21 COMPETENCIES FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
1. Communication: Effectively listens to others; Clearly and effectively presents and understands information orally and in writing; Acquires, organizes, analyzes, interprets, and maintains information needed to achieve school or team 21st century objectives.
Reflection: Every Friday before leaving for the day, Friday Updates were emailed to staff letting them know what was going on the following week and for the month. It was my job to get the document updated and ready based on the schoolwide calendar, updates from district, and the routine expectations. Each proposed email was then saved in Google Docs and sent to Principal Mentor before she sent it out to staff. Monthly Webpages were also sent out and I stored them on Google Docs with the Friday updates. A read reciept was suggested to Principal Mentor to document who had read the document.
2. Change Management Effectively engages staff and community in the change process in a manner that ensures their support of the change and its successful implementation.
Reflection: Below is Holt Elementary's Master Schedule. It was revised by the administrative team to include a universal intervention time where teachers recieved the support of another school staff member in order to differentiate instruction and provide research based interventions for students using student data. I was charged to make sure the schedule did not effect the allotted time for instruction while still giving staff their planning time daily. The schedule was then presented to the ESL and EC team to adjust their schedules if needed before sharing it with staff to begin second quarter. Once finalized, I shared the calendar with staff and also began to push into a classroom during the intervention time to teach a small group, as did all administration.
3. Conflict Management: Anticipates or seeks to resolve confrontations, disagreements, or complaints in a constructive manner
Reflection: My Problem of Practice is focused on decreasing the number of office referrals of African American males. Student Conduct has also been a large focus in our school this year as idenified on our TWC and Holt Staff Survey. Boy Scouts was started to come and meet with selected students of color, as identified of their classroom teachers and Educators Handbook Data. The group met weekly or bi-weekly with Mr. Clark and Mr. Miller to discuss character traits as well as be active engaging role models of color.
I also worked with staff to assist them with behavior strategies to implement in their classroom including a Live Behavior Chart on Google Docs, in which to notify parents of their child's behavior throughout the school day. This type of behavior chart allowed parents to consistently view it throughout the day as well as it was easy to keep up with and locate, as it would not get lost in a child's bookbag.
I also worked with staff to assist them with behavior strategies to implement in their classroom including a Live Behavior Chart on Google Docs, in which to notify parents of their child's behavior throughout the school day. This type of behavior chart allowed parents to consistently view it throughout the day as well as it was easy to keep up with and locate, as it would not get lost in a child's bookbag.
4. Creative Thinking: Engages in and fosters an environment for others to engage in innovative thinking.
Reflection: After looking at our school Math Data based on Case21 scores, we needed a way to get students excited about math! I created Math March Madness and asked for the help of my Assistant Principal to create Math assessments for grade 3-5 that would target the Math EOG focus standards. The administration team created a bracket based on class rankings after Case 21 scores. To introduce it to students and staff, a powerpoint was created with rules as well as it was shared on the morning announcments. The students were actively engaged and motivated to do well as they constantly stopped to view the brackets as they transition through the hallways each day.
5. Customer Focus: Understands the students as customers of the work of schooling and the servant nature of leadership and acts accordingly.
Reflection: PTA and Adminstration made sure to communicate often when discussing the needs of Holts and the support and encouragement of our students. I worked with the PTA Vice President to establish a date and location for the school Glow Party which was an incentive for the school fundraiser.
6. Delegation: Effectively assigns work tasks to others in ways that provide learning experiences for them and in ways that ensure the efficient operation of the school.
Reflection: This year I was pregnant with twins and worked up until the week of my scheduled Cesarean Section. I had started schoolwide Data Notebooks in which to track student progress on research based interventions. My job was to check data Notebooks bi-weekly to make sure that they were updated by classroom teachers and that interventions were tracked. Members of the MTSS team continued to check the Data Notebooks in my absence.
7. Dialogue/Inquiry: Is skilled in creating a risk free environment for engaging people in conversations that explore issues, challenges or bad relationships that are hindering school performance
Reflection: To make sure that all students needs were met to promote student achievement, I created and facilitated biweekly Kid Talk meetings to focus on our EC and ESL students. During these meetings resource and classroom teachers were invited to share the growth and areas of improvement needed for their students. As a team, we discussed and suggested strategies that were working and could work to meet the needs of not only the EC and ESL students, but all of our students.
8. Emotional Intelligence: Is able to manage oneself through self awareness and self management and is able to manage relationships through empathy, social awareness and relationship management. This competency is critical to building strong, transparent, trusting relationships throughout the school community.
Reflection: I have learned not only during my residency, but as a classroom educator, that teachers want to be listened to and supported. I have had one teacher this year who I have offered continuous support to, including observations with feedback, modeling lessons, working in small groups with students during intervention time, as well as sending the instructional coach to assist and observe. It is common practice to see an administrator in all classrooms, but did not want to overwhelm her and have her feel as though we did not trust her professionally. She was given opportunity to try the different strategies shared by administration and her colleagues. We would reflect weekly on how things were going and she would share artifacts. I began scheduling time to come and visit and offer myself for support when needed aside from my normal observations and walkthroughs.
9. Environmental Awareness: Becomes aware and remains informed of external and internal trends, interests and issues with potential impacts on school policies, practices, procedures and positions.
Reflection: Based on the findings from the 2018-2019 Teacher Working Conditions Survey, I created a Teacher Survey in which to dive further into many of the areas that fell below a 50% approval rating. I was interested in knowing exactly what things needs to be targeted based on its results. I identified the areas based on the survey in which our school performed low in to focus on when creating a school survey for staff. Parents also completed Quarterly Surveys to identify the schools strengths and areas of concerns.The results were then used and shared with the School Improvement team in which to discuss and identify focus areas for the year. The staff was charged with taking it back to their grade levels to discuss further and bring back ideas on how we can improve on this items as a school.
quarterlyparentsurvey.docx |
10. Global Perspective: Understands the competitive nature of the new global economy and is clear about the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful in this economy.
Reflection:
Administration and our school Global Committee met had conversations with the Global Particpate Organization. Together we came up with goals around making an intentionally global school culture. We worked together to provide training during grade level PLCs to dicuss Global Planning. All new staff members created Particpate Accounts and all staff registered for online courses to be completed by the end of the year.
11. Judgment: Effectively reaching logical conclusions and making high quality decisions based on available information. Giving priority and caution to significant issues. Analyzing and interpreting complex information.
Reflection: My Problem of Practice is focused on decreasing the number of office referrals of African American males. Student Conduct has also been a large focus in our school this year as idenified on our TWC and Holt Staff Survey. I attended the All Things Discipline Training provided by the district for Principals. This training helped me to identify various resources needed for our students as well as training for staff to support our students with their social and emotional needs. I was also made aware of the processes and procedures in which to discipline a student based on the behavior exhibited.
12. Organizational Ability: Effectively plans and schedules one’s own and the work of others so that resources are used appropriately, such as scheduling the flow of activities and establishing procedures to monitor projects.
Reflection: I organized and planned afterschool tutoring by identifying students, teachers who could volunteer their time afterschool, and parent contact/student invitations. Students were identified using classroom observations and the most recent data assessment which was Case 21. During PLCs I presented each teacher with their data analysis sheet , where they identified standards that their students were below proficient and who those students were. After identifying students and looking at the afterschool budget, administration then identified teachers that could stay to provide instruction. After organizing the structure and logistics of the afterschool program, letters were then sent home to proposed students.
holt_tutoring_plan_2019-2020.pdf |
holt_afterschool_tutoring_groups.pdf |
tutoring_letter_2019-2020.docx |
13. Personal Ethics and Values: Consistently exhibits high standards in the areas of honesty, integrity, fairness, stewardship, trust, respect, and confidentiality.
Reflection: As expressed in many PLC meetings, staff wanted to have some team building activities. To build moral and improve school culture, I invited staff to participate in the 5K Education Race, where half of the proceeds would come to our school.
14. Personal Responsibility for Performance: Proactively and continuously improves performance by focusing on needed areas of improvement and enhancement of strengths; actively seeks and effectively applies feedback from others; takes full responsibility for one’s own achievements.
Reflection: During my residency, I wrote down everything. I have three composition notebooks that document what I did, with whom, and I scribed every meeting. During any meeting or daily recap with my principal mentor, I could look back in my composition notebooks and quickly reference a conversation or list of items that we needed to accomplish by the end of the day or week. This method kept me organized and allowed me to take in what I learned, observed, and practiced. It also allowed me to be open with myself about where I was in preparing myself for leadership.
15. Responsiveness: Does not leave issues, inquiries or requirements for information go unattended. Creates a clearly delineated structure for responding to requests/ situations in an expedient manner.
Reflection: During my residency it was obvious that I had to have a system in which to communicate with students, staff, and their parents. For things that could be handled quickly and promptly, I could pop into their classroom on while I was completing walkthroughs or send back a quick response. When it came to parents, after having an initial office meeting I would call or email them back to thank them for coming, reflect on what was discussed, and provide next steps. This allowed me to have documentation of what was discussed in an email as well as my composition notebook, where I take notes.
16. Results Orientation: Effectively assumes responsibility. Recognizes when a decision is required. Takes prompt action as issues emerge. Resolves short-term issues while balancing them against long-term goals.
Reflection: Upon the school year starting I was given 2018-2019 student data to analyze. I identified what students were not proficient in reading and or math. Once these spreadsheets were compiled I then compared them to what students had been in MTSS or needed to start the process upon returning to school. I then created Data Notebooks for each classroom teacher and interventionist. During PLCS with the help of the MTSS team we discussed using research based interventions to track with the students who were identified based on last years data, and/or continue interventions that were started and effective from the MTSS folder. We wanted tomake sure we were giving these students the resources that they needed starting from the first day of school.
17. Sensitivity: Effectively perceives the needs and concerns of others; deal tactfully with others in emotionally stressful situations or in conflict. Knows what information to communicate and to whom. Relates to people of varying ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
Reflection: As a country we are currently going through a Pandemic. Before the closings of schools and the start of virtual learning, teachers were already uneasy and wanted to feel safe in their school environment. It was important to reinforce that our custodians were working hard to ensure they cleanliness of our buildings as they do everyday, but that administration will be following the direction of the district leaders and will update staff what we could once information was provided. The administrative team did make sure every classroom had soap, paper towels, and toilet paper. We also encouraged staff if they were sick to stay home and get rest and if they were sick to go home, as directed from the district.
18. Systems Thinking: Understands the Interrelationships and impacts of school and district influences, systems and external stakeholders, and applies that understanding to advancing the achievement of the school or team.
Reflection: Due to issues during the first quarter involving student safety, the staff collectively came together to brainstorm various procedures that would be effective in getting our students home safely. After a several different trials and suggestions made by all stakeholders, a plan was created to stop early dismissals past 1:30pm and a color coded cone system was created. Administration had a meeting with parents to explain the new procedure before it was set to begin.
19. Technology: Effectively utilizes the latest technologies to continuously improve the management of the school and enhance student instruction.
Reflection: After a summer class with NCSU, I was introduced to several technology resources that would help with instruction and classroom management. I had the opportunity to practice them myself when I was in the classroom. These resources were shared with staff to allow them to explore them and see if any of them would work in their own classrooms.
20. Time Management: Effectively uses available time to complete work tasks and activities that lead to the achievement of desired work or school results. Runs effective meetings.
Reflection: To complete school work task and see at a glance what events and trainings were coming up, and where we could fit them in our schedule, I shared schoolwide events with the school secretary. She would then send calendar invites out to staff, so they would get alerts and reminders when they were coming up. Grade levels also put in meeting times, grade level events, and field trips, so that the entire school knew what was taking place each month.
21. Visionary: Encourages Imagineering by creating an environment and structure to capture stakeholders dreams of what the school could become for all the student
Reflection: At the start of every meeting, schoolwide or district, we made sure to make sure that what we were doing was aligned back to our strategic plan. #WEAREDPS