Subdivision 1. Supervision of school building. Each public school building, as defined by section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, and 13, in an independent district may be under the supervision of a principal who is assigned to that responsibility by the board of education in that district upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools of that district. If pupils in kindergarten through grade 12 attend school in one building, one principal may supervise the building.

Subd. 2. Valid license required. Each principal assigned the responsibility for the supervision of a school building shall hold a valid license in the assigned position of supervision and administration as established by the rules of the commissioner of education.

Subd. 3. Duties; evaluation. (a) The principal shall provide administrative, supervisory, and instructional leadership services, under the supervision of the superintendent of schools of the district and according to the policies, rules, and regulations of the school board, for the planning, management, operation, and evaluation of the education program of the building or buildings to which the principal is assigned.

(b) To enhance a principal's leadership skills and support and improve teaching practices, school performance, and student achievement for diverse student populations, including at-risk students, children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted students, among others, a district must develop and implement a performance-based system for annually evaluating school principals assigned to supervise a school building within the district. The evaluation must be designed to improve teaching and learning by supporting the principal in shaping the school's professional environment and developing teacher quality, performance, and effectiveness. The annual evaluation must:

(1) support and improve a principal's instructional leadership, organizational management, and professional development, and strengthen the principal's capacity in the areas of instruction, supervision, evaluation, and teacher development;

(2) include formative and summative evaluations based on multiple measures of student progress toward career and college readiness;

(3) be consistent with a principal's job description, a district's long-term plans and goals, and the principal's own professional multiyear growth plans and goals, all of which must support the principal's leadership behaviors and practices, rigorous curriculum, school performance, and high-quality instruction;

(4) include on-the-job observations and previous evaluations;

(5) allow surveys to help identify a principal's effectiveness, leadership skills and processes, and strengths and weaknesses in exercising leadership in pursuit of school success;

(6) use longitudinal data on student academic growth as 35 percent of the evaluation and incorporate district achievement goals and targets;

(7) be linked to professional development that emphasizes improved teaching and learning, curriculum and instruction, student learning, and a collaborative professional culture; and

(8) for principals not meeting standards of professional practice or other criteria under this subdivision, implement a plan to improve the principal's performance and specify the procedure and consequence if the principal's performance is not improved.

The provisions of this paragraph are intended to provide districts with sufficient flexibility to accommodate district needs and goals related to developing, supporting, and evaluating principals.

History: Ex1959 c 71 art 4 s 16; 1969 c 9 s 27; 1971 c 144 s 1; 1973 c 492 s 7; 1974 c 37 s 1; 1975 c 162 s 25; 1975 c 432 s 16; 1978 c 706 s 13-15; 1978 c 764 s 31,32; 1979 c 334 art 6 s 8; 1981 c 175 s 1; 1983 c 314 art 7 s 18; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 398 art 8 s 8; 1990 c 562 art 8 s 21,22; 1991 c 265 art 9 s 34,35; 1993 c 224 art 9 s 22; art 12 s 15; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 19; art 16 s 13; 1998 c 397 art 6 s 55-61,124; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; art 6 s 16; 2003 c 130 s 12; 1Sp2011 c 11 art 2 s 22; 2012 c 239 art 2 s 8; 2014 c 272 art 1 s 30