Glossary

Artifact - A tangible product resulting from a principal or assistant principal's work. Artifacts are natural by-products of work and are not created for the purpose of satisfying evaluation requirements. They can be used as evidence to support an evaluation rating or when the evaluator and the principal/assistant principal disagree on the final rating. Principals/assistant principals may also use them as model examples of their work.

Examples of artifacts include the following:

  • School Improvement Plan - A plan that includes strategies for improving student performance and discusses how and when improvements will be implemented, the use of state funds, requests for waivers, etc. These plans are in effect for no more than three years.
  • School Improvement Team Data - Information that comes from a team made up of the school executive and representatives of administration, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, teacher assistants, and parents of children enrolled in the school. The purpose is to develop a school improvement plan to strengthen student performance
  • Teacher Retention Data - The teacher turnover rate, including the distribution of inexperienced teachers.
  • National Board Certified Teachers - Teachers who have earned the National Board Certification.

Although the T-PESS System provides some suggested artifacts, it is recommended that school systems collaborate with principals to expand and generate a list of artifacts and evidence by performance standard and/or other element of the district's expectations.

Artifacts and evidence database - A repository of artifacts and evidence collected to support a principal's performance goal. This should not be used as a portfolio for every piece of a principal's work but should include artifacts and evidence that help principals and principal appraisers set goals, remediate discrepancies in performance perception, set strategic priorities, and review policy.
Capacity - The collective efficacy and capability to develop and use assets to create the conditions necessary to accomplish a goal.
Correlation - A measure of the degree of linear relationship between two variables. When one goes up, the other goes up (or down). The larger the correlation, the stronger the linear relationship between the two variables. Correlation coefficients vary between -1.00 and +1.00. A correlation of 0.00 indicates the absence of a relationship.
Dependent Variable - A variable measured in a study. In an experimental study, the dependent variable is affected by the independent variable. In a correlational study, the dependent variable is associated with one or more other (independent) variables.
Descriptors - The specific performance responsibilities embedded within the elements of each performance standard. Descriptors are checked to determine the rating of each element.
Effect Size - A measure of the magnitude of impact of an independent variable on a dependent variable. The most commonly used effect size is the standardized mean difference that depicts how many standard deviations the mean of an experimental group is above or below the mean of a control group. The correlation (r) is another type of effect size commonly used.
Evidence - A tangible by-product of an artifact. For example, a School Improvement Plan might result in fewer disciplinary issues and off-task student behaviors. The data validating this reduction in issues or behaviors could be uploaded into the artifact and evidence database and associated with the appropriate standard or element.
T-PESS Forms - Forms to help principals, assistant principals, and evaluators gain a deeper understanding of the principal and assistant principal's level of performance.

  • Self-assessment
  • Principal Evaluation Rubric
  • Principal Professional Development Plan
    • Beginning-of- year: Goal Setting
    • Mid-year: Progress toward Goal Attainment
    • End-of- year: Goal Attainment
  • Principal Summary Rating Form
  • Principal Record of Activities

Evaluation Rubric - A composite matrix of the standards, elements, and descriptors of T-PESS.
Factor Analysis - A statistical procedure that reduces a set of items on a measuring instrument to a smaller number of dimensions called factors.
Indicators - Sub-categories of performance embedded within the performance standard.
Standard - The distinct aspect of leadership or realm of activities that forms the basis for the evaluation of a school executive.
Performance Levels - The following performance levels will be used for evaluating school principals and assistant principals by standards 1-5:

  • Distinguished: Principal/assistant principal consistently and significantly exceeded basic competence on standards of performance. (If the "Distinguished" rating is used, the evaluator must comment about why it was used.)
  • Accomplished: Principal/assistant principal exceeded basic competence on standard(s) of performance most of the time.
  • Proficient: Principal/assistant principal exceeded basic competence on standard(s) of performance.
  • Developing: Principal/assistant principal demonstrated adequate growth toward achieving standard(s) during the period of performance, but did not demonstrate competence on standard(s) of performance.
  • Not Demonstrated, Need Improvement: Principal/assistant principal did not demonstrate competence on or adequate growth toward achieving standard(s) of performance. (If the "Not Demonstrated" rating is used, the evaluator must comment about why it was used.)