SF 1022

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/06/2012 02:45pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing annual evaluations for principals; convening a
group of experts and stakeholders to recommend a performance-based system
model for these evaluations; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section
123B.143, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 122A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [122A.73] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR DEVELOPMENT.
new text end

new text begin A school board and the school administrators in a district must collaboratively
establish a professional development model for school administrators that uses the
district's professional development resources and plans. The model must be designed
to improve teaching and learning by supporting administrators in shaping the school's
professional environment and developing teacher quality, performance, and effectiveness.
The model must, at a minimum:
new text end

new text begin (1) support and improve administrators' instructional leadership and organizational,
management, and professional development; and strengthen their capacity in instruction
and supervision and in teacher evaluation and development;
new text end

new text begin (2) provide professional development that emphasizes improved teaching and
learning, curriculum and instruction, student learning, and a collaborative professional
culture;
new text end

new text begin (3) make appropriate recommendations for administrators to participate in
development opportunities, including the Principals' Leadership Institute under section
122A.74 and other statewide development programs that support administrators'
leadership behaviors and practices, rigorous curriculum, school performance, and high
quality instruction; and
new text end

new text begin (4) use formative and summative assessments, on-the-job evaluations, surveys, and
longitudinal data on student academic growth as evaluation components; and provide
professional development opportunities targeted at identifying systemic strengths and
weaknesses and administrators' strengths and weaknesses in exercising leadership in
pursuit of school success.
new text end

new text begin The provisions of this section are intended to provide districts with sufficient
flexibility to accommodate district needs and goals for teacher evaluation and development.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2012.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 123B.143, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Contract; duties.

All districts maintaining a classified secondary
school must employ a superintendent who shall be an ex officio nonvoting member of the
school board. The authority for selection and employment of a superintendent must be
vested in the board in all cases. An individual employed by a board as a superintendent
shall have an initial employment contract for a period of time no longer than three years
from the date of employment. Any subsequent employment contract must not exceed a
period of three years. A board, at its discretion, may or may not renew an employment
contract. A board must not, by action or inaction, extend the duration of an existing
employment contract. Beginning 365 days prior to the expiration date of an existing
employment contract, a board may negotiate and enter into a subsequent employment
contract to take effect upon the expiration of the existing contract. A subsequent contract
must be contingent upon the employee completing the terms of an existing contract. If a
contract between a board and a superintendent is terminated prior to the date specified in
the contract, the board may not enter into another superintendent contract with that same
individual that has a term that extends beyond the date specified in the terminated contract.
A board may terminate a superintendent during the term of an employment contract for any
of the grounds specified in section 122A.40, subdivision 9 or 13. A superintendent shall
not rely upon an employment contract with a board to assert any other continuing contract
rights in the position of superintendent under section 122A.40. Notwithstanding the
provisions of sections 122A.40, subdivision 10 or 11, 123A.32, 123A.75, or any other law
to the contrary, no individual shall have a right to employment as a superintendent based
on order of employment in any district. If two or more districts enter into an agreement for
the purchase or sharing of the services of a superintendent, the contracting districts have
the absolute right to select one of the individuals employed to serve as superintendent
in one of the contracting districts and no individual has a right to employment as the
superintendent to provide all or part of the services based on order of employment in a
contracting district. The superintendent of a district shall perform the following:

(1) visit and supervise the schools in the district, report and make recommendations
about their condition when advisable or on request by the board;

(2) recommend to the board employment and dismissal of teachers;

(3) new text begin annually evaluate each school principal assigned responsibility for supervising a
school building within the district, consistent with section 122A.73;
new text end

new text begin (4) new text end superintend school grading practices and examinations for promotions;

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end make reports required by the commissioner; and

deleted text begin (5) deleted text end new text begin (6) new text end perform other duties prescribed by the board.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2012.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin IMPLEMENTING A PERFORMANCE-BASED EVALUATION
SYSTEM FOR PRINCIPALS.
new text end

new text begin (a) To implement the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, sections 122A.73 and
123B.143, subdivision 1, clause (3), the commissioner of education, the Minnesota
Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Minnesota Association of Elementary
School Principals must convene a group of recognized and qualified experts and interested
stakeholders, including principals, superintendents, teachers, school board members, and
parents, among other stakeholders, to develop a performance-based system model for
annually evaluating school principals. In developing the system model, the group must at
least consider how principals develop and maintain:
new text end

new text begin (1) high standards for student performance;
new text end

new text begin (2) rigorous curriculum;
new text end

new text begin (3) quality instruction;
new text end

new text begin (4) a culture of learning and professional behavior;
new text end

new text begin (5) connections to external communities;
new text end

new text begin (6) systemic performance accountability; and
new text end

new text begin (7) leadership behaviors that create effective schools and improve school
performance, including how to plan for, implement, support, advocate for, communicate
about, and monitor continuous and improved learning.
new text end

new text begin The group also may consider whether to establish a multitiered evaluation system
that supports newly licensed principals in becoming highly skilled school leaders and
provides opportunities for advanced learning for more experienced school leaders.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner, the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals,
and the Minnesota Association of Elementary School Principals must submit a
written report and all the group's working papers to the education committees of the
legislature by February 1, 2012, discussing the group's responses to paragraph (a) and its
recommendations for a performance-based system model for annually evaluating school
principals. The group convened under this section expires June 1, 2012.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to principal evaluations beginning in the 2012-2013 school year and later.
new text end