Office of the Superintendent

Superintendent Goals

Under Massachusetts regulations, a superintendent is evaluated annually by the School Committee.  The Superintendent creates goals that are aligned with the District Strategy as well as the District and School Committee goals.  These goals are approved by the School Committee and later in the year, serve as the basis for the Superintendent’s evaluation.  

A superintendent is required to create a Professional Practice Goal, a Student Learning Goal and at least one District Improvement goal.  

While these goals are not inclusive of all the work that the superintendent undertakes during a school year, they help inform the areas of focus for the purposes of the annual evaluation.

For more info about the Massachusetts regulations about the Superintendent Evaluation Process, please visit:  https://www.doe.mass.edu/edeval

Entry Plans

As a new superintendent, I chose to take advantage of the New Superintendent’s Induction Program (NSIP) run by MASS (the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents).  This 3 year program is designed to assist new superintendents in their new role.

NSIP seeks to ensure that each superintendent begins their first year with a strong entry plan for engaging stakeholders and gathering the information needed to develop a widely-understood and focused strategy to accelerate student learning. During the program’s first year, superintendents are supported in the development of three public work products: 1) the entry plan; 2) a report of entry findings; and 3) a district strategy for improving student learning, embraced and adopted by the school committee. Superintendents are supported to engage stakeholders each step of the way to ensure that staff, union leaders and other stakeholders understand the district’s key issues, action plan, intended outcomes, and the roles that each stakeholder can play in leading the district towards its goals. In years two and three, coaching and workshops gradually decline, but participants continue to receive opportunities for coaching and collaboration focused on navigating the myriad challenges of successfully implementing and assessing the district’s improvement strategy.  

A district strategy and school improvement plans (SIPs) are essential for improving educational outcomes by aligning goals, resources, and actions at both the district and school levels.

Alignment and Focus: The district strategy provides a unified vision, ensuring all schools work toward common goals. The SIP tailors this vision to each school's specific needs, ensuring targeted improvements.

Data-Driven Decisions: Both the district and individual schools use data to identify challenges and drive decision-making. The district strategy focuses on systemic issues, while the SIP addresses the unique needs of each school.

Accountability and Continuous Improvement: The district strategy sets broad goals and evaluates progress at the district level, while the SIP holds schools accountable for their own specific goals, fostering a cycle of improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement: Both plans engage key stakeholders (teachers, parents, and community members) to ensure collaboration and shared ownership of success.

Resource Allocation: The district strategy ensures resources are distributed where most needed across schools, while the SIP focuses on using those resources effectively at the school level to meet improvement goals.

Leadership and Development: The district strategy helps focus leadership on district-wide priorities, while the SIP guides school leaders in implementing actionable steps and professional development specific to their school’s needs.

In essence, the district strategy provides a framework for overall direction, while SIPs focus on actionable, data-informed steps to improve outcomes at the school level. Together, they ensure a coordinated, efficient approach to enhancing student success.