Feedback at 360 Degrees

School Administrator, Oct, 2000 by Richard P. Manatt

* Create a sampling procedure that fits the need. In private industry, 360-degree evaluation uses as few as four respondents in each group, but educators ought not be so limiting. Principals typically try to use about 10 respondents. However, as several of our pilot tests revealed, all teachers want the chance to give feedback to the principal. When evaluating teachers, use all of an elementary teacher's students and two sections for each secondary school teacher. Survey instruments can be tailored for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

* Put the process in place over three years. Evaluate administrators first, then teachers, using all respondents except parents. In the third year, parents should be included.

* Publicize good examples. The first 360-degree feedback to Semones, superintendent in Camp Verde, Ariz., which was quite positive, was published in the local newspaper. Teachers and administrators could see that the information was important and taken seriously by the superintendent and board. In West Des Moines, principals shared their aggregated feedback with their faculties. The district had used 360-degree feedback for administrators for three years before introducing the process as a part of teacher performance evaluation.

* Apply sampling theory for parent surveys. A random sample that generates a 25 percent response yields a confidence level of plus or minus 4 percent. When asked for their feedback, parents should be informed that their students already have participated to encourage their part.

* Use an outside authority for validity. The School Improvement Model Center provides analyses and reports to school districts, including validity checks, reliability measures and item discrimination.

* Use the feedback for improvement. Some school districts provided coaching by external consultants, sometimes in groups, sometimes one-on-one. For example, during the spring of 2000, I met with all of the principals individually at Waterloo, Iowa, after processing their 360-degree feedback. Using a scripted process, we examined strengths, pinpointed shortcomings and wrote a growth goal. The script and growth goal forms were provided in multiple copies. Later, many of these principals used the same procedures to coach their direct reports.

The Nonresponse Issue

In our pilot tests, some parents, students and other respondents returned a blank instrument or incomplete data. This raises the question of how to treat nonrespondents. J.D. Power and Associates monitors the quality of automobiles sold in America (16 million or more per year) based on 90,000 surveys. Their conclusion about nonrespondents will serve school districts too.

Because of random sampling, all in the sample have an opportunity to reply, according to J.D. Power and Associates. "Those who did not are neither more dissatisfied nor more satisfied than the respondents."

Richard Manatt is director of the School Improvement Model Center, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.