ADRIAN — Nate Parker’s leadership and dedication to the Adrian Public Schools district as its superintendent is what the board of education considered when it provided him with a rating of “Highly Effective” during the superintendent’s annual evaluation.

Parker’s mark of “Highly Effective” is a strong endorsement, the district said, of his leadership. He received the results of his evaluation during the board’s May 20 regular meeting where board members praised his accomplishments and contributions to the district.

“Superintendent Parker’s highly effective rating demonstrates his strong connection with students, parents, staff and the community,” Board of Education President Beth Ferguson said. “His ‘Diploma Plus‘ initiative will help APS graduates earn more than just a high school diploma. Nate’s ability to recruit and retain employees has kept APS functioning well and financially healthy. This year, his evaluation improved from effective to highly effective due to increased student growth.”

There is an established process the board goes through when conducting the superintendent evaluation. There are several detailed elements the superintendent is evaluated on. Months of preparation goes into conducting the evaluation.

One of those detailed elements of the evaluation is student growth, as mentioned by Ferguson. The state of Michigan’s superintendent evaluation tool, and its weighting system, has student growth rates as its largest element — a 40% score — for a superintendent to be graded on. Last year, the Adrian district did not garner student growth numbers that were reflective of a “highly effective” ranking, which ultimately brought Parker’s rating down to “effective.” This year, however, Adrian’s enrollment has seen an upward trend and so too, has Parker’s evaluation.

In the latest evaluation, Parker received high marks in governance and board relations, community relations, staff relations, business/finance instructional leadership, progress toward district goals and student growth.

Board Trustee, Jay Marks, commended Parker’s communication approach, adding, “Nate has done an excellent job telling the district’s story and informing the community about what is happening at Adrian Public Schools.”

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Reflecting on the results of the evaluation, Parker attributed his success to the collective efforts of the district.

“This recognition is not just a reflection of my work but of the entire district,” he said, in a news release. “It includes our teaching staff, building principals, support staff and central office team. Together, we have created an environment where our students can thrive, and this rating is a testament to our shared commitment to excellence which starts with the vision set by a dedicated and high functioning board of education that represents this outstanding community.”

Parker started as Adrian’s superintendent March 1, 2022, succeeding former and retired Superintendent Bob Behnke, now a member of the Adrian City Commission. Before applying and interviewing for the educational leadership position, Parker served as Springbrook Middle School’s principal since 2010 and held building principal positions for at least 17 years.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian Superintendent Nate Parker earns ‘Highly Effective’ rating