countries with available data in 2015 reported that school leader appraisal has a high level of use for both formative and summative purposes. Türkiye reported that school leader appraisal has a high level of use for summative purposes, but a low level of use for formative purposes. By contrast, Belgium (French Community) reported that school leader appraisal has a high level of use for formative purposes only.
Extent to which teacher and school leader appraisals are used for formative and/or summative purposes (2015)
