South Carolina § 59-24-40 - Development and adoption of statewide performance standards for principals; annual evaluation of principals; training program for principals receiving unsatisfactory rating.

§ 59-24-40. Development and adoption of statewide performance standards for principals; annual evaluation of principals; training program for principals receiving unsatisfactory rating.

For the purposes of assisting, developing, and evaluating principals, the State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education, shall adopt criteria and statewide performance standards which shall serve as a foundation for all processes used for assisting, developing, and evaluating principals employed in the school districts of this State. The State Department of Education shall select or cause to be developed and the State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations for the evaluation of the performance of all principals based on those criteria and standards. School districts shall use the standards and procedures adopted by the State Board of Education for the purpose of evaluating all principals at least once every three years. The State Department of Education shall ensure that the criteria and standards are valid and reliable and are appropriately administered. Evaluation results must be provided in writing and a professional development plan established based on the principal's strengths and weaknesses and taking into consideration the school's strategic plan for improvement for the purpose of improving the principal's performance. Any principal whose performance on an evaluation is rated unsatisfactory must be evaluated again within one year. Nothing in this section limits or prohibits school districts from setting additional and more stringent standards for the evaluation of principals. A satisfactory rating on the evaluation is one of several criteria for overall performance evaluation and is not sufficient for reemployment as a principal by a school district.

The State Department of Education shall review the implementation of the principal evaluation in the school districts for the purpose of providing technical assistance and ensuring the evaluations are appropriately administered.

The provisions of this section must be implemented according to the following schedule:

1997-98 school year: Identification of criteria and standards;

1998-99 school year: Development and testing of criteria, standards, and procedures in selected districts;

1999-2000 school year: Statewide implementation.

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 512, Part II, SECTION 9, Subdivision D, SubPart 1, SECTION 1; 1988 Act No. 523; 1997 Act No. 50, SECTION 1.