responsive to staff and supervisor needs and to simplify and streamline the process of tracking and managing evaluations and training.
These changes made the year go much more smoothly and created some best practices that any school district can apply to improve its own professional development and evaluation systems.
“Springshots”
The most significant change Springs Charter Schools made was to replace its annual staff evaluation system with a new system in which evaluations are performed three times a year and are structured as a more collabor- ative process. This change was based on feedback from staff members who said they wanted more contact with and better feedback from their supervisors.
Starting slow and then expanding is also a good way to discover and fix problems and to obtain feedback.
Springs schools call these triannual evaluations “Springshots,” likening them to snapshots of how a staff member is doing at different points throughout the school year. Springshots are quick, 20- to 30-minute meetings during which the staff member and supervisor discuss goals, express concerns, and award kudos, as appropriate. The process was more challenging before Springshots were implemented because evaluations occurred only once a year.
The new Springshots program has been well received and is valuable for several reasons: • It makes the evaluation process more collaborative. The format of Springshots encourages staff members and supervisors to work together on goal setting, goal progress, and goal review, which is a positive in any staff evaluation system. Springshots builds time into each meeting specifically for these activities to ensure collaboration.
• It allows more checks and balances. If any concerns arise about how the process is going or if the super- visor and the staff member disagree, Springshots provides more opportunities to address the issues. Because there are several opportunities to discuss progress, the likelihood of anyone being blindsided by a bad review is reduced.
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• It improves staff morale. Providing more frequent opportunities for goal-setting discussions and feed- back makes it easier for teachers to track their prog- ress and make sure they continue moving forward.
Springshots also has a component called “Glows and Grows.” The staff member and supervisor discuss the “Glows,” areas in which the staff member is doing exceptionally well, and the “Grows,” areas in which the staff member can improve. Using these terms to frame feedback supports staff morale, improves motivation, and keeps staff members on track, so they know how they’re progressing toward their goals. All of these actions contribute to a more positive workplace environment.
If staff members feel that they’re not receiving enough feedback, if feedback isn’t constructive, or if administra- tors believe they don’t have enough contact with their employees to evaluate their performance effectively, that’s a problem. Springshots helps solve these issues and assures staff members that they are working as a team with their supervisors to improve the education of students, rather than simply being tested on their performance.
A Simpler Way
A significant contribution to the improved management of professional development and evaluations at Springs Charter Schools is the adoption of a new online PD tracking and evaluation system. With between 1,000 and 1,200 employees in Springs Charter Schools, an effec- tive online system to track professional development and evaluations is key to making the new system a success. The online system allows administrators to track their PD meetings by using electronic sign-in. They can also use the system to customize evaluation forms to fit the unique roles of staff members at Springs Charter Schools (which has several job titles that aren’t found at tradi- tional public schools).
The ability to customize evaluation forms and to access and track them online has streamlined the management of the PD and evaluation process for the administrators in charge of overseeing staff training and Springshots.
Planning for Success
Planning and implementing a new evaluation system can be challenging, but Springs Charter Schools has learned some specific strategies during this process that can help with a successful rollout.
Start small and go slow. Springs Charter Schools rolled out its new evaluation system with a few forms and then expanded it. Everyone gradually adjusted to
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