Overview

Principals and vice principals are appraised (graded) on their performance in their role. The performance appraisal process (PPA) lets boards, principals and vice principals reflect on their work and strengthen their leadership practices by:

  • focusing on student achievement and well-being
  • upholding the principles of equity and human rights

The Education Act and Regulation 234/10 Principal/Vice-Principal Performance Appraisal sets out the timelines, processes and steps that are required.

How principals and vice-principals are appraised

Appraisals are a consistent process for assessing principals and vice-principals across Ontario by reflecting common professional expectations.

The principal performance appraisal model recognizes that principals and vice-principals are managers and instructional leaders who have different professional responsibilities from teachers. Principals and vice-principals are appraised on:

  • their ability to set school goals
  • lead staff in achieving goals

Principal performance appraisals support ongoing professional growth and leadership development, leading to:

  • a positive impact on student achievement, equity and well-being
  • increased respect and public confidence for principals and vice-principals

Principals and vice-principals are regulated in the same way, but follow slightly different processes, for example, for delegation of responsibility if the principal cannot conduct the appraisal.

New principals and vice-principals

Principals and vice-principals who are new to their role are required to have an annual growth plan in their first year. Near the end of your first year (for example, in May), you may consider developing the performance plan which will be required for your appraisal in year 2 of your role.

Principals and vice-principals are considered experienced after they have served in the role for a year, even if they have moved from an elementary school to a secondary school.

Teacher performance appraisals

Principals who have teaching duties are not required to participate in the teacher performance appraisal process.

School boards determine how the appraisal process is conducted based on the principal or vice-principal’s duties.

Acting principals

Teachers who take on the role of acting principal are not appraised under the principal performance appraisal model, if they are a member of a teachers’ federation.

They must participate in the teacher performance appraisal process to evaluate their teaching duties.

Learn more about the teacher performance appraisal system.

Evaluation cycles

Principals and vice-principals are evaluated by an appraiser every 5 years.

Scheduling a 5-year evaluation cycle

School boards are required to:

  • establish a cycle for each appraisee
  • inform the appraisee when their first evaluation will take place

Except for principals and vice-principals who are new to the role or the board, the school board has the flexibility to make the schedule to conduct appraisals. Boards may decide to establish some criteria before making their determination.

The evaluation cycle must follow these conditions:

  • each evaluation cycle is 5 years and 4 non-evaluation years must have elapsed before the next evaluation year
  • all principals new to a board who have previously worked in that capacity must be evaluated in the year in which they are hired
  • all vice-principals new to a board who have previously worked in that capacity must be evaluated in the year in which they are hired
  • principals and vice-principals who are new to the role must be appraised in their second year

Boards cannot set a more frequent appraisal cycle. If a principal or vice-principal moves from one school board to another to start a new role, the evaluation cycle restarts in the year that they start their new role.

Conducting additional appraisals

Additional appraisals can be:

  • requested at any time by the principal or vice-principal (the appraisee) — but can be declined by the appraiser if they reasonably believe the appraisal will not lead to improvement in performance
  • conducted at the discretion of the supervisor if it is advisable to do so

If an additional appraisal is conducted, the evaluation cycle would restart from the year in which the principal or vice-principal was evaluated.

When to appraise newly appointed principals and vice-principals

Principals and vice-principals who have started their role for the first time — such as a vice-principal who was promoted to principal — are evaluated in their second year in the role. For example, a vice-principal hired in 2020–2021 and promoted to principal in 2021–2022 will be appraised in 2022–2023.

Supervisors can intervene when they need to if a principal or vice-principal is not meeting expectations and requires increased support, apart from a formal appraisal.

Leave of absences or extended leaves

The evaluation cycle does not include any years that the principal or vice-principal was on leave. The 5-year evaluation cycle continues at the point at which it was left when the appraisee returns from their leave.

For example, if a principal or vice-principal leaves at the beginning of the second year of their evaluation cycle, and they are on leave for 2 years, when they return, they would still be in their second year of their evaluation cycle.

If a principal or vice-principal goes on leave during what would have been their evaluation year, the year that they return is their evaluation year.

The board may take the expected term of absence into consideration when determining the initial evaluation year.

Secondments

The evaluation cycle continues during a secondment. For example, if a principal or vice-principal goes on secondment in their second year of their evaluation cycle, they will remain in the second year of their cycle.

Moving to another school or school board

If a principal or vice-principal moves to a different school in the same school board, they remain on the same evaluation cycle that the board has established for them.

If a principal or vice-principal moves to a different school board (apart from a secondment), they are required to have a performance appraisal in their first year of employment with the new school board.

Retirement

If the principal or vice-principal plans to retire at the end of the year that is scheduled as their evaluation year, they must receive a performance appraisal in accordance with the requirements set out under Ontario Regulation 234/10. There is no exception for this requirement.

What to expect when being appraised

As a principal or vice-principal being evaluated, you can expect to receive support and guidance from your supervisor (your appraiser):

  • for the development of your annual growth plan
  • throughout the performance appraisal process

You and your supervisor should have ongoing professional dialogue about your progress.

The principal performance appraisal regulation does not have specific procedures for requesting an alternate appraiser. If you would like to request an alternate supervisor, you should follow your school board’s processes.

Performance plans and goal setting

Performance plans are developed in each evaluation year to demonstrate how the principal or vice-principal plans to achieve their identified goals. They are developed by looking at multiple documents to identify and set goals, including:

  • school improvement plans
  • board improvement plans
  • educational priorities set by the Government of Ontario

Plans include:

  • goals
  • strategies and actions
  • practices and competencies
  • methods
  • indicators to measure how goals have been met

Performance plans are used to conduct appraisals and lead to a performance rating.

Setting goals

As a principal or vice-principal, setting your performance plan goals in your key priority areas will focus your appraisal.

In your role, you have a broad range of responsibilities and activities that you carry out each year to keep your school running effectively. In your performance plan, you can identify your priority areas and set focused goals.

Consult with your supervisor

When you develop your performance plan, you should consult with your supervisor (appraiser) to discuss and agree on goals that:

  • focus on improving student achievement and well-being
  • are realistic, achievable and measurable
  • take the school improvement plan into account
  • take the board improvement plan into account
  • meet provincial education priorities

Include teachers and staff

As a principal or vice-principal, you should include teachers and staff when you set goals for your performance plans.

You should communicate with your team to let them know:

  • what your priorities are for the year
  • how you will work together to accomplish your goals

How you engage teachers and others in developing goals and implementing actions is one of the factors considered when you are given a performance rating.

What the appraiser will look at

Some factors can make it difficult to achieve the results you hope for. The appraiser will look at:

  • your demonstrated ability
  • how consistently you worked towards the action you planned to take to meet your goals
  • why you may not have been able to meet your goals
  • how you reacted to circumstances that may have arisen to affect your goals
  • your willingness to take actions that you did not meet to the level you set in your plan
  • how effective your efforts to overcome challenges were

Working with your vice-principal

If you are a principal, it is your responsibility to work with the vice-principal to ensure that they:

  • are involved in school improvement activities
  • can choose meaningful goals for their own performance plans

Principals and vice-principals can have shared goals, each taking on different responsibilities to achieve those goals.

Identifying methods and measurement indicators

When developing your performance plan, you should consult with your supervisor to consider a broad spectrum of indicators that will measure how you are meeting your goals.

For example, Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessment results are not the only indicators you should set for your student achievement goals.
You can include indicators, such as:

  • teacher and staff feedback
  • parent community opinions
  • student opinions

You can receive this type of qualitative data from surveys, such as surveys taken before and after you take specific actions towards your goals.

Annual growth plans

Principals and vice-principals create annual growth plans to plan their professional learning throughout the 5-year evaluation cycle.

The annual growth plan is developed every year beginning in your first year, and includes:

  • the leadership practices and competencies that will be your focus for the year
  • professional growth activities you plan to undertake

For example, new principals or vice-principals would include mentoring on their annual growth plan.

During the evaluation year, the annual growth plan helps you achieve the goals you have identified in your performance plan.

In non-evaluation years, you can update your annual growth plans by looking at your:

  • performance rating
  • appraisal results and recommendations

Performance ratings

Satisfactory rating

If you receive a satisfactory rating, there must be 4 non-evaluation years before your next appraisal year.

Your supervisor will work with you to review your annual growth plan each year, monitor your performance regularly and follow up with you to provide ongoing support. This can include:

  • observing your practice
  • meeting with you to discuss performance
  • providing feedback
  • support your growth and development
  • conducting additional appraisals if it is appropriate

For example, if you receive an unsatisfactory rating and then receive a satisfactory rating in the follow-up appraisal, the supervisor will support you to continue to grow and develop.

Unsatisfactory rating

If you receive an unsatisfactory performance appraisal rating, the appraisal process will ensure that you receive support and guidance to help you improve your performance within a given period.

If you feel that you need more time to make progress on your improvement plan, you can work with your supervisor to extend the time between appraisals. Your supervisor will consider the best interests of the school while also giving you a reasonable amount of time and opportunity to work on your plan.

Board decisions

Boards must follow all of the policies and procedures set out in their terms and conditions for employment if it is determined that a principal or vice-principal should be demoted, reassigned or dismissed after receiving an unsatisfactory rating.

Dismissals

Recommendations to dismiss a principal or vice-principal must be approved by the board of trustees as part of the decision-making process.

In the case of dismissal, the principal performance appraisal regulation requires boards to give the principal or vice-principal:

  • reasonable information about the reasons for the dismissal
  • an opportunity to make submissions to the board

Boards are not required to notify the Ontario College of Teachers about a dismissal because of a principal performance appraisal. However, they must file a written report with the college for any dismissals due to principal or vice-principal misconduct, which may be discovered through the appraisal process.

Requirements for school boards

The Ministry of Education provides a mandatory summative report form for school boards to use to implement the performance appraisal process.

Email the ministry at information.met@ontario.ca to request a copy of the summative form.

School boards can develop additional processes and procedures related to performance appraisal, but they cannot be inconsistent with the Education Act or principal performance appraisal regulation.

Boards should consider reviewing any new processes or procedures with their legal counsel before implementing.