September, 2012

School District of Ypsilanti

Superintendent Evaluation 2011-2012 Superintendent Dedrick Martin The Board of Education of the School District of Ypsilanti met on Monday, September 10th for the purpose of administering the annual evaluation of the Superintendent, per Board Policy: 1240 - EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT The Board of Education believes it is essential that it evaluate the Superintendent's performance periodically in order to assist both the Board and the Superintendent in the proper discharge of their responsibilities and to enable the Board to provide the District with the best possible leadership. The Board shall annually, in accordance with the Superintendent's contract, evaluate the performance of the Superintendent. Such evaluation shall include an assessment of the progress toward the educational goals of the District and the working relationship between the Board and the Superintendent. This evaluation shall be considered complete with the adoption of a Board approved document. The members of the Board in the course of discussion found the following evidence to support the efcacy of the Superintendent: Areas of Strength for the Superintendent: The Board was pleased with the completion of the Districts strategic plan that included participation of over 100 staff, students and members of the community. The Board looks forward to continuing efforts and to the creation of clear action steps that will realize the communitys priorities and objectives that are reected in the plan. The implementation of a new program of evaluation for all staff is a positive step that has the promise of long-term instructional improvement. Board members complimented the Superintendent on achieving millions of dollars in savings through negotiations with bargaining units, contractors, departmental restructuring and voluntary administrative salary concessions. His efforts to keep the impact of those cuts as far from the classroom as possible is commendable. The District sought and achieved District-wide School Accreditation. The Board was happy about the implementation of the high school redesign and noted that achievement at the high school has improved enough to lift the high school from the list of Michigans Persistently Low Achieving schools. New Tech was again, for the second year in a row, named a National Demonstration site. Growth in student achievement, while not at the rate that the Superintendent, the Board and the community would like, nonetheless is commendable. The Superintendent continues to keep the Board and the community informed of important developments in a timely manner through weekly updates and his meetings with the Key Communicators group. Ypsilanti has beneted from the Superintendents efforts to increase cooperation across districts as exemplied by the agreement with the Saline Area schools to provide

September, 2012 supervision for the food service program and the agreement with Willow Run Schools to share bus service facilities. Areas Where the Superintendent excelled: The Board found that the Superintendent excelled in the management of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action. The superintendent established some district systems to support scal stability and district activities in the long term. Specically, the Districts participation in the State of Michigan Academy of Pacesetting Districts program that resulted in the development of the District Operations Plan. This plan established our District as a leader in the state in reforming education processes through an inclusive systemic process that focuses with laser intensity on better addressing the academic needs of students. The Board felt that the complete redesign of the budget process resulted in a procedure that is more inclusive, more transparent, and should lead to better decision making and more efcacious deployment of resources to support student growth. The Superintendent was able to make signicant reductions in expenses while continuing in large part to keep cuts as far as possible from the classroom. Reorganization efforts were undertaken at the Middle School resulting in the establishment of a Stem Tech program for middle school students. Even in the midst of an unprecedented climate of budget challenges and state education policy changes the district continued to move forward, making modest gains in student achievement and increasing the graduation rate. Superintendent Martin has worked closely with Department of Education ofcials, WISD administration, and State of Michigan legislators to help craft a creative solution for district unication as a response to dealing with a large structural decit. The superintendent promoted the district accomplishments and important information through a number of radio interviews, Key Communicators meetings, presentations at School PTO meetings, school reports, and as a guest panelist for the Excellence in Americas Classroom with US Secretary of Education at the University of Michigan. The Board thought it a tribute to the District leadership that we were selected to participate in the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Program. Areas Where the Superintendent should give continuing attention: The Board acknowledges the particularly challenging nancial environment that the District faces and is committed to working with the superintendent in a proactive manner to establish a scally responsible and sustainable nancial plan. The Board asked the Superintendent to continue to focus on closing the achievement gap, increasing achievement, and increasing graduation rates, especially among minority populations. The Board recommended that efforts include an examination of successful models around the country for evidence-based practices that would be transferable to either our district or a new unied district. The Board asked the Superintendent to continue and expand the two-way dialogue with the community to dene and implement a strong

September, 2012 educational program that addresses our achievement challenges with proactive, evidence-based strategies that reect the values of our community as expressed in the strategic plan and through the unication planning work.