Design Principles Principal Preparation

1
Design Principles Principal Preparation

• Christopher Mazzeo
• National Governors Association
• Frances Groff
• National Conference of State Legislatures

2
What Research Teaches us About the Principalship

• The job is not currently designed to be about
  teaching and learning
• Middle managers
• Loose coupling
• Administrative not instructional expertise
• The job as currently designed is impossible
• Do everything mentality
• Standards for principals dont necessarily solve
  this problem

3
The Role of the Principal in Standards-based
Reform

• The job of administrative leaders in primarily
  about enhancing the skills and knowledge of the
  people in the organization, creating a common
  culture of expectations around the use of those
  skills and knowledge, holding the various pieces
  of the organization together in a productive
  relationship with each other, and holding
  individuals accountable for their contributions
  to the collective results Richard Elmore (2000)

4
Principal as Buffer

• Protect teachers from the outside environment
• politics, policy, external bureaucracy
• Manage time and work efficiently
• keep a keen focus on instructional improvement

5
Principal as Hub

• Embrace the environment
• bring into the school ideas and individuals that
  can improve teaching
• sort through what works and what doesnt
• cultivate parent and community resources that
  support instructional improvement
• Distribute leadership widely
• understand the strengths of others
• know your own limitations

6
Principal as Instructional Leader

• Supervise classroom instruction
• formal (observations, counseling out ineffective
  teachers)
• Build professional community
• create a culture continuous improvement
• demand collaboration and open classroom practice
• lead and support teacher study groups

7

• Build teacher knowledge and skills
• provide professional development in context
• Sculpt the organization
• create time for teachers to work together
• Scheduling and programming
• use resources (money, time) to support
  instructional improvement
• attack incoherence (Sebring Bryk, 2000)

8
Excellent Preparation Programs...

• Select candidates with the potential to lead
  instructional improvement
• Teach candidates the knowledge and skills
  necessary to do this
• give students opportunities to practice
• Develop strong linkages with districts
• think of what they do as workforce development
• connect preparation to district-wide reform
  efforts
• Build curriculum and instruction around problems
  of practice

9
How Can States Get There?

• A guiding principle
• The role of policy is to create incentives for
  universities and other programs to develop school
  leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary
  to be successful at leading instructional
  improvement
• recognize the system was not designed to do this
• resist searching for heroes

10
Potential Leverage Points

• Program Accreditation
• What institutions are allowed to prepare new
  principals?
• What standards will govern state approval?
• What will happen to programs that meet standards?
  
• Candidate licensure
• What skills and knowledge are required for school
  leaders?
• Will these expectations be linked to program
  accreditation requirements?

11
(No Transcript)
12
Preparation Programs

• Effective leadership training programs not only
  provide management training which include
• Budgeting
• Facilities and organizational management
• Curriculum development and assessment
• Technology
• Collective bargaining
• Personnel evaluation

13
Preparation Programs

• But also provide leadership training which
  includes developing skills in
• Decision-making which encourages innovation
• Problem solving and conflict resolution
• Team-building and delegation
• Self-Assessment

14
Examples of States improving programs Mississippi

• Created the School Executive Management Institute
  (SEMI) in the early 1980s to offer school
  leadership training at three levels
• Entry-level training offers an orientation to
  primary roles
• Career-level training develops conceptual,
  technical, and human relations skills
• Auxiliary programs offer on-going training to
  keep school leaders current on evolving trends in
  schools

15
Mississippi

• SEMI was created with an initial appropriation of
  850,000. Funding for the program has changed
  over the years but continues, 595,000 was spent
  in 1996.
• SEMI programs are offered regionally and in
  individual districts by DOE staff, current and
  former administrators, former school board
  members, and university staff.

16
Mississippi

• Administrators must complete
• Orientation during their first year.
• 50 hours of training every five years.
• School Board members must complete
• 12 hours of training during the first six months
  of their term.
• 6 hours every year thereafter.

17
North Carolina

• Training is offered by
• Regional Universities
• Eight regional universities offer programs based
  on the needs in their area.
• Each program receives annual appropriation of
  150,000

18
North Carolina

• Principals Executive Program (PEP)
• 25-day residential leadership program scheduled
  over a four-month period
• Nine sessions per year
• Five for principals and superintendents
• Four for assistant principals
• 1.2 million appropriation in 1994
• 9.9 appropriated in 1997 for a separate facility

19
North Carolina

• State Department of Public Instruction in
  conjunction with local businesses
• Practicing school administrators join business
  managers for corporate management training which
  includes
• Negotiation
• Problem-Solving
• Participatory Management
• Facilitative Management
• Team Building

20
Licensure

• All states except Michigan require principals and
  school administrators to be licensed.
• Most based on number of credit hours completed
  in an approved program
• Most require principal candidates to have teacher
  certification and classroom experience.

21
Licensure

• Requirements vary but most rely oninputs rather
  than performance
• Years of experience as a licensed educator
• Hours completed in a preparation training program
  for initial licensure
• Hours of professional development necessary for
  renewal
• Hours completed in training in endorsement areas.
• Successful completion of state examination

22
State ExamplesDelaware

• Educator Accountability Act adopted in 2000
• Provisional License dependent on completing an
  induction process
• Earning a Certificate of Proficiency in
  performance appraisal
• Participating in a mentoring program
• Being evaluated under the Delaware Administrator
  Standards.

23
Delaware

• Continuing license is issued upon completion of
  induction.
• 90 hours of continuing professional development
  every 5 years required for renewal
• Advanced (10-year) license available upon
  continued PD focused on school improvement.

24
Maryland

• Initial certification principal certification
  based on passing the SLLA.
• Certification is valid for five years.
• Renewal based on development of Individualized
  Professional Development Plan (IDPD) with school
  district by third year as principal.
• Failure to do so results in loss of
  certification.

25
States looking at Alternative RoutesNew Jersey

• Leadership candidate with masters degree or
  equivalent in recognized field of management can
  receive provisional license.
• Candidate must be hired by a school system.
• Permanent license depends on
• Completion of the Principal Residency Program
  under a state-approved mentor
• Passing state test.

26
Texas

• Any candidate possessing a Masters from an
  accredited institution and demonstrated
  experience in either teaching or management is
  eligible.
• Universities and preparation programs are held
  accountable for developing candidates who can
  perform according to the ExCET assessment.

27
Texas

• Preparation entities must provided candidates
  with structured, field-based experiences at
  diverse school settings.
• Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in each
  of the state standards.
• Principals must complete one year induction
  process.

28
What States Can Do

• Enlist the help of local school districts in
  identifying teachers and other qualified staff
  who demonstrate leadership qualities and a
  knowledge of curriculum and instruction to create
  leadership opportunities.
• Develop statewide standards specifically for
  education leaders.

29
What States Can Do

• Tie certification to performance.
• Change the university-based school leadership
  preparation programs
• Offer alternatives to traditional university
  school leadership programs
• Tie certification renewal to participation in
  continuing professional development aligned to
  school improvement.