The report identified 21 leadeship responsibilities along associated practices from surveys of 650+ principals from across the nation.
| Responsibilities |
Associated Practices |
| Affirmation |
- Systematically and fairly recognizes and celebrates accomplishments of teachers and staff
- Systematically and fairly recognizes and celebrates accomplishments of students
- Systematically and fairly acknowledges failures and celebrates accomplishments of the school
|
| Change Agent |
- Consciousily challenges the status quo
- Is comfortable leading change initiatives with uncertain outcomes
- Systematically considers new and better ways of doing things
|
| Communication |
- Is easily accessible to teachers and staff
- Develops effective means for teachers and staff to communicate with one another
- Maintains open and effective lines of communication with teachers and staff
|
| Contingent Rewards |
- Recognizes individuals who excel
- Uses performance vs. seniority as the primary criterion for reward and achievement
- Uses hard work and results as the basis for reward and recognition
|
| Culture |
- Promotes cooperation among teachers and staff
- Promotes a sense of well-being
- Promotes cohesion among teachers and staff
- Develops an understaning of purpose
- Develops a shared vision of what the school could be like
|
| Curriculum, instruction, assessment |
- Is involved with teachers in designing curricular activities and addressing instructional issues in their classrooms
- Is involved with teachers to address assessment issues
|
| Discipline |
- Protects instructional time from disruptions
- Proects/shelters teachers from distractions
|
| Flexibility |
- Is comfortable with major changes in how things are done
- Encourage people to express opinions that may be contray to those held by individuals in positions of authority
- Adapts leadership style to needs
|
| Focus |
- Establishes high, concrete goals and the expectation that all students will meet them
- Establishes high, concrete goals for all curricula, instruction and assessment
- Establishes high, concrete goals for the general functioning of the school
- Keeps everyone's attention focused on established goals
|
| Ideas/Beliefs |
- Holds strong professional ideas and beliefs about schooling, teaching and learning
- Shares ideals and beliefs about schooling, teaching and leraning with teachers, staff, and parents
- Demonstrates behaviors that are consistent with ideals and beliefs
|
| Input |
- Provides opportunities for input from teachers and staff on all important decisions
- Provides opportunities for input for teachers and staff to be involved in policy deveolopment
- Involves the school leadership team in decision making
|
| Intellectual Stimulation |
- Stays informed about current research and theory regarding effective schooling
- Continually exposes teachers and staff to cutting edge ideas about how to be effective
- Ststematically engages teachers and staff in discussions about research and theory
- Continually involves teachers and staff in reading articles and books about effective practice
|
| Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, assessment |
- Is knowledgeable about curriculum and instructional practices
- Is knowledgeable about assessment practices
- Provides conceptual guidelines for teachers regarding effective classroom practice
|
| Monitors/Evaluates |
- Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of curriculum
- Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of instruction
- Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of assessment
|
| Optimizer |
- Inspires teachers and staff to accomplish thing that seem beyond their grasp
- Portrays a positive attitude about the ability of teachers and staff to accomplish substanial things
- Is a driving force behind major inititiatives
|
| Order |
- Provides and enforces clear structures, rules, and procedures for teachers, staff and students
- Establishes routines regarding the running of the school that teachers and staff understand and follow
|
| Outreach |
- Ensures that the school is in compliance with district and state mandates
- Advocates on behalf of the school in the community
- Interacts with parents in ways that enhance their support of their school
- Ensures that the central office is aware of the school's accomplishments
|
| Relationship |
- Remains aware of the personal needs of teachers and staff
- Maintains personal relationships with teachers abd staff
- Is informed about significant personal issues in the lives of teachers and staff
- Acknowledges significant events in the lives of the teachers and staff
|
| Resources |
- Ensures that teachers and staff have necessary materials and equipment
- Enusres that teachers have necessary professional development opportunities that directly enhance their teaching
|
| Situational Awareness |
- Is aware of informal groups and relationships among teachers and staff
- Is aware of issues in the school that have not surfaced but could create discord
- Can predict what could go wrong from day to day
|
| Visibility |
- Makes systematic and frequent visits to classrooms
- Is highly visible around the school
- Has frequent contact with students
|
In 2005-06, site administrators and Educational Services administrators particpated in a professional development series entitled: Improving Student Achievement through Teacher Observation and Feedback - Year One. This year with the help of Ed Porter from Noli-Porter Associates an exmaination and inquiry into good teaching, rigorous instruction, equity and excellence through use of classroom walkthoughs ahs been occurring. The primary purpose is to develop a climate for and hone site administrators' observation skills and to provide relevant, thoughtful and refelctive feedback to teacher to maximize instruction. The role of the site administrator shifts from inspector to coach during these informal walkthroughs.
