EXISTING AND PREFERRED PRACTICES OF EVALUATION OF PRINCIPALS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OMAHA (CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, NEBRASKA)

An accurate assessment of school administrator performance could benefit both a school system and the administrator. The literature on administrator evaluation revealed criteria for effective principal evaluation; an evaluation model was developed from the review of literature. A questionnaire was developed to examine (1) existing principal evaluation practices and (2) preferred evaluation practices of principals and pastors of parishes with elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Survey results indicated very few effective principal evaluation practices existed in the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Further, principals and pastors generally agreed on the preferred principal evaluation practices. There were significant differences between existing and preferred practices relative to annual principal evaluations and respondents\u27 perceptions of who should conduct the evaluation. Other differences were noted when the demographic variables of location of school, size of school, and principals\u27 and pastors\u27 age and experience were examined. Recommendations to the Omaha Archdiocese included: (1) The adaption of a board policy for evaluation of principals based on the philosophy of the Omaha Catholic schools. (2) The Catholic School Office should assume the task of implementing the policy and become the official evaluator of the principals. (3) The purpose(s) of the principal evaluation should be explicated. (4) The input of both principals and pastors should be used to develop job descriptions and evaluation procedures for principals. (5) Annual conferences with the principals to discuss the evaluation results and develop goals for future growth should be provided