**4.3 Theme three: circumstances principal supervisors require for optimal leadership performance**

The successful integration of supervision in the principal evaluation process proved to be highly dependent on principal supervisors, as demonstrated across many cases in the literature. Participants in the present study highlighted four routine practices that enhanced the learning and growth experiences of principals: (1) approaching the evaluation as an ongoing process, (2) preparing for each supervisory session, (3) providing a supportive and non-threatening learning environment to stimulate principal learning, and (4) delivering differentiated and actionable feedback to enhance principals' leadership capacity.

### *4.3.1 Approaching the evaluation as an ongoing process*

Participant principal supervisors noted that when they addressed the evaluation as a changing and continuous process, as opposed to an "occasional episode" or "onetime event," learning benefits were tenfold increased. "Supervising principals is not a static, one-time event! It is a continuous effort that keeps going in a cycle without ending," principal supervisor Edward exclaimed. Supervisors Khalid and Mariam also added that principal supervisors needed to follow up on their commitment to regularly supervising, monitoring, and tracking the growth of their assigned principals. They maintained that these procedures allowed the evaluation process to proceed smoothly and fulfill its ultimate objective of principal improvement.

Principal supervisor Bruno used the following metaphor to describe the differences between the formative and summative evaluations: "When the chef tastes a dish, it is formative; but when it comes to guests tasting it, it is then summative." He continued by explaining that the formative phase was a process of change that offered principals useful information to identify their qualities and shortcomings and adapt along the way toward the final evaluation at the end of the year. Bruno explained, "Even with this summative wrapping up the evaluation process, it is still going to be formative in a way … after report and feedback is provided, enabling them to take

actions to improve their performance next year." He believed that both the formative and the summative evaluations should coexist but that the goals and purposes of "formatively looking forward and summatively looking back" were better kept apart.

Principal supervisors can track the development of principals, spot weaknesses in their leadership behaviors, and offer ongoing feedback for growth by treating the evaluation as a changing and continuous process instead of a "one-time event." According to Parylo et al. [37], principals integrated what they learned from evaluations when it was a continuous, adaptable, and engaged process. Consequently, principals worked much harder to meet the demands of their schools. Alkaabi [6] additionally emphasized that without a supporting system that incorporates constant, developmental, and differentiated supervision, principals did not significantly improve or advance.
