Washington Township board adopts New Jersey School Boards self-evaluation process and sets next steps for goals

At a July work session, Dr. Lori Vanlow, field service representative for the New Jersey School Boards Association, introduced the association’s new board self-evaluation tool and outlined steps for the Washington Township School District Board of Education to complete the evaluation and set board goals.

The presentation focused on how the self-evaluation aligns with the chief school administrator (CSA) evaluation, the evidentiary features of the online tool and statutory timing for superintendent reviews. Vanlow told the board the evaluation is a confidential, board-only process that can include hyperlinks and evidence uploaded by the board president and individual members.

Vanlow said the new tool mirrors the chief school administrator’s evaluation and uses standards drawn from national guidance. She told board members that the board president must enter any board goals into the system first, after which individual members will complete their confidential ratings and optional narrative evidence. "The superintendent is the one person you hire," Vanlow said, emphasizing the board's governance role in setting goals and overseeing the CSA’s evaluation.

Board members discussed how long to leave the tool open for completion. Some members favored a two-week window; others suggested a month. Vanlow said two weeks "sounds like a good amount of time" but agreed the timeline can be adjusted if needed. Julie, identified in the meeting as the board president, was asked to start the process and to make the goals visible in the system if there are existing goals to rate.

Vanlow reviewed practical items the board will see in the online tool: standards such as vision/mission/goals, policy, accountability for student achievement, governance team relationships, and resource management. She described rating tiers (exemplary, proficient, etc.), an option to mark "not observed" for new board members, and a final compilation report the association will produce for the board president to distribute to members.

She also reviewed the district–board goals relationship: cabinet staff will draft district goals and report them first to the board so board goals can be aligned and supportive. Vanlow noted statutory timing considerations for CSA evaluations and recommended completing the written superintendent evaluation before the statutory deadline (she cited June 30 as the completion date for the CSA evaluation in her presentation).

Logistics discussed during the session included: how board members log in to the New Jersey School Boards website, Janine’s role in distributing materials, and the option to have New Jersey School Boards staff coach members through the tool. Annette and cabinet were asked to prepare a draft of district goals to present at a follow-up retreat; Vanlow said she would compile the evaluation results and return to the board to help set final board goals and action plans.

The board also discussed training and certification opportunities, a suggested cadence for reporting progress on district and board goals (several times a year), and a draft board calendar for public transparency. Vanlow advised storing superintendent evaluation records securely (with the board attorney or board office) because New Jersey School Boards does not retain personnel files.

Next steps identified in the discussion: the board president will initiate the self-evaluation in the association’s system; Janine will distribute electronic copies of presentation materials; Annette and cabinet will draft district goals for the next retreat; and Vanlow will compile and present the consolidated evaluation results and recommended dates for goal-setting follow-up (possible August or September).