An Act Regarding School Administrator Effectiveness
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1350
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: CAIN, MacDONALD, LANGLEY, MILLETT, POULIOT

Legislative Document 
No. 1350 
S.P. 469 
In Senate, April 9, 2013 
An Act Regarding School Administrator Effectiveness 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator CAIN of Penobscot. 
Cosponsored by Representative MacDONALD of Boothbay and 
Senators: LANGLEY of Hancock, MILLETT of Cumberland, Representative: POULIOT of 
Augusta. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 508-A is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 508-A 
ADMINISTRATOR EFFECTIVENESS 
§13711.  Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1.  Administrator.  "Administrator" means a superintendent, assistant 
superintendent, special education director or curriculum coordinator. 
2.  Effectiveness rating.  "Effectiveness rating" means the level of effectiveness of 
an administrator derived through implementation of a performance evaluation and 
professional growth system. 
3.  Performance evaluation and professional growth system.  "Performance 
evaluation and professional growth system" or "system" means a method developed in 
compliance with this chapter by which administrators are evaluated, rated on the basis of 
effectiveness and provided opportunities for professional growth. 
4.  Professional improvement plan.  "Professional improvement plan" means a 
written plan developed by a school board with input from an administrator that outlines 
the steps to be taken over the coming year to improve the effectiveness of the 
administrator.  The plan must include but need not be limited to appropriate professional 
development opportunities. 
5.  Summative effectiveness rating.  "Summative effectiveness rating" means the 
effectiveness rating of an administrator that is assigned at the end of an evaluation period.  
Ratings or comments provided to the administrator during the evaluation period for the 
purpose of providing feedback, prior to assignment of a final effectiveness rating, are not 
summative effectiveness ratings. 
§13712.  Local development and implementation of system 
A school administrative unit shall develop and implement a performance evaluation 
and professional growth system for administrators.  The system must meet the criteria set 
forth in this chapter and comply with rules adopted pursuant to this chapter and must be 
approved by the department.  Every year the school administrative unit's school board 
must use the system to analyze the performance of the school administrative unit's 
administrators. 
§13713.  Use of effectiveness rating 
A school board shall use effectiveness ratings of administrators to inform strategic 
human capital decision making, including, but not limited to, decision making regarding 
professional development, compensation, assignment and dismissal. 
Receipt of summative effectiveness ratings indicating that an administrator is 
ineffective for 2 consecutive years constitutes just cause for termination of an 
administrator's contract. 
§13714.  Elements of system 
A performance evaluation and professional growth system consists of the following 
elements: 
1.  Standards of professional practice.  Standards of professional practice by which 
the performance of administrators must be evaluated. 
A.  The department shall provide, by rule, a set of standards of professional practice 
or a set of criteria for determining acceptable locally determined standards for 
administrators; 
2.  Multiple measures of effectiveness.  Multiple measures of administrator 
effectiveness, other than standards of professional practice, including but not limited to 
student learning and growth; 
3.  Rating scale.  A rating scale consisting of 4 levels of effectiveness. 
A.  The rating must be based on standards of professional practice and measures of 
administrator effectiveness.  The proportionate weight of the standards and the 
measures is a local decision, but measurements of student learning and growth must 
be a significant factor in the determination of the rating of an administrator. 
B.  The rating scale must set forth the professional growth opportunities and the 
employment consequences tied to each level. 
C.  At least 2 of the levels must represent effectiveness, and at least one level must 
represent ineffectiveness; 
4.  Professional development.  A process for using information from the system to 
inform professional development; 
5.  Implementation procedures.  Implementation procedures that include the 
formation of a steering committee composed of school board members, teachers, 
administrators and other school administrative unit staff that regularly reviews and refines 
the performance evaluation and professional growth system to ensure that it is aligned 
with school administrative unit goals and priorities; and 
6.  Professional improvement plan.  The opportunity for an administrator who 
receives a summative effectiveness rating indicating ineffectiveness in any given year to 
implement a professional improvement plan. 
§13715.  Phase-in of requirements 
The requirements of this chapter apply to all school administrative units beginning in 
the 2016-2017 school year.  In the 2014-2015 school year, each unit shall develop a 
system that meets the standards of this chapter, in collaboration with teachers, principals, 
administrators, school board members, parents and other members of the public.  In the 
2015-2016 school year, each unit shall operate as a pilot project the system developed in 
the prior year by applying it without using results in any official manner or shall employ 
other means to provide information to enable the unit to adjust the system prior to the first 
year of full implementation.  Nothing in this section prohibits a unit from fully 
implementing the system earlier than the 2016-2017 school year. 
§13716.  Rules 
The department shall adopt rules to implement this chapter, including but not limited 
to a rule relating to the method of identifying the administrator whose effectiveness 
ratings are affected by the measurement of learning or growth of a particular student.  The 
department shall also adopt rules pertaining to the approval of performance evaluation 
and professional growth systems pursuant to section 13712.  Rules adopted pursuant to 
this section are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires school administrative units to develop and implement performance 
evaluation and professional growth systems for administrators.  A performance 
evaluation and professional growth system must meet certain criteria, be consistent with 
rules adopted by the Department of Education and be approved by the department.  Every 
year the school board must use the system to analyze the performance of the school 
administrative unit's administrators.