Copyright © 2003 WestEd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-0569, or online at http://www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to WestEd Publications, 730 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-1242, 888-293-7833, fax 415-512-2024, or online at www.WestEd.org/permissions. ISBN # 978-0-914409-17-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2002096653 This book is printed on recycled paper. The cover and text contain 30% recycled content. WestEd, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California. Its corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. For more information about WestEd, visit our Web site: WestEd.org; call 415.565.3000 or toll-free, (877) 4-WestEd; or write: WestEd/730 Harrison Street/San Francisco, CA 94107-1242. This document was produced in whole or in part with funds from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, under contract #ED-01-C0-0012. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education.
Contents Foreword
v
Standard 4
33
4.1 Collaborate to Incorporate the Perspective of Families and Community Members (34)
Effective Leadership: From Theory to Action
1
4.2 Establish and Manage Linkages between the Site and the Larger Community Context (36)
Standard 1
5
4.3
1.1
Engage and Coordinate Support from Agencies outside the School (38)
Develop a Shared Vision (6)
1.2 Plan and Implement Activities Around the Vision (8)
Standard 5 5.1 Maintain Ethical Standards of Professionalism (42)
1.3 Allocate Resources to Support the Vision (10)
Standard 2
41
13
2.1 Develop School Culture and Ensure Equity (14)
5.2 Guide Sound Courses of Action Using Pertinent, State-of-the-Art Methods (44) 5.3 Model Reflective Practice and Continuous Growth (46) 5.4 Sustain Professional Commitment and Effort (48)
2.2 Guide the Instructional Program (16) 2.3 Guide Professional Growth of Staff (18)
Standard 6
2.4 Create and Utilize Accountability Systems (20)
Standard 3 3.1 Ensure a Safe School Environment (24)
51
6.1 Engage with the Policy Environment to Support School Success (52)
23
6.1 Interact With Stakeholders (54) Incorporate Input From the Public (56)
3.2 Create an Infrastructure to Support an Effective Learning Environment (26) 3.3 Manage the School as a LearningSupport System (28) 3.4 Maintain Legal Integrity (30)
Contents
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Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
Foreword
These Descriptions of Practice were initially developed to clarify the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSELs), which were generated from and closely align to national standards adopted in 1996 by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). In the CPSELs, the earlier standards have been updated and refined to reflect the continuing shift toward standards-based practice and the growing student diversity in California schools and elsewhere. Because the CPSELs and their Descriptions of Practice (DOPs) are aligned to the national standards, they are useful not only in California, but also in any state that is using or has adapted the ISLLC standards. *
Like the national standards, both the CPSELs and the DOPs are grounded in research on leadership, management, adult learning, community involvement, and other elements of the standards. Together, they illustrate a vision of quality, research-based leadership. Initiated as a grass roots effort within California’s education community, the CPSELs were developed with input from a broad spectrum of educators, including practicing site and district leaders. The effort also included representatives from the Association of California School Administrators, California Department of Education, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, representatives from higher
education, and the California School Leadership Academy at WestEd (CSLA), a research and professional development program focused on leadership. The DOPs, too, result from a collaborative development process involving a great many people from throughout the education, professional development, and research communities in California and elsewhere. That said, they would not have been developed without the initiative of CSLA, under the guidance of Karen Kearney, with contributions from Laraine Roberts, Cindy Tucker, and Ginny Lee.
*
California readers will recognize that the CPSELs and their Descriptions of Practice are congruent with the state’s standards-based approach both to student learning and to teacher development and certification.
Foreword
Effective Leadership: From Theory to Action
High-quality student performance depends on high-quality school leadership. The critical contribution of school administrators to strengthening student performance was highlighted in the Effective Schools research of the early 1980s. Twenty years later, research and best practice confirm that highly skilled school administrators remain crucial to successful teaching and learning. But in this era of standards-based reform and high-stakes accountability, the challenges they face have become decidedly more complex. To be successful, today’s school administrators must assume multiple roles, from catalyst to manager, from expert to facilitator. Above all, they must serve as instructional leaders, their every action and decision focused on the singular goal of ensuring that all students achieve high academic standards. Beyond such broad generalizations, however, for those who aspire to leadership and those who seek to
Introduction
develop and nurture it, the essential question is this: What does effective leadership look like, not just in theory, but in action? In recent years, a number of organizations and states have sought to answer this question by developing or adopting standards that articulate a growing consensus about the knowledge, skills, and dispositions requisite to successful school leadership. This publication extends that effort. It does so by further defining the expectations behind specific administrator standards and identifying some of the research-based behaviors required of administrators if their efforts are to yield positive student results. It then illustrates those behaviors across a continuum of practice as novice principals and other administrators grow from competent managers into effective leaders. These Descriptions of Practice were developed to enhance the usefulness of emerging pro-
fessional standards for education leadership, whether the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards, the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, or other similar research-based standards. They do so by explaining the intention of each standard and depicting what its various elements look like across a continuum of practice. Used with standards, these descriptions provide readers with common concepts, language, and examples that, together, can serve various and sometimes overlapping purposes: s AS A STARTING POINT FOR DEVELOPING credentialing criteria, s AS A GUIDE FOR PLANNING LEADERSHIP preparation or professional development, s AS A BASIS FOR CLARIFYING PERFORMANCE expectations, and s AS A MIRROR FOR AN ADMINISTRATORS self-reflection and professional goal-setting.
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The vision of education leadership embodied in these Descriptions of Practice (DOPs) is one in which all efforts target the educational success of every student. In this vision, instructional leadership is the central role of the administrator, with education achievement and equity the goal toward which she or he guides teachers and other staff; students, parents, and guardians; and the school’s broader community. These DOPs illustrate how administrators directly and indirectly support the core work of schools: teaching and learning aimed at the achievement of high standards by all students. THE CONTEXT-SPECIFIC NATURE OF LEADERSHIP
Effective leadership is dependent on context, and the conditions of specific schools vary along numerous dimensions, including the instructional capacity of a school’s staff and the degree of parental involvement, for example. In recognition of that fact, these DOPs have been carefully worded to leave room to accommodate the necessary variation in leadership practice dictated by the different challenges and opportunities that exist at one school as compared to another. Each description includes a narrative about how certain aspects of the standard play out in what is intended to be a fairly generic context. The
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developers recognize that if the context were significantly different, good practice would look different as well — while still being congruent with the standard. In using the DOPs, it is essential to consider the degree to which specific circumstances limit or support an administrator’s ability to demonstrate achievement of a standard. An administrator’s actions are constrained or supported to some degree by local site conditions. Take Standard 1.1, for example, which is about developing a shared vision: Consider the case of a highly experienced and qualified leader who demonstrated exemplary practice in a former site and now has been asked to assume leadership at a school that is struggling to find focus. In her first year at the new site, this administrator would likely have to undertake many of the preliminary vision-building tasks identified in the DOPs as practice that is “directed toward” or “approaches” the standard, versus practice that “meets” or “exemplifies” the standard. But in this case, her practice would reflect the demands of the site, which shape her individual capacity to demonstrate exemplary practices. Thus, it is important to remember that a leader’s relative success is entwined with certain site conditions, sometimes making it difficult to distinguish among causes and effects.
Given the context-specific nature of leadership, the DOPs are neither intended nor suited to serve as prescriptions of practice or templates for evaluation. The task of specifying how a leader might demonstrate achievement of a particular standard is a matter of local dialogue and agreement among the relevant professionals. Even the meaning of certain terms used in this document to make qualitative distinctions — such as, appropriate, effective, skilled — is a matter of local agreement. If a specific district or school were interested in developing a legally defensible administrator evaluation strategy based on these DOPs, additional work would need to be done. The DOPs serve as a useful guide for developing evaluation tools, but they are not those tools in and of themselves. Instead, these DOPs are meant to lay out a set of ideas for individuals and professional communities to examine and reflect upon as they consider effective practice and strategies for achieving desired goals within specific settings. As such, they are intended to promote and support leadership excellence, not to limit or pigeonhole those working toward it. Positive results are rarely achieved in a lockstep, linear fashion, but rather with multiple pathways and at various rates.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
FORMAT AND USE OF THIS DOCUMENT
This document provides a series of continuously more specific descriptions regarding the six standards and the behaviors of leaders in relation to the standards. Each standard is provided with its elements and a description of practice presented in both narrative form and as part of a continuum. The format is identical for each standard. First, the standard is stated in the same language as in the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, followed by a brief overview.
rates on a combination of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are illustrative of successful practice in relation to the standard. On the facing page, the Descriptions of Practice are laid out in a continuum that illustrates increasing skill levels, application, and results. These differentiate four levels of leadership development: s PRACTICE THAT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE standard, s practice that approaches the standard, s PRACTICE THAT MEETS THE STANDARD AND s PRACTICE THAT EXEMPLIlES THE STANDARD
Following this is a display of all the elements of the standard, organized into a small set of clusters. The clusters offer a way of managing the numerous elements and highlight the key components within each standard. For example, Standard One, which deals with vision, comprises six elements that are clustered into three key concepts: 1.1 addresses the development of a shared vision; 1.2 deals with planning and implementing activities related to the vision; and 1.3 refers to allocating resources in support of the vision.
Administrators whose practice is directed toward the standard are aware of some of the elements of instructional leadership, but do not have a deep understanding of the expectations of the standard as a whole. Their work, even if of quality, is carried out activity by activity, each one disconnected from the others. These administrators may be engaged in “starter” activities that will eventually lead to the results they seek. In some instances, however, their efforts may not be at all strategic.
The next section provides a thorough description of each cluster of elements for the standard, one at a time. The narrative elabo-
Administrators whose practice approaches the standard have a more conscious knowledge of the standards and their elements. They begin
Introduction
to see how their activities work together to generate results. While not yet fully integrated, their work builds on patterns of success and lessons learned from past activities. Leaders whose practice meets the standard demonstrate by their actions that they have a clear understanding of the standard and its elements. Their work capitalizes on their ability to know what needs to be done, how to do it, and why it should be done. They link activities into strategic actions that move toward the results they seek. Leaders whose practice exemplifies the standard not only use standards to guide their work, they understand the interrelationship among the standards, their elements, and the activities they lead. They gain commitment from those involved because of the results they get and use these relationships as strategic leverage to continuously improve beyond the standards of expected performance. TERMINOLOGY IN THIS DOCUMENT
During the development of this document, both contributors and reviewers noted the importance of using consistent and clear terminology to represent and clarify the standards. The final choice of terms resulted from
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careful discussion of options and an effort to avoid a repetition of terms while maintaining a reasonable level of consistency. The definitions and explanations provided below are intended to help clarify this effort. School, site, school site. These terms are used interchangeably throughout. Those involved in writing and reviewing acknowledge that the DOPs are also appropriate for district work, perhaps with modifications. Administrator, leader, school leader, site leader. The standards and Descriptions of Practice are intended for individuals serving in formal administrative positions in schools (e.g., principals, assistant principals, vice principals). The terms administrator and leader have been used to identify this role. However, in the descriptions of the continuum of practice, the term administrator is used for the first two levels of practice, while the term leader is reserved for the two highest levels: practice that meets or exemplifies the standard. This is a deliberate choice intended to highlight the shift that occurs as administrators improve their practice, moving from tactical managers to strategic instructional leaders whose efforts result in improved student learning. Although admittedly arguable, this distinction resonated with the majority of reviewers.
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Staff, faculty, professional staff. The term staff is intended to be the most inclusive of these three terms, referring to all certificated and classified people employed at the school. Professional staff and faculty are used interchangeably to refer to certificated individuals, including teachers and specialists. Use of the narrower terms (faculty, professional staff) is not intended to preclude readers from considering a broader interpretation that would include all employees (and perhaps even volunteers) at the site.
may refer to aspects of administrators’ work that are closely connected to elements in a different standard. This can be seen in elements 4.2, Establish and Manage Linkages Between the Site and the Larger Community Context, and 6.2, Interact with Stakeholders. This overlap indicates the importance of parents and community members in improving schools and directs the leader to attend to this expectation in multiple ways. These overlaps actually provide the leader with clues about ways to integrate individual standards into a cohesive course of action.
School community, community. In this document, school community is generally reserved for the group of adults and children who spend the majority of their regular day within the school, while community generally refers to the larger environment of individuals and groups (e.g., families, businesses, associations, organizations) within a school’s attendance area or beyond. OVERLAP AMONG THE ELEMENTS OF THE STANDARDS
In capturing a set of expectations for administrators, the six standards address areas of administrative work and norms of practice that intersect with and overlap each other. For this reason, the elements within any one standard
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
Standard 1
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.
School administrators engage their communities in the development of a shared vision of student learning. This vision articulates faculty members’ understanding of the school as a standards-based education system, and it guides faculty members’ actions. The vision provides a central focus as the school community works to develop and imple-
1.1 Develop a Shared Vision Facilitate the development of a shared vision for the achievement of all students based upon data from multiple measures of student learning and relevant qualitative indicators. Communicate the shared vision so the entire school community understands and acts on the school’s mission to become a standards-based education system. Use the influence of diversity to improve teaching and learning.
ment instructional plans and other activities that give meaning to the vision. Leaders align resources
1.2 Plan and Implement Activities Around the Vision
with the priorities of the vision and communicate
Identify and address any barriers to accomplishing the vision.
the vision within and beyond the school.
Shape school programs, plans, and activities to ensure that they are integrated, articulated through the grades, and consistent with the vision. 1.3 Allocate Resources to Support the Vision Leverage and marshal sufficient resources, including technology, to implement and attain the vision for all students and all subgroups of students.
Standard 1
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Develop a Shared Vision
D E S C RI P T I ON The development of a shared vision is pivotal to the work of a school. In depicting an image of school success, the vision represents what the school community intends to achieve. School leaders recognize that a well-articulated vision serves as a driving force for what is to be accomplished. The vision becomes a touchstone against which all courses of action, decisions, and individual choices are examined. Skilled leaders demonstrate awareness that, to be authentic, a school vision must evolve from engagement processes involving the entire faculty, along with members of the wider school community. Through these processes, individuals and groups voice their values, beliefs, and aspirations. Skilled leaders are able to work with the school community to incorporate these multiple perspectives into a vision statement to which all can commit. Administrators also establish structures and
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processes for periodically revisiting the vision and adjusting it as needed. In these ways the vision becomes a living document that clarifies — and then re-clarifies — a school’s purpose and goals. In creating the vision, administrators lead and inspire staff, parents, and community members to articulate the unique strengths and needs of the specific student population at the site. They ensure that the vision is grounded in data from multiple measures of student learning as well as in relevant qualitative indicators of student and school success. To provide an appropriate framework for the discussion, administrators demonstrate deep understanding of state and district standards; they facilitate the examination of school data in light of these standards so that the resulting vision is congruent with these expectations. The vision integrates district standards, policies, priorities, and accountability requirements. It reflects the
ultimate goal of all students achieving school, district, and state standards. Administrators see stewardship of the vision as a central part of their role. They act in service of the vision and support others in understanding and using the vision for school improvement. They refer to the vision in their written and verbal communications, signaling its importance as a statement of the school’s purpose and its intended results.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
1.1
Develop a Shared Vision
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
While the administrator is aware of the potential of vision, activities toward the development and use of a site vision are in preliminary stages. The administrator may have begun the process of engaging faculty and community members in initial dialogue about the importance of site vision. She or he may have begun to introduce the concepts of high standards, equity, and the unique characteristics of the student population into site meetings. She or he initiates activities to bring all stakeholders into the discussion.
The administrator establishes and implements a structured process for engaging faculty and community members in dialogue to create a site vision. She or he facilitates participants in examining standards, considering data/information about students, and identifying desired outcomes. The administrator ensures that decisions about the vision are informed by principles of equity and reflect the needs/ input of key constituencies. She or he identifies stakeholders who are not engaged in the process and actively seeks their involvement.
The school leader facilitates and guides a collaborative process of dialogue that generates a site vision for which there is broad consensus. The leader ensures that the vision reflects the needs and strengths of the student population, that it is congruent with state and district standards, and that it is grounded in principles of equity and high expectations. She or he has begun linking the vision to ongoing teaching and learning activities.
The school leader makes use of the site vision to maintain schoolwide focus on equitable student achievement to high academic and social standards and sustained progress toward meeting those standards. The leader uses the vision to forge and sustain cohesion among the staff as well as between the school and the larger community. She or he establishes and maintains a process for appropriate review and revision of the vision that involves all key school constituencies.
Standard 1
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Plan and Implement Activities Around the Vision D E S CRI P T I ON Achieving the vision requires that schools engage in a range of deliberate planning and implementation activities to guide the work of the community. For a site’s vision to be realized, it must be embodied in the work and the culture of the school. When the vision is infused throughout the school, it touches all elements of operations and social relations. At the most basic level, skilled administrators work with their staff to confront discrepancies between the current reality of the school and the portrait represented by its vision, a gap representing the improvement the school community must make. Recognition of the schism between the status quo and a school’s vision fosters creative tension that fuels action, and effective administrators use the daily work of the school as the basis for that action. They guide and facilitate all events and activities to ensure their alignment with and support of the vision. For example, administrators approach routine tasks such as faculty assignments and scheduling of classes with the conscious aim of making decisions that are consistent with the intention of the vision.
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But strong administrators recognize that achieving a shared vision based on high standards requires going beyond simple alignment of isolated decisions; it demands integration and alignment of entire subsystems of the organization. They understand relationships among the components of their schools and appreciate that achieving complex goals obliges them to coordinate many interrelated activities. For example, achieving academic goals represented in the vision may involve changes in curriculum, pedagogy, instructional materials, assessment, and professional development. Further, accomplished administrators are able to identify barriers likely to impede progress and are able to guide others in addressing and overcoming those. These include not only any barriers that exist at the time of planning, but also any that arise during implementation.
collected, and necessary monitoring activities. Checking on progress, whether informally at regular meetings or more formally in periodic reviews, allows administrators to assess the effectiveness of their strategies and to adjust them as needed to ensure progress toward the intended goals. To facilitate and support the work of planning and implementation, administrators must be knowledgeable about systems theory and able to support strategic planning processes that engage appropriate subgroups. Similarly, they must be able to use data, and to help others use data to analyze progress and make adjustments in the strategy as needed. They understand how technology can assist them and use technology to support their data and systems analysis.
Administrators guide planning that yields a strategy for achieving the vision, one that includes specific courses of action and targeted outcomes. Included in this strategy are responsibilities, timelines, evidence to be
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
1. 2
Plan and Implement Activities Around the Vision
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator recognizes that achieving the vision requires her or him to provide leadership with respect to planning and implementation. She or he may have introduced the vision and the examination of data into some planning and decisionmaking. She or he and others responsible for decision-making may have begun identifying barriers to achieving the vision.
The administrator’s communication about planning stresses the relationship between decisions and the accomplishment of the goals of the vision. She or he facilitates dialogue at the site that engages staff in examining data about the site and comparing it with the desired vision. She or he supports staff in developing capacity to think systemically about strategic courses of action that are likely to move the school toward the vision. She or he guides staff in identifying and addressing barriers to achieving the vision.
The school leader organizes and facilitates data analysis and long-range planning activities with staff that result in the development of a strategic plan for the site that identifies courses of action aimed at achieving the vision. She or he ensures that short-term planning and decision-making are linked to the strategic plan and standards. She or he provides staff and committees with relevant up-todate information and facilitates the interpretation and use of these data to make sound choices among courses of action.
The school leader actively infuses the site vision and standards into the strategic plan and all decision-making processes in the school. She or he ensures that courses of action and decisions in specific areas (e.g., curriculum, assessment, professional development) serve to align school subsystems in support of achieving standards. The leader guides staff in using data thoughtfully to assess options and commit to courses of action that are likely to support achieving the milestones and benchmarks in the strategic plan. She or he ensures that relevant data are available and examined regularly to monitor progress and adjust plans accordingly.
Standard 1
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Allocate Resources to Support the Vision
D E S CRI P T I ON Leaders play a key role in seeking and allocating the resources their school needs to carry out its strategic plan and attain its vision. Resources include not just regular and special funding, but also personnel, the physical plant, instructional materials, time, and anything else that requires distribution or allocation. To allocate resources effectively in support of the vision, administrators must be knowledgeable about sound fiscal practices. Capable administrators demonstrate competence in such skills as developing and monitoring budgets and performing cost/benefit analyses. Additionally, they are able to participate in and guide data-based analyses of student needs that lead to sound resource decisions.
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In instances where a site’s existing resources are inadequate for reaching the vision, skilled administrators seek and obtain the necessary additional resources. This might involve working with parents, businesses, and other members of the community to engage their support and elicit contributions. Formal partnerships with organizations and institutions such as foundations and colleges and universities are other possibilities. Skilled administrators also network to identify existing resources and generate new ones.
help teachers identify what resources are needed and how they should be directed. They support classroom teachers in understanding that teachers must attend to distribution of resources within their own classroom to provide access and opportunity for all students. They understand that achieving equitable results is not based on students receiving identical resources, but rather on students receiving the resources they need to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Accomplished administrators realize that even abundant resources do not ensure the achievement of goals if the resources are not allocated appropriately. These administrators
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
1. 3
Allocate Resources to Support the Vision
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates awareness of the importance of resource allocation for the achievement of the vision. She or he has begun to link decisions about seeking and allocating resources to the goals of the vision and to strategic planning for achieving the vision.
The administrator incorporates the goals of the vision into the development of the site budget. She or he allocates discretionary funds in support of achieving standards. She or he seeks and uses information related to instructional needs as part of the budgeting process.
The school leader communicates and models the expectation that decisions about resource allocation are directed at achieving the goals of the vision. She or he engages staff in identifying budgetary priorities linked to implementation of the strategic plan and achievement of standards. She or he capitalizes on opportunities to augment resources by engaging staff in developing proposals in response to funding opportunities.
The school leader ensures that all short- and long-term decisions about resource allocation are justified and aligned with strategic courses of action for achieving the vision. The leader acts as a resource developer and broker, leading the school to seek and obtain appropriate resources in support of standards. She or he ensures sound and equitable decisions about the distribution and use of resources to support student learning and closing of the achievement gap between subsets of students.
Standard 1
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Standard 2
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
School administrators commit themselves to the concept of school as a rich learning environment for students and staff alike. Acknowledging that the core work of the school is student learning, site leaders focus their work on creating a culture that values such work and an instructional program that supports it. Continuous improvement of instructional practice is a central feature of the school’s professional culture. Leaders develop and implement accountability systems to monitor and adjust the core work of students and teachers.
Standard 2
2.1 Develop School Culture and Ensure Equity Shape a culture in which high expectations are the norm for each student as evident in rigorous academic work. Promote equity, fairness, and respect among all members of the school community. 2.2 Guide the Instructional Program Facilitate the use of a variety of appropriate content-based learning materials and learning strategies that: s
recognize students as active learners,
s
value reflection and inquiry,
s
emphasize the quality versus the amount of student application and performance, and
s
utilize appropriate and effective technology.
2.3 Guide Professional Growth of Staff Guide and support the long-term professional development of all staff consistent with the ongoing effort to improve the learning of all students relative to the content standards. Provide opportunities for all members of the school community to develop and use skills in collaboration, distributed leadership, and shared responsibility. 2.4 Create and Utilize Accountability Systems Create an accountability system grounded in standards-based teaching and learning. Utilize multiple assessments to evaluate student learning in an ongoing process focused on improving the academic performance of each student.
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Develop School Culture and Ensure Equity
D E S CRI P T I ON School culture consists of a deeply embedded set of assumptions, values, and beliefs that manifest themselves in the behaviors of people in the organization. Culture concerns itself with “how we do things around here.” Some aspects of a school’s culture are explicit, such as yearly promotion ceremonies. But much is tacit and taken for granted. One example of the latter would be an unspoken “rule” that forbids any talk about either teaching or students in the staff lunchroom. Site leaders influence the culture of their school by their everyday actions and communication, as well as by their less routine decisions and actions. Leaders know that what they pay attention to, what they reward, and what they talk about with others all signal their priorities, values, and beliefs. Skilled leaders use routine acts of communication as important tools for sharing their beliefs about schooling in general and about their own school in particular. Administrators indicate what they think is important through faculty meeting agendas,
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the content of written memos and messages, and informal remarks to teachers, all of which underscore the importance of continuously improving teaching and learning. They also know that how they respond to district directives, parent concerns, and emergency situations contributes to their school culture. An effective administrator responds thoughtfully, fairly, and in a timely manner, always with an eye to school goals. Skilled instructional leaders focus their culture-shaping efforts on key components of the instructional system, including curriculum, text- and technology-based instructional materials, pedagogy, and assessment. They direct their activities to guiding the school community in identifying and examining assumptions and beliefs about student learning. Accomplished leaders shape schools into powerful standards-based learning environments for students by ensuring that all members of the community maintain high expectations for every student and share a
commitment to helping students meet those expectations. In such a culture, teachers hold themselves accountable for the academic success of each student, and they collectively commit to closing the achievement gap among student subgroups. Their actions reflect values of equity and fairness, as well as a deep-seated respect for the learning capacity of each student. In schools with standards-based cultures, the site leader and school staff model professionalism on a daily basis. In particular, they accept major responsibility for student learning. When outcomes fall short of expectations, they seek to understand and improve or change their instructional practices rather than falling back on excuses or blaming students. Skilled leaders shape a school culture in which teachers acknowledge their interdependence, share their expertise, examine student work together, and help one another improve their content knowledge and instructional practices.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
2 .1
Develop School Culture and Ensure Equity
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates awareness of the professional culture of the school and is able to assess how well it represents high standards of professionalism and the principle of education equity. She or he identifies important changes in culture that need to occur for the school to become a powerful learning environment for all students. The administrator may have begun to identify specific areas of belief/ values for change and strategies for achieving change.
The administrator provides opportunities for faculty to examine their understandings of standards-based education, professionalism, equity, and excellence and to identify ways in which current beliefs, values, and practices fall short of desired ideals. She or he examines ways in which her or his own actions and communications influence shared values; she or he identifies and uses strategies to support needed changes in moving the school toward greater equity and professionalism.
The school leader engages in a range of ongoing activities that shape and reinforce a professional culture by conveying a consistent set of beliefs, values, and assumptions regarding the educability of all students in a standards-based system and the principle of equity. She or he explicitly and implicitly incorporates questions of values and beliefs into professional dialogue at the site. The leader challenges and encourages members of the school community to examine and refine individual and collective expressions of professionalism.
The school leader’s actions support all members of the school community in maintaining a culture of excellence and responsibility. By her or his words and deeds, the site leader models commitment to high standards for all students and to closing the achievement gap among subgroups of students; moreover, these actions encourage and influence the faculty to embrace and demonstrate shared commitment to these beliefs and values. Individually and collectively, they model professionalism in their sense of responsibility for the results they achieve, their students, and each other.
Standard 2
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Guide the Instructional Program D E S C RI P T I ON The entire faculty shares responsibility for a standards-based instructional program. However, the site administrator is best positioned to guide effective development and implementation of instruction. Working with state and district content and teaching standards, and building on the capacity of the faculty, skilled administrators ensure that there is coherence among the elements of the school’s instructional system, including, but not limited to, curriculum, instructional materials, pedagogy, and student assessment.
tional goals include higher-order skills, such as complex thinking, deep comprehension, technology applications, and problem solving. They guide faculty in understanding that to effect such learning for all students requires differentiated instruction that addresses the range of students’ learning and performance styles, as well as a variety of appropriate materials selected with that same range in mind. Leaders work with teachers to select materials and strategies that will serve the needs of diverse learners in achieving standards.
but should not be limited to such required processes. Rather, inquiry about curriculum, pedagogy, and student learning must be part of the school’s daily life. By helping faculty calibrate their practice against student performance of standards, school leaders engage their school in a process of continuous monitoring. This, in turn, allows for adjustments in the instructional program aimed at eliminating achievement gaps between subgroups of students and promoting excellence across all grade levels and subject areas.
Effective administrators have an image of standards-based teaching and learning that they continually review and adjust to reflect stateof-the-art knowledge about the craft. They work with faculty to advance teachers’ understanding of their roles in a standards-based system and further their abilities to implement powerful practices in the classroom.
In guiding the instructional program, accomplished site leaders utilize the range of routine and non-routine tasks, activities, and decision points that constitute the annual cycle of work in schools. They work with teachers individually and collectively to establish classroom goals reflecting high standards and expectations. Together with faculty, they engage in regular inquiry and assessments about the effectiveness of instructional strategies, both within and across classrooms. Such inquiry may be associated with state-level reviews of tests or with high school accreditation reviews,
Skilled leaders have mastery of a professional body of knowledge about teaching and learning in a standards-based system that they are continually updating and refining based on research and development activities within the profession. They strive to develop and maintain a deep knowledge of the instructional practices and results at their school and they use this information to inform and facilitate improved student learning.
Standards-based teaching recognizes that students are active learners and that each one is capable of learning content to high levels. Skilled administrators ensure that instruc-
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Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
2.2
Guide the Instructional Program
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator recognizes the centrality of her or his role in guiding the instructional program. She or he uses data about student learning to identify areas of strength in the instructional program, as well as areas in which the program does not yet succeed in supporting all students to achieve to high standards. The administrator initiates professional dialogue with teachers around instructional goals and strategies.
The administrator engages faculty in dialogue around the instructional program, with a focus on standards and on site data. She or he guides staff in using data to identify areas needing improvement, to set goals in these areas, and to identify and implement strategies for achieving those goals. The administrator’s communication with staff emphasizes the importance of supporting all students in achieving to high standards and supports staff in considering and responding to the range of needs represented in the student population.
The school leader works with faculty to articulate and extend understanding of standardsbased teaching and learning and to use this knowledge to develop and improve the instructional program at the site. The leader’s actions ensure a focus on achieving high standards and on closing the achievement gap between subgroups of students. She or he ensures that decisions about instructional schedules, materials, pedagogy, and assessment are responsive to student needs and to state and district learning expectations. She or he supports faculty in using data and other relevant information, supported by the appropriate use of technology, to monitor and adjust instruction.
The school leader uses her or his deep understanding of standards-based teaching and learning to provide ongoing, coherent guidance for implementation and continuous improvement of the school’s instructional system. She or he ensures that all instructional subsystems (e.g., instructional materials, pedagogy, assessment, use of technology) are designed and aligned to facilitate the achievement of high standards and closing the achievement gap. She or he ensures that faculty demonstrate an inquiring stance toward the results of the core instructional work of the school. The leader facilitates professional dialogue at the site so that individual teachers and the faculty as a whole are engaged in ongoing articulation, testing, and refinement of their understanding of relationships between instructional practices and student learning results and use this understanding to make positive changes in their practice.
Standard 2
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Guide Professional Growth of Staff D E S CRI P T I ON If a school is to be successful in its core work of teaching and learning, the environment must be conducive to ongoing adult learning. Effective leaders ensure that faculty members view themselves as learners and consider continuously improved practice as a standing professional goal. Accomplished leaders know that professional learning opportunities must be directly connected to the school’s vision of standardsbased student learning and achievement. These leaders shape a professional culture that emphasizes community members’ shared responsibility for realizing this vision, a responsibility that calls for continuous learning as part of their professional obligations. Skilled administrators do not rely solely on in-service workshops or formal training activities to support professional growth, although these may be part of the mix. Rather, they make sure teachers’ professional growth is embedded in their work. Leaders guide and support teachers in their professional responsibilities, in individual growth, and in their shared growth as a faculty. Skilled instructional leaders recognize that a school’s staff, like its student population,
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represents a range of experience, skills, and learning styles. Administrators draw on experience- and research-based knowledge to understand how the professional growth needs of novice teachers differ from those of veteran teachers. Similarly, they draw on adult-development and -learning theory to understand how adults at different developmental stages respond to learning opportunities. They recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach to professional development is rarely appropriate for school staff. Effective administrators are able to establish shared learning agendas and goals for faculty and to differentiate learning opportunities to support individual staff in achieving those goals.
Effective site leaders recognize the importance of developing supportive environments for adult learning. They use their knowledge of individual teachers’ practice to provide feedback that encourages and supports improvement. They ensure that structures are in place for collaborative learning (e.g., teacher study groups, sessions for examining student work, curriculum alignment projects). They seek out and provide a range of professional development opportunities for individuals and subgroups of the faculty. These leaders
realize that achievement of the school vision also requires organizational learning, and they facilitate activities such as retreats, seminars, and faculty meetings to achieve such learning. Additionally, administrators understand that organizational learning occurs when all members of the school community actively share responsibility for promoting collaboration and improvement. Successful administrators see professional growth as essential to the overall work of supporting student achievement. Thus, they address it in the course of developing a vision, in their strategic planning, and during implementation of the resulting plan. Addressing it includes allocating adequate resources. They ensure that student performance data, based on multiple measures of achievement, is considered carefully when identifying individual teacher and organizational learning goals. They are knowledgeable about and apply principles of effective professional development. They guide, support, and monitor the development of all staff, using standards for teaching.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
2.3
G u i d e P ro f e s s i o n a l G row t h o f S ta f f
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
While the administrator realizes that the professional growth of staff is important for student learning and school improvement, strategies to support such growth are limited in their capacity to address the range of needs at the site. The administrator is beginning to deepen her or his understanding of what constitutes learning-rich environments for adults and how to create such environments. She or he may rely on “one-sizefits-all” staff development opportunities and defer to “outside experts” to facilitate teachers’ learning.
The administrator works with staff to deepen understanding of standardsbased teaching and learning, to assess individual and collective needs, and to plan professional development aligned with those needs. She or he facilitates the identification of short- and long-term learning goals for the staff and allocates resources in accordance. The administrator communicates to staff the importance of continuous growth and works to inculcate norms of reflective practice, selfassessment, collaboration, and openness to new ideas. She or he ensures that all professional staff participate in appropriate professional learning activities.
The school leader establishes understanding among the professional staff that their continuous growth is a key element in improving student learning. The leader ensures that appropriate professional learning opportunities are available for the entire range of teacher experience and identified needs at the site. She or he develops and implements a variety of strategies to build leadership capacity in others, especially with respect to standardsbased teaching and learning processes. She or he creates a culture that embodies norms of reflection and collaboration around matters of practice. The staff demonstrates continuous improvement in its capacity for self-directed learning.
The school leader facilitates development and oversight of a broad range of professional growth opportunities for the staff. She or he works with other instructional leaders at the site to ensure that professional growth activities occur within the context of a focused and coherent plan for improving standards-based student learning through the development of individual and collective capacity. Taking into account the heterogeneity of the staff, as well as changes in the instructional program that result from district/state/ federal initiatives, the leader applies principles of effective professional and organizational development to ensure progress of individuals and groups on achieving standards. The leader sustains a professional environment that is a learning rich environment for adults, characterized by members of the learning community assuming responsibility and leadership for their own and other’s development.
Standard 2
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Create and Utilize Accountability Systems
D E S CRI P T I ON A key component of an effective standardsbased program is an accountability system that supports educators’ efforts to make sure all students perform at high academic levels. An accountability system establishes the means by which a school can specify and monitor progress in reaching its desired teaching and learning outcomes. Administrators recognize that effective accountability processes rely on more than one measure of student learning and on more than just standardized measures. Successful leaders ensure that their school is organized around state and district academic standards, accountability tools, and assessments. At the same time, they focus site efforts on the development and use of an array of internal accountability strategies aimed at building the organization’s capacity to achieve its goals. Effective administrators work collaboratively
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with individuals and groups, both within the school and in the broader community, to identify expectations for teaching and learning that are based on state content standards and the school vision.
of achievement and, therefore, accountability. Effective leaders hold themselves accountable on matters of equity, including closing the achievement gap between subgroups of students.
Capable site leaders have a deep understanding of student assessment. They are knowledgeable about the strengths and limitations of various assessment tools and techniques and are skilled at interpreting assessment data. They work with teachers individually and collectively to clarify desired instructional outcomes and identify multiple strategies by which students’ progress toward these goals can be determined. With staff, leaders facilitate ongoing dialogue about the evidence needed for determining the degree to which students are learning. They engage faculty in examining student work to help develop a shared understanding and consensus around matters
Effective school administrators emphasize the value of formative assessment in monitoring student learning. Both formally and informally, and sometimes using technology, they facilitate teachers’ engagement in regular reviews of evidence of student learning so that evidence is used consistently to plan and adjust instruction.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
2.4
C r e a t e a n d U t i l i z e Ac c o u n ta b i l i t y S ys t e m s
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator ensures compliance with state and district accountability procedures. She or he discusses data from these procedures with staff to identify areas for improvement. The administrator periodically reviews student learning data with teachers individually and in groups.
The administrator works with staff to clarify learning expectations and to use student data to monitor and assess achievement of goals. She or he facilitates individual and collective dialogue with staff to inculcate high expectations and a sense of professional responsibility for student achievement. She or he ensures compliance with state and district accountability procedures.
The school leader works collaboratively with all members of the professional staff to identify and implement assessment strategies that support continuous improvement of all students to high standards of learning based on content and performance standards. The leader ensures that these strategies incorporate accurate and appropriate data about teaching and learning. She or he supports staff in using technology as part of the analysis process and in aligning professional growth goals with assessment data.
The school leader facilitates the development of schoolwide commitment to multiple measures of student learning, regular assessment of progress, and use of assessment data to guide teaching and learning. She or he ensures that the site’s accountability strategies focus on the achievement of all students to high academic levels and on closing the achievement gap between subgroups of students. The leader actively promotes the goal of improving schoolwide, standards-based instructional capacity as an essential component of accountability.
Standard 2
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Standard 3
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
School administrators create and manage school organizations that are structured to support the core work of teaching and learning. They ensure that their school is physically and emotionally safe for all students and adults, and they protect the legal rights of all members of the school community. They apply principles of organizational leadership and management to align and integrate the multiple subsystems that constitute the school so that the infrastructure supports all students in learning to high standards.
3.1 Ensure a Safe School Environment Sustain a safe, efficient, clean, well-maintained, and productive school environment that nurtures student learning and supports the professional growth of teachers and support staff. Utilize effective and nurturing practices in establishing student behavior management systems. 3.2 Create an Infrastructure to Support an Effective Learning Environment Establish school structures and processes that support student learning. 3.3 Manage the School as a Learning-Support System Utilize effective systems management, organizational development, and problem-solving and decision-making techniques. Align fiscal, human, and material resources to support the learning of all subgroups of students. Monitor and evaluate the program and staff. 3.4 Maintain Legal Integrity Manage legal and contractual agreements and records in ways that foster a professional work environment and secure privacy and confidentiality for all students and staff.
Standard 3
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Ensure a Safe School Environment
D E S CRI P T I ON Safety is a fundamental condition of an effective school. To support the core work of teaching and learning, a school must ensure physical and emotional safety and security for students, teachers, and other staff. A safe environment is characterized by mutual respect between and among all individuals and groups, and by the ways it encourages and supports students, teachers, and other staff to be self-managing and productive. Effective school administrators recognize their responsibility for overseeing the physical condition of their school and ensuring that buildings and grounds are clean, well-maintained, and free of safety hazards. They work with their district’s maintenance department, as well as with staff, students, and community members, to ensure that the school is attractive and comfortable. Site leaders involve teachers and students in developing and implementing guidelines for physical safety that are neces-
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sary and appropriate for students’ developmental levels and for site needs. They ensure that their sites have written plans for handling the full range of potential emergencies and that adults and students receive appropriate orientation about what to do in various emergency situations. Skilled site leaders also realize the need to specify, monitor, and respond to behaviors that are not acceptable or appropriate for a safe and productive environment. They are involved in setting and implementing district and site policy. In doing so, they engage teachers and students in creating guidelines that lead all members of the school community to assume responsibility for their actions. Therefore, leaders need to be knowledgeable about child and youth development and to use this knowledge to communicate effectively with students to maximize their capacity for self-regulation.
School leaders know that safety, both physical and emotional, has an impact on student learning. Effective leaders consider ways in which school and classroom norms, curriculum, instruction, feedback (teacher-to-student, principal-to-teacher, and teacher-to-teacher), and other factors either do or do not support students in being highly engaged and successful learners. They take steps to address any conditions that might impede student learning.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
3 .1 E n s u r e a S a f e S c h o o l E n v i r o n m e n t Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator understands and is committed to creating and maintaining the school as a safe environment. She or he values a positive school climate and identifies areas for improvement. The site administrator recognizes the importance of shifting responsibility for safety from her or his office to the school community as a whole, but may feel compelled to rely heavily on rules and consequences at this stage.
The administrator ensures that appropriate policies, plans, and monitoring activities are in place to maintain the school as a safe environment. She or he communicates regularly with members of the community so that they are aware of these expectations and understand their roles in maintaining school safety. She or he engages members of the community in identifying and implementing processes to build civility, mutual respect, and caring among individuals and groups.
The school leader implements a range of collaborative activities and processes that contribute to the maintenance of the site as a safe, attractive, warm, and nurturing environment for adults and students. She or he works with students and staff to internalize responsibility for school safety and climate. She or he guides members of the school community in articulating images of a positive environment that fosters student achievement, shared responsibility, respect, and self-regulation. She or he supports staff and students in exercising leadership to create such an environment.
The school leader institutionalizes values, norms, and practices that promote and enhance shared responsibility among all members of the school community for student achievement through positive climate. She or he facilitates members of the school community in ongoing refinement of their commitment to developing and sustaining an environment that supports the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social well-being of all.
Standard 3
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Create an Infrastructure to Support an Effective Learning Environment
D E S CRI P T I ON Accomplished leaders understand that the effective operation of the school requires that elements of the infrastructure be configured and operate in support of the core work of teaching and learning. They know that one aspect of the structure is how students are organized to work, including, for example, class schedules and the availability of after-school support. They understand that another aspect is how the staff is organized for work, including responsibilities, reporting relationships, and assignments. Effective leaders guide policies and procedures for making operational decisions related to such ongoing tasks as planning of curriculum and instruction, program monitoring, and student assessment. Skillful leaders are knowledgeable about systems theory and how subsystems are connected and interact with each other to guide teaching and support student learning. Administrators apply their understanding of schools
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as systems to align and focus these subsystems. So, for example, they consider not just how the instructional program supports student learning, but also how budgeting, scheduling, staffing, transportation, site management, and other organizational processes can be utilized to promote student learning. Among their tasks as organizational managers, effective site leaders assign responsibilities and create teams and committees to make decisions or recommendations regarding potential courses of action for their school. Skilled administrators work with faculty to determine specific areas of responsibility for individuals and groups and reasonable processes for carrying out those responsibilities. They ensure that decision-makers have adequate access to relevant information and technology. They establish and maintain open lines of communication among groups and ensure timely flow of information.
Effective school leaders know that a key function of operations management is monitoring work to ensure high quality. They are skilled in establishing and implementing procedures to monitor programs and assess the work of individuals, groups, and the school as a whole. They translate district and state policy into a set of strategies and activities designed to address the specific needs of the site with respect to teaching and learning to high standards. Leaders implement these strategies with a focus on equity and on closing the achievement gap between subgroups of students.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
3.2 Create an Infrastructure to Support an Effective Learning Environment Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates understanding that the school is an organizational system and appreciates the interconnectedness of subsystems (e.g., instruction, assessment, budget, planning) in the organization. She or he ensures that all responsibilities at the site are assigned to individuals and/or groups. She or he carries out program and staff evaluation in compliance with district and state policy.
The administrator conceptualizes and establishes a set of site-based subsystems to enhance teaching and learning at the site. She or he ensures that these systems function as useful tools for planning, implementing, and monitoring school operations. The administrator works with individuals and groups to explain the use of such systems and to involve them in using system feedback (e.g., data, information, experiences) to refine the design and operation of the subsystems.
The school leader establishes and oversees a coherent and aligned set of operational subsystems at the site. She or he works with staff to deepen their understanding of these systems so that individuals and groups are able to exercise leadership in assuring that systems operate to support student learning results. She or he coordinates and facilitates operational planning, implementation, and assessment activities, assuring that relevant data and information are available and incorporated into these processes to improve standards-based teaching and learning at the site.
The school leader demonstrates a deep understanding of organizational and systems theory as evidenced by a set of organizational structures, practices, and policies that complement and enhance each other in support of student learning to high standards. The leader ensures that this infrastructure allows individuals and groups to exercise professional responsibilities effectively and efficiently. She or he incorporates and guides a variety of monitoring and assessment activities that support continuous development and improvement on the part of teachers and students.
Standard 3
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Manage the School as a Learning-Support System
D E S C RI P T I ON One of the many roles of a school administrator is that of an effective and fair manager. Skilled leaders ensure that all components of the site operate smoothly on a day-to-day basis, as well as in larger weekly, monthly, and annual cycles. They attend to the allocation of resources to support all students. Leaders understand that effective site management requires them to be knowledgeable in human resource management, program implementation, planning and decisionmaking, problem solving, and organizational development. In carrying out such functions,
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successful leaders show skill in accessing and utilizing data, as well as in using technology to support their work. They recognize potential problems and opportunities related to school operations and, more specifically, to the core work of teaching and learning. They make sure problems are addressed in a timely and equitable manner.
maximize ownership and accountability by key stakeholders. They model fair decisionmaking and guide individuals and groups to consider equity in their own decision-making. Individually, and in collaboration with others, they work to align and target all school resources — including time, space, facilities, money, and personnel — to support students’ achievement of high standards.
Accomplished leaders undertake all management activities with a focus on the school’s vision and with a commitment to shared responsibility. They engage the broad school community in management activities to
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
3.3
Manage the School as a Learning-Support System
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator oversees and manages the daily and cyclical operations of the school to ensure a continuity of performance. She or he recognizes areas in which management requires strengthening in support of student learning and achievement of important goals. She or he may have begun to seek out opportunities to increase capacity in these areas. She or he ensures that resources are allocated in a timely manner.
The administrator identifies and implements management practices that enhance teaching and learning. She or he works with faculty and community members to create structures for coordinated planning and decision-making. She or he seeks out opportunities to extend management skills and to build shared responsibility for the operation of the school as a learning-support system. She or he ensures that resources are allocated soundly to support teaching and learning.
The school leader develops, implements, and monitors strategies that engage all stakeholders in actively and effectively sharing responsibility for planning, decisionmaking, and problem solving at the site. She or he ensures that appropriate structures (e.g., committees, forums) and timelines are established and implemented to maintain focus on improving standards-based teaching and learning. The leader makes effective and equitable decisions in allocating and aligning resources to facilitate the achievement of all students and subgroups of students.
The school leader demonstrates expertise in linking management strategies to goals of achieving standards in teaching and learning. She or he ensures that short- and long-term cycles of planning and review are coordinated with respect to engaging stakeholders, using relevant data and information technology, and focusing on standards-based goals. The leader ensures that decisions of individuals and groups with responsibility for resource allocation are soundly based on principles of equitable access and opportunity.
Standard 3
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Maintain Legal Integrity
D E S C RI P T I ON As formal organizations, schools are subject to a range of local, state, and federal legal requirements. Districts and individual sites also enter into a range of contractual agreements that require oversight to ensure legal compliance and protection of individual and group rights.
tionally, skilled leaders understand and adhere to conditions specified in contractual agreements with employees of the school district (e.g., teachers’ contracts). They are knowledgeable about the rights of students, including those with special needs, and they serve as advocates in protecting those rights.
Effective school leaders are responsible for ensuring that all of their school’s legal and contractual obligations are met, such as specific expectations and requirements related to funded programs, grants, formal partnerships, and other sources of fiscal and human resources, both basic and supplemental. Addi-
Effective school leaders are also knowledgeable about the state education code, district policy, and all contractual agreements that affect their site. They ensure that all work at the school complies with both the letter and the spirit of such agreements. Accomplished administrators carry out their work with a
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professionalism based, among other things, on principles of fairness and integrity. They convey these principles in their communication and other interactions and establish expectations for high levels of professionalism among members of the staff as well. In settling conflicts and disagreements, they make decisions that address the school’s legal obligations and protect the rights of all involved. In doing so, administrators maintain confidentiality and safeguard the privacy of staff, students, parents, and community members.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
3.4
M a i n ta i n L e ga l I n t e g r i t y
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator is aware of contractual and legal obligations that inform her or his work. She or he responds to situations in which individuals or groups question whether such obligations are being met. The administrator maintains confidentiality in discussing legal matters and ensures the privacy of information for staff, students, parents, and community members.
The administrator exercises responsibility in maintaining accurate knowledge of all contractual and legal obligations affecting the school and in using that knowledge to establish and maintain compliance. She or he works with staff to develop their understanding and commitment to legal responsibilities. The administrator models and communicates expectations regarding issues of confidentiality and privacy of information.
The school leader is actively engaged as a mentor and teacher at the site with respect to legal matters and contractual obligations. Her or his leadership actions demonstrate broad understanding of the range of legal matters that impact the site (e.g., requirements of categorical funding, use of the Internet, child safety and abuse, special education, release of children to an adult). She or he engages others in reflecting on issues of legal integrity and in sharing responsibility for administering contracts and agreements fairly. The leader models professional integrity and encourages others to do the same.
The school leader demonstrates through her or his communication and behavior a deep understanding of legal issues affecting students, teachers, and the school, and a principled commitment to act with integrity. She or he ensures that concepts and practices associated with professional and legal integrity are infused throughout the site. She or he facilitates and supports contract administration to ensure equity as well as fairness, consistent with the purpose of the school and the rights of all members of the school community.
Standard 3
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Standard 4
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
As leaders, school administrators are visible within their school and its broader community. They value and are responsive to the families whose children attend their schools. They regard the community as a resource, and they work to engage the support of individuals, colleges and universities, businesses, civic organizations, and other institutions through collaboration and partnerships. As they work within their school to promote success for all students, they serve a critical linking function between the school and the surrounding community, fostering communication and influence between the two.
4.1 Collaborate to Incorporate the Perspective of Families and Community Members Recognize and respect the goals and aspirations of diverse family and community groups. Treat diverse community stakeholder groups with fairness and respect. Incorporate information about family and community expectations into school decision-making and activities. 4.2 Establish and Manage Linkages Between the Site and the Larger Community Context Strengthen the school through the establishment of community, business, institutional, and civic partnerships. Communicate information about the school on a regular and predictable basis through a variety of media. 4.3 Engage and Coordinate Support From Agencies Outside the School Support the equitable success of all students and all subgroups of students by mobilizing and leveraging community support services.
Standard 4
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Collaborate to Incorporate the Perspective of Families and Community Members D E S C RI P T I ON As public institutions, schools are obligated to educate students living within the school’s assignment area. To do this job effectively and be consistent with democratic principles, educators must build visions, goals, and strategic plans that incorporate the viewpoints of students, their families, and other community members. Good administrators recognize that building strong relationships between the school and its community, including students’ families, requires working with the community to elicit values, beliefs, and ideals that then inform the work of the school. They recognize that the linguistic, cultural, and economic diversity of a community can serve to enrich and strengthen the culture of the school. Accomplished leaders understand that engaging and respecting families and the broader community is valuable in a practical sense and equally so for its role in community-building. They know that from a practical perspective, public engagement creates positive working relationships with stakeholders. They understand that such relationships can provide important information that helps educators better understand their students, which, in turn, promotes more positive and successful interactions with them.
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Skilled administrators realize that engaging families and community members is congruent with the democratic ideals on which our public education system rests. Effective leaders have developed and refined a range of knowledge, skills, and capacities that help them successfully engage the community. Skilled administrators ensure that interactions with students’ parents or guardians occur in a manner that encourages meaningful participation. For example, they ensure that the school develops capacity to communicate orally and in writing with families whose primary language is not English.
Capable administrators demonstrate both the willingness and the skill to communicate on a regular and predictable basis, and they incorporate a variety of media and modes of communication for doing so. For example, they ensure that information is distributed in more than one language, and they employ a range of textual and visual media, such as monthly newsletters, weekly parent letters, Web sites, and/or videos. They incorporate phone messages and other direct forms of communication (e.g., parent conferences, home visits) as needed to ensure that the school stays connected to all parents
and guardians. They remain aware of changing demographics in their school neighborhoods (e.g., an increase in the number of families with two working parents) and adjust their communication strategies accordingly (e.g., schedule a mix of day and evening meetings). They help teachers communicate positively with families and help families understand how to support their children’s learning. In their own direct dealings with family and community members, site leaders model respect, and they set expectations for others to do the same. In their written communications with parents and others in the community, accomplished leaders invite feedback and questions and make it clear how individuals and groups can contact the school. During activities related to setting a vision of standards-based education, discussing a new direction, developing a strategic plan, and other similar goal-oriented activities, leaders provide multiple opportunities for families and community members to share their priorities and opinions. Leaders plan and produce community forums as needed. At such gatherings, they facilitate discussion consistent with principles of democratic participation, clarifying roles and ground rules, and keeping participants focused on the goals at hand.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
4 .1 C o l l a b o r a t e t o I n c o r p o r a t e t h e P e r s p e c t i v e o f Fa m i l i e s and Community Members Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates understanding of the importance of incorporating the perspectives of families and community members into the life of the school. She or he identifies existing gaps in ways that the school is handling this and communicates with staff the need to address these gaps. She or he is able to assess her or his strengths and limitations in public engagement and to identify areas for improving professional capacity in this arena.
The administrator works with staff to prioritize and address needs concerning the incorporation of perspectives of families and community members. She or he guides staff in identifying specific site activities and groups (e.g., planning, implementation, oversight groups) that would benefit from such involvement; she or he develops, implements, and assesses strategic plans for including family and community perspectives.
The school leader establishes and implements a range of strategies whereby family and community perspectives are sought and considered as an integral part of planning and reviewing site goals, results, and operations. The leader ensures that avenues for providing input are available to families and community members, including those whose primary language is not English. The leader facilitates meetings and forums, and guides others to do so, in a democratic manner that welcomes and treats fairly the input of all participants.
The school leader demonstrates a highly refined and effective set of skills for eliciting and incorporating the perspectives of families and community members. She or he actively engages these stakeholders in the ongoing cycles of planning, implementation, assessment, and refinement that occur at the site. She or he ensures that engagement strategies are democratic, valuing input from all stakeholders, and that the larger community remains focused on goals that reflect principles of equity and of all students achieving high levels of academic standards.
Standard 4
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Establish and Manage Linkages between the Site and the Larger Community Context
D E S C RI P T I ON Schools are clearly linked to district, state, and national education systems by virtue of legislation, regulations, funding, and other ties. Yet each operates in its own unique context that is influenced by a host of other factors. Among those factors are local families, community members, and businesses, as well as professional organizations and associations, public and private institutions of higher education, regional and national reform networks, and other institutions that concern themselves with K–12 education or other aspects of children's lives. Skilled school administrators ensure that their schools are appropriately linked to their
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communities and to other organizations and institutions within this larger context. Effective site leaders seek out and pursue opportunities to establish partnerships at the local, regional, and broader levels. They are knowledgeable about ways in which partnerships with business, institutions of higher education, and civic associations, as well as network relationships with similar schools, can generate opportunities to advance the work of the school. In considering such affiliations, effective site leaders demonstrate deep understanding both of the strengths and needs of
their sites and of the potential benefits and obligations that a partnership might yield. They distribute leadership to teachers by encouraging them to take active roles in such partnerships and networks, providing them with opportunities for expanded professional roles and for extending their professional knowledge.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
4.2
E s ta b l i s h a n d M a n a g e L i n k a g e s b e t w e e n t h e S i t e and the Larger Community Context
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator is aware of the importance of establishing connections between the school and the community. She or he establishes at least one regular strategy for disseminating information to parents and community members. Partnerships between the school and other institutions may exist at a preliminary level of engagement.
The administrator works with staff and with district leaders to identify needed connections between the site and the larger context in which it operates. She or he develops, implements, and monitors strategies to create such linkages. The administrator works with district, site, and community leaders to identify opportunities for establishing partnerships that will contribute to achieving the goals of the school.
The school leader maintains and assesses an established set of strategies for communicating about the school and about student results with stakeholders in the community. She or he participates in networking and exploratory dialogue with potential partners, identifies promising opportunities, and works with staff to establish and implement partnership activities.
The school leader creates an innovative and effective set of strategies to communicate regularly about the school with all families and other community members. She or he demonstrates a deep understanding of how partnerships and networking relationships benefit the school. This is evidenced by strategic choices that are implemented, with adequate support, to enhance the professional learning of teachers and the academic and social development of students.
Standard 4
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Engage and Coordinate Support from Agencies outside the School
D E S C RI P T I ON Schools are able to serve students more effectively when other agencies in the community support their efforts. Such agencies include those directly concerned with children’s safety and well-being (e.g., before-school programs, companion programs like Big Brothers/Big Sisters), those providing family support (e.g., food banks, job counseling centers), and those directly supporting student performance (e.g., tutoring and academic mentoring programs). Skillful administrators recognize that students and their families may experience physical, social, emotional, economic, or other conditions that challenge students’ learning. They are knowledgeable about the needs of their students and able to identify situations that require intervention to ensure student success in school. Effective leaders know what resources are available in their local community. For example, they are knowledgeable about agencies that offer medical and mental
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health assistance to families without health insurance, resources for families in crisis, and philanthropic groups that can be approached with special requests. Site leaders build professional relationships with such organizations, as well as with individuals in the community who take special interest in students’ welfare. They are resourceful in engaging their professional networks to seek out and broker effective responses to challenging circumstances in the lives of the children who attend their school. Leaders work with their staff to make resources accessible to families and students. They understand that this may take the form of integrating community services with school programs, making information about community resources available to families, and/ or working with agencies to bring specific services on the school site. In doing so, effective leaders ensure compliance with the state
education code and with district policy so that the privacy of students and families is maintained. Accomplished leaders are well-informed about child and adolescent development, and they help teachers and other staff members deepen their own understanding of the developmental needs of students who attend their school. They ensure that when faced with situations in which students are not progressing satisfactorily, the school’s professional staff consider every available avenue and resource (e.g., academic, social, medical, mental health) to support student learning.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
4 . 3 E n gage a nd C o o r dinat e S up p or t f rom Agencies Ou t side t he School Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates awareness of the needs of families and students. She or he identifies areas in which students would benefit from community support services and provides appropriate information to families.
The administrator works with staff to assess the needs of families and students. Based on site needs, the administrator establishes connections between the school and community support agencies. She or he supports families and students in accessing needed services.
The school leader creates and maintains linkages between the school and a range of community service agencies. She or he ensures that families have knowledge about, and access to, a range of services that support their children’s physical, emotional, academic, and social development. She or he supports staff in deepening their understanding of child and adolescent development and applying this understanding in their work with students and their families.
The school leader serves as an advocate for students and their families by actively engaging the participation and support of community service agencies in the school. She or he shapes a culture in which advocacy for students and their families is considered central to the work of the school, thereby assuring that adults in the school take an active role in connecting families with appropriate outside support.
Standard 4
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Standard 5
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by modeling a personal code of ethics and developing professional leadership capacity.
School administrators serve as models of professionalism at their site and in their community and district. Their work is informed by a set of ethical and moral principles. They inspire and encourage others by demonstrating their commitment to lifelong professional learning. They develop, sustain, and apply cutting-edge professional knowledge in making decisions and in working with the adults and children at their school.
5.1 Maintain Ethical Standards of Professionalism Model personal and professional ethics, integrity, justice, and fairness and expect the same behavior from others. Protect the rights and confidentiality of students and staff. Use the influence of the office to enhance the education program, not personal gain. 5.2 Guide Sound Courses of Action Using Pertinent, State-of-the-Art Methods Make and communicate decisions based upon relevant data and research about effective teaching and learning, leadership, management practices, and equity. Demonstrate knowledge of the standards-based curriculum and the ability to integrate and articulate programs throughout the grades.
Standard 5
Demonstrate skills in decisionmaking, problem solving, change management, planning, conflict management, and evaluation. 5.3 Model Reflective Practice and Continuous Growth Reflect on personal leadership practices and recognize their impact and influence on the performance of others. Engage in professional and personal development. 5.4 Sustain Professional Commitment and Effort Encourage and inspire others to higher levels of performance, commitment, and motivation. Sustain personal motivation, commitment, energy, and health by balancing professional and personal responsibilities.
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Maintain Ethical Standards of Professionalism
D E S CRI P T I ON As a member of the education profession and as the acknowledged leader of the school site, the administrator is obligated to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in dealing with students, staff, families, and the broader community. Capable administrators enter the profession with an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that apply to them and to those with whom they work. Accomplished leaders consider it their obligation to model professionalism in their interactions and decisions and they expect the same of others. Thus, they base their actions on a strong foundation of ethical principles, including the commitment to carry out their work with integrity, fairness, and justice. They are knowledgeable about the purposes of education in modern society and are committed to supporting every student’s right to a quality education. Such leaders recognize that education opens the door for
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students to fully participate as members of a democratic society, and they see it as their role to ensure that all students meet or exceed standards. Skillful leaders ensure that operating procedures in the school are designed not only to ensure student learning but to protect the confidentiality and other rights of students, families, and staff. They ensure that all staff members are knowledgeable about these rights and about expectations for maintaining confidentiality. They intervene appropriately in all instances that represent a breach of rights. In doing so, they treat all people fairly, equitably, and with dignity and respect.
their families. In doing so, they model for others the principle that the well-being of the community supersedes the interests of any one community member. Effective leaders use their personal and professional ethics as a foundation for communicating the rationale for their actions, and they understand that their actions will have consequences for themselves and for the school community.
Effective administrators are aware of the authority of their office and are sensitive to the potential for its misuse. They use the influence of their office constructively and productively in the service of students and
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
5 .1
M a i n ta i n E t h i c a l S ta n d a r d s o f P ro f e s s i o n a l i s m
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates knowledge of and compliance with ethical standards and professional expectations that apply to her or his work. She or he is aware of the rights of all students, families, and staff and acts to protect these rights.
The administrator consistently applies and models principles of ethical and professional behavior in carrying out her or his role. She or he works with staff to articulate a shared understanding of the rights of all students and their families and to incorporate this understanding into individual and collective practices.
The school leader articulates and communicates a set of professional values that is aligned with ethical concepts of fairness, justice, and service. She or he guides staff to examine policy and practice with respect to the desired outcome of providing all students with a quality education. She or he facilitates and supports decisions and courses of action that embody principles of high ethical and professional standards.
The school leader practices leadership from a base of personal and professional ethics that place the good of students, families, and staff ahead of personal interests. Her or his words and actions demonstrate the highest level of commitment to promoting the right of every student to a quality education and assuring that the school provides all students equal access to standards-based education. The leader influences the professional culture of the school to infuse the values of fairness, justice, service, and integrity among all adults.
Standard 5
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Guide Sound Courses of Action Using Pertinent, State-of-the-Art Methods
D E S C RI P T I ON Effective administrators rely on relevant and up-to-date information when making decisions about improving student results in a standards-based system. Using quality data, they make decisions, solve problems, manage change, plan, resolve conflict, and evaluate programs, practices, and people. Skilled leaders are competent in all of these areas. They use effective processes in taking action for which they are directly and solely responsible, as well as in helping other individuals and groups determine appropriate courses of action. In making decisions that will affect teaching and learning, high-performing administrators use data about the students and information about effective practices that directly relate to student standards and school goals. They
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ensure the availability of pertinent information about student performance, including, but not limited to, performance on standardized tests. They also make sure such information is accessible and is used appropriately and fairly in making decisions that support all students.
performance data and state-of-the-art information about standards-based teaching. They approach decisions about student learning results, school structure, the instructional program, and allocation of resources by seeking out and utilizing information and technology that is pertinent to attainment of the school’s vision.
Effective leaders know the curriculum at their school and skillfully support teachers to integrate content standards across the grades. They ensure that they and their teachers are current in their knowledge of relevant research and theory and on best practices, and that they use this knowledge to make sound decisions about helping students achieve standards. Effective administrators establish expectations for teachers by modeling the use of student
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
5.2 Guide Sound Courses of Action Using Pertinent, State-of-the-Art Methods Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates a fundamental understanding of decision-making processes and of the need to base decisions on pertinent information. She or he communicates to teachers the importance of using student data and other relevant information to inform practice. She or he identifies areas in which decisions and/or practice may not reflect relevant and/or current information.
The administrator engages teachers in regularly examining student data and using the information as the basis for decisions about classroom practice. She or he demonstrates the use of student data and other information in site decisions. She or he encourages and supports teachers in staying abreast of current information about teaching and learning.
The school leader ensures that the professional culture of the school reflects a commitment to the use of student data on an ongoing basis. She or he guides decision-making activities so that they reflect responsible and appropriate uses of data and other information. She or he works with staff to refine individual and collective capacity to use state-of-the-art information and technology about standards-based teaching and learning in its work.
The school leader is highly skilled in modeling and guiding the use of relevant information, including disaggregated student data throughout the cycles of planning, implementing, evaluating, and refining programs that occur in the school. She or he highly values the use of state-of-the-art technology and knowledge derived from research, theory, and best practices. The leader ensures that the school consistently accesses and incorporates such knowledge in its work.
Standard 5
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Model Reflective Practice and Continuous Growth
D E S C RI P T I ON Because the knowledge base for teaching and learning is continually evolving, and because standards-based practice continues to develop over time, effective administrators reflect upon their own work, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and establish goals for professional growth that demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement. For example, leaders establish targets for improvement in content and pedagogical knowledge, skills in leadership and technology use, and enhanced resource development. Accomplished leaders demonstrate their understanding that time for reflection is not a luxury but, rather, a requirement for skillful practice. Accomplished leaders understand that how they carry out their professional obligations and responsibilities affects the entire school
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community. They reflect regularly on their work and its impact on others in order to provide mindful, deliberate, and effective leadership. Effective administrators review their performance on a regular basis (daily, weekly, monthly, and annually), considering how their actions affect others and influence progress toward the goal of all students achieving the standards. They examine the extent to which their actions demonstrate their professional ethics and integrity. They consider whether they have acted justly and equitably, in the service of all students. They use this information to inform future action. Accomplished leaders know that this process ensures that their leadership and actions are aligned with their professional purpose and that their practice continues to evolve.
To support continuous improvement at their site, effective administrators act as the lead learners in their school communities. They seek out and engage in regular opportunities for professional and personal development. They participate in a range of development opportunities that directly relate to strengthening leadership in a standards-based system. Leaders communicate to their staff the importance of continuous learning and model what it looks like by engaging in the development of their own skills, knowledge, and character.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
5.3
Model Reflective Practice and Continuous Growth
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates commitment to professional growth by regular participation in activities such as conferences, professional development opportunities, and professional reading.
The administrator demonstrates the ability and willingness to examine her or his practice, identify needed areas of development, and engage in appropriate learning opportunities in support of identified goals for growth.
The school leader models principles of reflective practice and continuous growth by acting as the principal learner in the school community. She or he engages in a variety of strategies to extend and develop his/ her relevant professional knowledge and personal development. She or he demonstrates ways of integrating professional and personal growth into her or his daily practice.
The school leader models reflection and continuous growth by publicly disclosing and sharing her or his learning process and its relationship to organizational improvement. She or he uses personal and professional experiences as well as more formal learning opportunities as the basis for ongoing reflection and development. The leader actively integrates these opportunities and/or their results into the professional environment of the school to shape a culture that values reflection, inquiry, and continuous individual and organizational learning.
Standard 5
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Sustain Professional Commitment and Effort
D E S C RI P T I ON Experienced administrators understand that the work of teaching and learning is intellectually, emotionally, and physically demanding. They sustain their own high level of professional commitment and help others do the same.
Leaders consider their physical and emotional energy as important resources. They are thoughtful about how they allocate these resources and take care to replenish them as needed. They honor both their personal and professional responsibilities.
Effective administrators know their strengths and their areas of vulnerability with respect to energy, health, and emotional well-being. They identify their physical, social, and psychological needs and find ways to achieve balance between their professional and personal lives.
Effective administrators inspire others by their words and deeds, support them in maintaining a strong sense of professional purpose, and involve them in championing each other’s work. As skilled team builders, administrators help develop the capacity of all staff
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members to support and nurture the individual and collective motivation of colleagues. They develop and sustain professional cultures in which excellence and commitment are valued norms and in which individuals consider their professional obligations to include supporting others to be the best educators possible.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
5.4
S u s ta i n P ro f e s s i o n a l C o m m i t m e n t a n d E f fo r t
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates commitment to her or his school and its community. She or he is aware of areas in which the professional community in the school might increase commitment and effort to benefit student learning. She or he encourages others in their performance.
The administrator recognizes the need to nurture the commitment of individuals at the site in support of the common agenda. She or he identifies strategies to assist and support members of the school community in prioritizing commitments and focusing efforts toward student learning. She or he facilitates colleagues in seeking an effective balance between work and personal life.
The school leader demonstrates the effective use of multiple strategies to increase commitment and effort among all staff. She or he facilitates staff in regularly clarifying priorities in relationship to educational purpose. She or he employs a range of substantive and symbolic actions to inspire staff.
The school leader acts as a model of commitment and effort by demonstrating an active balance in her or his work and personal life that allows her or him to sustain focused purpose and a high level of professional performance. By her or his example and efforts, including substantive and symbolic strategies, she or he ensures the staff’s collective capacity to inspire each other to high levels of effort.
Standard 5
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Standard 6
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
School administrators are committed to the democratic principles underlying American public school systems. They actively engage with and work to shape education policy so it reflects a commitment to equity for the diverse communities of learners in their site, district, and state. They participate in ongoing dialogue and processes with a range of stakeholders and policymakers to identify, influence, and respond to issues, trends, and potential changes in the operating environments of schools.
6.1 Engage With the Policy Environment to Support School Success Work with the governing board and district and local leaders to influence policies that benefit students and support the improvement of teaching and learning. Influence and support public policies that ensure the equitable distribution of resources and support for all subgroups of students. Ensure that the school operates consistently within the parameters of federal, state, and local laws, policies, regulations, and statutory requirements. 6.2 Interact With Stakeholders Generate support for the school by two-way communication with key decision-makers in the school community. Collect and report accurate records of school performance. View oneself as a leader of a team and also as a member of a larger team. 6.3 Incorporate Input From the Public Open the school to the public and welcome and facilitate constructive conversations about how to improve student learning and achievement.
Standard 6
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Engage with the Policy Environment to Support School Success
D E S C RI P T I ON Effective administrators are aware of the important role policy plays in shaping the learning experiences of students. As part of their professional responsibilities, they take an active role in shaping policy to support all students in achieving to high levels. Successful administrators understand the role of public education in developing and renewing a democratic society. These leaders realize that their schools are part of larger district, state, and federal contexts, and they are attuned to the ways in which and degrees to which these contexts serve as supportive environments promoting the success of all students. They understand how political, social, and economic systems and processes impact schools, particularly the ways in which they support or challenge the goals of excellence and equity. They ensure that their schools operate consistently within legal parameters at all levels of the system.
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Accomplished administrators understand and are knowledgeable about the principles and structures of governance that direct the policies of their school districts. They are aware of the roles various groups and individuals play in setting and implementing policy, and of conflicts and tensions that may exist between individuals, subgroups, and factions. They consider it their responsibility to take an active role in influencing policy within the broader context. They seek out opportunities to participate formally in the policy arena, and they use their personal and professional influence to shape the ideas of other leaders in the service of all school children and their families.
making sound policy. In doing so, they ensure that school policies will benefit students by supporting improved teaching and learning consistent with standards-based education. They concern themselves with how policy affects resource distribution and are committed to equitable distribution of resources and adequate support for all subgroups of students.
Skillful administrators participate as a team member and draw upon the knowledge and experiences of others, as well as on their own knowledge of change models and conflict resolution to support the school system in
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
6 .1 E n g a g e w i t h t h e P o l i c y E n v i r o n m e n t t o S u p p o r t S c h o o l S u c c e s s Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator realizes that district, state, and federal policy impacts her or his site and students. She or he ensures compliance with policy and participates in local discussions about district policy and site practices.
The administrator actively seeks policy information relevant to her or his site from a variety of sources. She or he anticipates the effects of policy proposals for students and families in her or his community, participates in forums to provide information to policymakers, and encourages the participation of other stakeholders.
The school leader considers influencing policy as an integral part of her or his work as an educator. She or he maintains up-to-date knowledge and understanding of policy development, particularly at the state and local levels, and uses this knowledge proactively to further important education goals for the site and district. She or he seeks out opportunities and actively engages in a variety of forums to influence policy in the interests of all children.
The school leader maintains an up-to-date familiarity with education policy and takes a proactive stance as an advocate for all students. She or he is a skilled analyst of policy at local, regional, and national levels, particularly with respect to the effects of these policies on the opportunities and success of students at her or his site. She or he demonstrates understanding of local and state policymaking and successfully applies this knowledge to influence and shape policy that will support the achievement of key education goals. She or he demonstrates leadership among professional colleagues and in the larger community by facilitating dialogue on policy that furthers the pursuit of student achievement, equity, and educational excellence.
Standard 6
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Interact With Stakeholders
D E S C RI P T I ON Knowledgeable leaders ensure that consistent, two-way communication exists between the school and its community stakeholders — including families, leaders in local businesses, and other legal, political, social, and cultural organizations. Experienced administrators know that schools are public institutions with an obligation to involve stakeholders and share appropriate information with them. They understand that a school’s stakeholders include not only the families whose children attend the school, but also local business and civic leaders and other individuals and groups. These stakeholders share an interest in the quality of the school’s program and they can help shape a positive perception of the school.
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Successful school leaders build relationships with stakeholders as a means of developing and sustaining their support for the school. They focus on developing informed and trusting relationships built on honest communication. They make sure stakeholders have access to them and understand that community input is valuable.
school’s performance in serving its students. They work with others at the site and the district to develop and implement additional means of conveying school performance to the public. They focus on and communicate multiple assessment results within the framework of standards-based education and school and district goals.
The skilled administrator recognizes that public support depends on the public having a clear understanding of the needs of children, their current performance, and agreement on learning goals. While some information about the school may be reported to the public by the state, experienced administrators realize that standardized test scores alone do not authentically and accurately represent the
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
6.2
I n t e r a c t w i t h S ta k e h o l d e rs
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator demonstrates understanding of the importance of communicating with stakeholders in the community. She or he makes information available as required within the parameters of district policies and expectations. She or he responds appropriately to specific requests for information.
The administrator establishes and implements regular means of communicating some information about the site with stakeholders. She or he identifies areas in which to strengthen communication with stakeholders and takes positive action in these directions.
The school leader effectively anticipates the needs of constituents to be informed about site issues and information. She or he provides stakeholders with timely, useful, understandable information related to site issues, policies, and practices, including data about school and student performance. She or he uses interactions with stakeholders as opportunities to listen and inform, thereby building positive and open relationships.
The school leader demonstrates commitment and skills in engaging and communicating with stakeholders. She or he builds and sustains support for the school by developing and nurturing ongoing trusting relationships with individuals and groups. She or he ensures that a range of accurate information about the school and its performance is clearly and effectively communicated through multiple media and channels.
Standard 6
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Incorporate Input From the Public
D E S C RI P T I ON Experienced leaders know that public schools belong to the public, and they work with and welcome their public into their school. They are confident and comfortable in communicating with the public about the school and are skilled in providing clear, accurate, understandable information. Leaders welcome evaluation and critique from the public, and they use that information to improve the school. They survey not only the families whose children attend the school but members of the broader public as appropriate.
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Effective school leaders seek opportunities to engage members of the public in forums, meetings, and formal committee activities that support the goals of the school. They engage the public in special events at the school, such as open houses and student presentations. When learning activities take students into the community (e.g., in doing service work, carrying out projects, visiting businesses to learn about jobs), these leaders invite feedback. Skilled leaders manage the school’s facilities and grounds in ways that support the education goals of students and the education
growth of community members. To encourage public involvement, when appropriate and feasible, they encourage community groups to use space at the school for meetings and other events. Effective administrators facilitate constructive conversations with the public, drawing upon the public’s interest in the school to focus dialogue on student learning. Experienced administrators are relentless advocates for their students, for their school, and for public education.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice
6.3
Incorpor at e Input From t he Public
Practice that is directed toward the standard
Practice that approaches the standard
Practice that meets the standard
Practice that exemplifies the standard
The administrator is aware of the importance of public opinion and accepts input from the public when it is offered. She or he engages the public in the events of the school so as to maintain a positive image. She or he may identify areas in which public engagement requires strengthening.
The administrator establishes opportunities for public input into school issues. She or he recognizes the challenges of positive public engagement across a range of interests and strategizes with others to improve relationships between the school and the public.
The school leader encourages input from the public by facilitating access to key meetings and forums. She or he demonstrates the ability to acknowledge, manage, and respond professionally to public input in the interest of the school’s children and achieving school goals.
The school leader views herself or himself as both an advocate for the school and a steward of a public institution. She or he ensures that the school remains open to public scrutiny by actively seeking out public involvement in a broad range of school events. She or he uses public input to shape strategic engagement and dialogue that strengthen public support for the mission and vision of the school.
Standard 6
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