The Association of District Principal Evaluation Practices with Learning-Centered Leadership: Evidence from Michigan and Beijing

• In Event: Instructional Supervision and Leadership: Strategies, Development, and Practices

Abstract

This study has both descriptive and explanatory research purposes. By descriptively analyzing comparable data on K-12 principals in both Michigan (U.S.) and Beijing (China), we explored how principals were evaluated differently and how principals behaved differently in these two locations. Moreover, we built two-level Hierarchical Multivariate Linear Models (HMLM) to estimate how policy features were related to eight aspects of principal leadership behaviors and identified several features of district principal evaluation practices that could possibly promote learning-centered leadership practices. These aspects of district evaluation practices included establishing developmental evaluation purposes, collecting diverse sources of evidence on principal leadership, and clearly specifying desired leadership activities in the evaluation process that could lead to improvements in teaching and learning.

Authors

• Min Sun, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Peter A. Youngs, Michigan State University

• Haiyan Yang, Renmin University of China

• Hongqi Chu, Beijing Normal University

• Qian Zhao, Beijing Normal University