My Competency Reflections by Deonica Harris Domain 1: School Community Leadership

Competency 001: The principal knows how to shape campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.

I learned that not only creating a campus culture, but articulating the vision in which to do so requires a great amount of detail. During this internship, I acquired a wealth of knowledge necessary to carry forth a vision by shadowing my principal and analyzing his process of facilitating support. Also having worked under previous administrators, I was able to compare communities in which a vision of learning was consistently shared and supported by all stakeholders to one that was not. My supervisor was systematic in his efforts of shaping the campus vision. He often met with each grade level to hear their voices about pressing concerns. He also facilitated a climate which allowed parents/caregivers to volunteer around campus or visit during breakfast and lunch to simply eat with their student. Whenever possible, he would allow the faculty and staff to submit their ideas regarding scheduling, time constraints, and curriculum needs. Most of all he valued teachers efforts towards upholding the vision and its interwoven discipline system by rewarding them with small meaningful tokens of appreciation. One of his most utilized phrases, Expect Excellence, is the schools motto. He has seamlessly woven it into every aspect of the school community.
Competency 002: The principal knows how to communicate and collaborate with all members of the school community, respond to diverse interests and needs, and mobilize resources to promote student success.

My campus did not offer an after school tutorial program. Since I was new to both the district and the building, I was a bit shocked to learn that such did not exist on any of the elementary campuses district wide. As the state mandated testing drew near, it became imminent that our students needed help. In an effort to work with those students who could clearly

benefit from a little extra time, I employed the help of several teachers from each testing grade to strategize on ways to help. Through email I generated a list of those willing to commit to a few after school meetings to bring ideas. Over the course of a week and a half, we meet 3 times to table effective ways to reach those students without the usual drill and kill related to test preparation. Having spearheaded the initiative and garnered the support of several faculty members, parents, and students, I felt fortunate to have engaged in such meaningful education for such an at-risk population. Doing so allowed me to see the need for communication and collaboration within the school community by taking action to mobilize resources in an effort to positively impact the campus and promote student success. Domain II: Instructional Leadership
Competency 3: The principal knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical and legal manner.

A school leader must act fairly while also promoting the highest standards of ethical principles. In order to do so, one must make decisions based upon ethical and legal principals remaining unbiased by personal affiliations, fringe benefits, and special interests. Though personal relationships may extend themselves into the workplace, an effective school leader is always mindful that a professional treats all faculty members with equal amounts of respect, courtesy and fairness. Observing principals over the past six years, I have learned that the tone of the campus is a mirror image of the school leader. If a school leader allows personal relationships to overrun professional responsibilities, the school community may regard that a sense of favoritism exists and guides the principal in his decision making. One must always be reminded that the actions of a school leader are closely examined by all stakeholders and serve as messages in determining how instances will be handled. This program has afforded me the opportunity to take an in depth look at the school as a whole. At the suggestion of my principal, this year I began keeping a binder full of notes, pictures, and documents which I felt constituted a good

school. In it I have detailed moments of triumph and challenge faced by my supervisor as well as ways to positively overcome them. I am eternally grateful to have witnessed my school leader practicing practical awareness while yet maintaining integrity and fairness.
Competency 4: The principal knows how to facilitate the design and implementation of curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment of curriculum, instruction, resources, and assessment; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

This year has been revelatory to me in gaining a firsthand account that principals really do play a key role in the delivery of quality instruction. Their responsibilities include ensuring educational strategies are in place that support effective learning for all students. Their roles is also to serve as facilitators, guiding and supporting the best instructional practices. The difference between a good principal and a great principal is not only understand that improved test scores are important, but knowing that quality instruction is the only means of enriched student achievement. This year has provided the opportunity to observe the principal serving as the educational leader of the campus. I have watched my supervisor working to understand effective instructional strategies and understand the needs of both our students and teachers. I have a clear understanding that the responsibility for outlining effective practices for student instruction is a task that should be shared with teachers and administration. Simply stated, the process of identifying effective practices requires collaboration. Therefore, principals responsibilities should include ensuring effective collaboration takes place. They should acknowledge that collaboration is worthwhile, and can work when processes such as reviewing data and getting input from teachers, curriculum staff and administration are outlined.
Competency 5: The principal knows how to advocate, nurture, and sustain an instructional program and a campus culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

As an instructional leader, one must provide opportunities for the faculty, staff and students to nurture their capabilities. Clear and concise discipline

practices, proficient class scheduling, strong instructional strategies, assessing data, and developing professional learning communities to support instructional improvements are each important aspects in maintaining a campus conducive to student learning. By facilitating the development of professional learning communities to support instructional improvement and change, a principal strives to infuse their campus with sound practices. An effective school leader must continually develop and evaluate services and programs to ensure they are fulfilling the academic, social, and cultural needs present on the campus. My supervisor has consistently advocated for professional growth among our campus. He supports teachers in proactively researching and providing multifaceted professional development offerings. Doing so shows that he is aware of individual needs while taking into account the needs of the campus instructional program. My school administrator focuses on the campus culture by advocating the staff to invest time and creativity in research based strategies in order to gain the success for all students. As the head directs the body, my principal does a wonderful job encouraging the school community to strive for greater. As such, I appreciate the feeling I gain sitting under his tutelage and plan to carry such enthusiasm with me into educational administration.
Competency 6: The principal knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system to improve the performance of all staff members, select and implement appropriate models for supervision and staff development, and apply the legal requirements for personnel management.

The district wide evaluation system used to implement staff evaluations and help improve their performance is the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS). Although this is the only assessment tool legally required, my principal has gone beyond the call of duty enhancing a system specifically for our campus. As such, a form was designed to target areas of growth opportunities which are synonymous to the campus family. In order to help facilitate the system, staff members were trained during the onset of the school year so that expectations were clearly communicated and acknowledged. From there the administrative team utilized the forms to visit classrooms to ensure the staff was meeting the demands. In instances of challenge, the

principal met with the staff to address concerns, collectively arrive at solutions, and provide timelines for implementation. Those who excelled in the campus based staff assessment system served as mentors or points of contact for others in need of support. Although, I have not been afforded to opportunity to serve on the administrative team designated to visit classrooms, I have served as a point of reference for my fellow cohorts to access for solutions and support. Having successfully completed the Instructional Leadership Development (ILD) feel somewhat ready to implement and manage staff evaluations and look forward to doing so.
Competency 7: The principal knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to ensure an effective learning environment.

Decision-making is the heart of being a school administrator. Decision making requires careful consideration of all stake holders in educational community. It is essential that school administrators have a profound vision and mission in order for the campus to have and reach sustainable goals. One of the most important facets of this is when an administrator takes a collaborative approach in organizing the learning environment. Doing so promotes positive leadership, learning and focuses on effective core values, beliefs, and purpose of the educational endeavor. I have learned that much of what educational administrators do is solve problems and make decisions. Observing my principal facilitate meetings and evaluate processes both proactively and retroactively has been quite interesting as situations cannot always be addressed through following an organized approach. Careful analysis and brainstorming possible conflicts has indeed assisted my supervisor in handling problems which is clearly evident through his demeanor when problems occur. However, times arise where evaluating and quick adjustments must be made to achieve goals. Ultimately, productivity in every aspect of the school is the key and that is achieved through evaluative assessment and change. Following basic guidelines will not always produce the necessary results. They may get you started, but it takes appropriate processing and management skills to attain success. Domain III: Administrative Leadership

Competency 8: The principal knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to campus budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology use.

The schools budget couples anticipated revenue and proposed expenditures in an efficient fashion so to ensure all funds are spent in accordance with the state, local and federal regulations while meeting the needs of the students. In other words, it is a process for preparing a summary of the programs in the school that will be reflected by the expected revenue. It can also be seen as a process of relating the expenditure of funds in a systematic way to achieve the planned missions and objectives of a school. The budget plays a vital role in the functioning of the school. The principal must make every possible effort for the budget to be properly prepared and administered including hiring personnel to make sure this mandated is adhered to. Doing so requires some extreme decision making at times. Evaluating resources, making adjustments, and brainstorming and creating alternative solutions is a part of administrative leadership that can be extremely tedious. While going through the system of checks and balances, other policies such as the accounting procedures must also be taken into account. I must say this area is still somewhat fresh for me as I have yet to fully explore the budgetary constraints associated with leadership. However, I know that some aspects are best learned when in the drivers seat.
Competency 9: The principal knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the campus physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

Safety is a top priority as an educational leader. It requires developing plans of action focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal, human, and material resources while giving priority to student learning, safety, curriculum, and instruction Simple things taken for granted by many such as campus visitors, construction needs, temperature, and the parking lot are examples of specifics that must be addressed educational leaders. They must take into account special events occurring on his campus which require shifting normal daily activities to ensure everyones safety. Instructional leaders are leaders in a numerous ways. Within the schools, instructional leaders have the challenging task of ensuring the safety of schools through crisis management in addition to the daily assignment of maintaining a

safe and secure facility for instruction. This extremely important task involves the direction of the instructional leader working with several other members of the school system. In order to maintain a school building, instructional leaders must have a process and a plan for completing repairs or installing technology. This plan involves interacting with the districts support service, technology and maintenance departments. Although instructional leaders are ultimately responsible for instruction on the campus, a safe campus is needed for instruction.