Report: Districts rank most principals effective; Willow Run brands one ineffective

By Danielle Arndt K-12 education reporter

Posted on Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.

An unspecified principal at Willow Run Community Schools was described as “ineffective,” according to a statewide data report that asked school districts to rank their principals on a three-point scale from “ineffective” to “highly effective.”

Of 3,214 principals evaluated in 2010-11 in the state of Michigan, just 60, less than 2 percent, received the lowest possible ranking, joining Willow Run’s unnamed principal. Most districts, 65.4 percent, gave their principals an “effective” rank, while 32.73 percent of building leaders were said to be “highly effective.”

The data was compiled and released by the Michgian Center for Educational Performance and Information. CEPI intended the data to meet one of the new reporting requirements for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the website says.

For the report, each local public school district and charter academy determined which factors it would use for evaluating the effectiveness of its principals, the website says.

Here is how Washtenaw County’s traditional school districts rated their principals:

Ann Arbor — 33 principals; 14 highly effective and 19 effective

Chelsea — Four principals; all effective

Dexter — Six principals; all effective

Lincoln — Seven principals; all effective

Manchester — Three principals; all effective

Milan — Four principals; all effective

Saline — Eight principals; all effective

Willow Run — Five principals; four effective and one ineffective

Whitmore Lake — Four principals; three highly effective and one effective

Ypsilanti — Seven principals; two highly effective and five effective

Here is how the county’s charter schools rated their principals:

Ann Arbor Learning Community — One principal, highly effective

Central Academy — One principal, effective

Fortis Academy — One principal, effective

South Arbor Charter Academy — One principal, highly effective

Victory Academy — One principal, effective

Unavailable — Eastern Washtenaw Multicultural Academy, Honey Creek Community School, New Beginnings Academy and Washtenaw Technical Middle College

According to an MLive.com report, state school superintendents said these first evaluations “were rushed — and in some cases, quickly dispatched to comply with a new state law but (offer) little value to parents or even the principals themselves.”

Read the complete MLive.com article here.

Staff reporter Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.