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Additionally, principals would provide a written narrative outlining his/her accomplishment, growth, and potential areas for development for each ISLLC standard since the previous evaluation cycle. Each portfolio would be assessed using a district/state developed rubric to determine the candidates’ level of proficiency for each standard. A rubric similar to the one collaboratively developed in South Carolina for this purpose (Amsterdam, Johnson, Monrad,&Tonnsen, 2005) could either be developed through a mutual approach with building level and central office administrators at the district level or a more general one could be proposed by the State. Results would be shared with the principal candidate in a formal/informal end of year conference and used to develop personal professional improvement plans.

Overall, the New Jersey portfolio process should be formative in nature allowing for several meetings throughout the year between both the principal and his/her evaluating supervisor, in most cases the Superintendent of Schools. These meetings would focus on the selection, analysis and inclusion of pertinent data and artifacts to the portfolio, which would assist the principal in identifying and reflecting on changing behaviors that would facilitate and lead to the development of a better overall leadership practice (Marcoux et al., 2003).

It is the primary goal of the professional E-Portfolio to provide the impetus for the principal to engage in and develop a substantial set of reflective skills on the strengths and weaknesses of his/her practice in an objective manner (Green, 2004b). Since much of the literature on teacher professional development and supervision suggests this same reflective skill development in teachers, it only seems reasonable to expect no less from those that lead them, principals.

Shadow/observation day(s)

Currently, principal evaluations are often conducted in an office which may be literally miles away from the site where a principal engages his/her practice of leadership of a school community. The evaluation is more often than not, based on perceptions by the evaluator, who has little, if any, on-site interaction with the principal being evaluated. Such evaluations from “afar” do not accurately capture the true essence of performance of the building principal. Consequently, in keeping with the intent of creating an overall interactive process, the shadow observation day(s ) is an integral part of an evaluation process which is established to not only assess, but to assist in the professional development of a principal throughout his/her career development.

Shadowing and observing the principal during a “typical” day becomes a means of establishing firsthand how the leader engages in all aspects of the practice of leadership. It includes observations of interactions between members of the school community, which include parents, students, teachers, staff, and others. It becomes an opportunity for on- site discussions between the principal and the evaluator and establishes strong lines of communication by listening and understanding the need of those leading the organization (Marzano, Waters,&McNulty, 2005). The decision-making process, meeting facilitation, communication patterns, priority of day structure, and many other aspects of a leader’s practice can be directly observed and documented in an authentic school setting. This day becomes an opportunity for the evaluator to observe, question and respond to the issues of the day which will add to the richness and accuracy of the overall evaluation process. Through this process, learning and professional development can then also be achieved through reflection of behaviors and the decision making process used by the principal being shadowed (Roan&Rooney, 2006). Upon completion of the day, the evaluator will conference with the principal and document his/her assessment of the day. Once again, this becomes meaningful data for evaluation and professional growth and works to create a bond between the principal and his/her respective shadow administrator (Walker, 1990).