EDLD 5399 Review of the 10 Competencies

 For the review, I included the activities that I did in order to strengthen my skills in the competency. Hope you enjoy the reading.

Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community – Competencies 1 - 4

Competency 1 Area:

The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

31e) Provided evidence which demonstrates that I do what I tell others to do.

29a) Analyzed the correlation between the requirements in the job description and the performance standards of the evaluation.

32a) Shared information with others who need to know.

30c) Reviewed past school board agendas, reports, and minutes. Noted significant events, policy changes and recurring themes or concerns.

33b) Attended as many board meetings as possible and became aware of outcomes/decisions.

Competency one is an area that I believe to be one of my strengths due to the fact that it is based on my morals and values.  In the many positions that I have held during my educational career, I always practiced what I preached.  For this reason, it is easy for me to model my expectations and lead by example.  The item I will have to work on is building consensus as I am leading.    

The activities that I completed in this area showed me how to further my strength by helping me focus on different things I need to do in order to promote success for all students.  By sharing information with relevant stakeholders, I was able to gather and pass on information as the need arose.  The scary thing about sharing information though is sometimes it can come back to haunt you so it is an area that I must tread lightly as to not lose credibility and have others question my motives.

By reviewing past board agendas and outcomes and attending board meetings, I was able to gain knowledge on beliefs that the school board has based on the outcomes of the voting.  It would be valuable for me to research topics that may be of interest to me and that I believe would benefit the students.  It would give me a “feel” on whether or not this would be a topic to approach directly or if I would have to provide extensive background on before broaching the subject.

The only activity that I believe did not help me gain strength in this competency was comparing the job description to the evaluation utilized.  Since the description was generic, reviewing the evaluation gave me more of an insight to the true expectations of the board and the goals they wanted the superintendent to spearhead and accomplish. 

Competency 2 Area:

The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

6a) Observed a district cabinet school administrative team meeting where the leader plans to use collaborative decision making.

1a) Reviewed and compared two different school vision statements.

2b) Reviewed the strategic plan for the district.

3c) Reviewed the ways in which assessment data are used by various stakeholders throughout the district.

5d) Outlined steps in gaining consensus for my project plan

Competency two is an area where the activities helped me become much more competent in meeting the definition of the competency.  As a leader I have always thought that I did a good job of shaping culture, but now I have become more aware that in order to accomplish this at a district level, I will have to work on my communication and collaboration skills.

In 6a, it was very interesting to see the interactions of the superintendent as she collaborated with her cabinet.  There were a couple of topics where decisions had to be made.  She first gave background on what was on the table and why it was on the table.  She then opened the meeting up for everyone to speak their position on the topic and offer their expertise.  Once everyone had an opportunity to speak, a vote was taken on whether to move forward with the proposed idea or to modify it.  No one felt intimidated and spoke freely.  This was awesome to see because I saw a great example of how collaborative decision making should happen.

In 2b, as I reviewed the strategic plan, the thing I noticed was that it took a lot of time, energy, and resources to pull together such a great endeavor.  To be able to come up with the findings and directions that everyone felt were the most needed and agree upon them took a lot of communication and collaboration.  I was especially impressed with the number of community people that were involved and that shared in the vision and findings.

I gained the most from these activities after viewing the cabinet meeting and reviewing the strategic plan because I utilized the knowledge I gained in gaining consensus for my campus plan.  I followed the same steps the superintendent did with her cabinet.  It led to some great discussions and collaboration with my campus leadership team.  In the end, we were able to come up with a product that we could sell to the entire staff for the benefit of the students.  I was very proud of myself, my team, and what we were able to accomplish during this time. 

Competency 3 Area:

The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

4b) Write a memo to the faculty relaying information that needs to be disseminated by the school office.  Survey several persons receiving the memo, and obtain advice on its organization, clarity, intent, and any recommendations for improvement.

28a) Compile a list of social agencies that are available to help and support the students, faculty, and administration.

25a) Interview one or more persons involved in school public relations. The interview should include strategies for effective communication to and from the community and the issue of community politics.

27d) Meet confidentially with one or more student of differing racial groups to assess their concerns and recommendations for a positive culturally diverse climate in the school.

26d) Observe a meeting of the site-based council. Assess the role of the parents in the process and provide any recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of their role.

Competency three is a competency where I do not feel as strong at this time so I know I will need to focus on becoming stronger in this area.  I believe this is due to the fact that I have not had that much exposure to the items in this competency especially on the scope that would be required of a superintendent. 

I am extremely happy that I was able to spend time with the public relations officer during our interview.  He was able to offer some great insights on the strategies for effective communication in relation to community politics.  This was very insightful to me because I have seen firsthand how community politics can make or break a district so it is crucial that the communication on these topics be treated with the utmost of care.  Since our PIO has worked both in the educational setting and the business setting, he was able to give me some comparisons between the two.  I must say that the more difficult of the two seems to be the educational setting but that could be attributed to the fact that we deal with some very precious commodities. 

The other activity I enjoyed was meeting with some students of different racial groups.  This experience was eye-opening.  On my campus, my students get along 99% of the time, but watching these students struggle on answering my questions on how to make the cultural climate better at the school, I know we have a long way to go.  There was just too much discomfort in their answers and what they truly believe.  This can only lead me to believe that at the district level the scenario must be so much worse.

The activity that was disheartening was the site-based council meeting.  There were no parents at the meeting at all.  We are missing a great component and valuable input from them, so we must find a way to get them more involved.

Competency 4 Area:

The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.

31e) Provided evidence which demonstrates that I do what I tell others to do.

29a) Analyzed the correlation between the requirements in the job description and the performance standards of the evaluation.

32a) Shared information with others who need to know.

30c) Reviewed past school board agendas, reports, and minutes. Noted significant events, policy changes and recurring themes or concerns.

33b) Attended as many board meetings as possible and became aware of outcomes/decisions.

Competency four is another area that I believe that once I acquire my first superintendent or assistant superintendent position, I will become stronger in the items listed in the competency.  Without having that direct experience, it is difficult to gauge how truly strong or lacking I am in regards to the competency. 

Just as in competency one, activity 31 e was the activity that I felt very comfortable participating in.  By leading by example, I do not leave any room for anyone to judge me negatively and say that I do not practice what I preach.  If I expect my teachers, students, and staff to do something, I make sure that I roll up my sleeves and do my portion of what is expected of me in order to accomplish the goal we have set. 

Activity 32 a is also something that comes easily to me, but it can be a two headed monster.  Sometimes you share information and people go talk about it out of context and that leads to many misunderstandings which then as a leader you have to do “damage control” on.  Other times, you do not share as much and the staff begins to feel as if you do not trust them to handle the information and do what they need to do with it.  It is a tough situation, but it is one that must be handled delicately.

By reviewing past board agendas and attending board meetings, I was able to grasp a feeling on what the board believes about different topics and the impact this has on the district and its students.  The most eye-opening of all these activities was reviewing the job evaluation.  This gave me a true picture of what the board felt was important for the superintendent to accomplish during the year to make the district successful.

DOMAIN II—INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 5 - 7

Competency 5 Area:

The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

8c) Met with the counselors to discuss the number of schedule changes, rationale, and ramifications of changes.

7d) Interviewed persons involved in the implementation of a district curriculum. Described the process, success, and concerns with the implementation.

34b) Attended an initial special education placement meeting and provided a critique.

13d) Met with students to discuss strengths and weaknesses of co-curricular activities.

9b) Conducted two clinical evaluations of teachers and offered recommendations.

I feel very confident in my expertise with competency five.  This is due to our district currently doing a strong push in the area of teaching and learning and revamping our expectations for these two areas.  I worked beside our assistant superintendent in leading the implementation of a new curriculum management plan for the entire district so I became fully aware of the steps needed to implement a huge change such as this. 

In order to make the implementation go as smooth as possible, there was a tremendous amount of dialogue with various stakeholders.  These stakeholders included teachers, parents, board members, fellow administrators, and community members.  We had to promote that there was a driving force behind the huge investment in money and time for the new curriculum.  While we did not have a 100% buy in from everyone, we did gain quite a bit of support and now we must continue working on the people that were reluctant to make the change.  The majority of these people were more of the veteran teachers who believed that everything was just fine and that no change was needed.  We are currently still working on getting these teachers on board and moving forward with the rest of the district. 

The other activity that was very beneficial to me was conducting the evaluations.  In order for any system or program to be truly gauged, monitoring of the implementation is key.  Without anyone monitoring, teachers tend to fall back on what is comfortable for them, but that is not always the best for the students.  Along with the evaluations, I was also able to practice and refine my communication skills as I offered my advice to these teachers.  This has to also be done in a certain manner so that teachers do not become alienated and feel that administrators are just out to get them.  I do believe that my conversations with these teachers did have an impact on their style and they have made the changes necessary to become better not for themselves, but for the students.

Competency 6 Area:

The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

16c) Reviewed discipline referrals and summarized findings and recommendations.

12c) Gathered and analyzed normed test results. Assessed current strengths and weaknesses in student achievement. Made recommendations for improvement in student performance.

36a) Compile a list of current issues affecting teaching and learning. Made recommendations.

10b) Surveyed faculty and students on methods to motivate students.  Compared and contrasted the results and made recommendations.

Competency six is an area where I do not feel as confident as with other competencies.  I guess I feel this way because when shaping district culture, you are trying to convince people to change their beliefs.  This is way harder than getting them to implement a new instructional strategy or utilize a different discipline approach with the students.  Just as your own beliefs are engrained in you, so are other people’s. 

The activity that most surprised me was surveying the faculty and students on methods that motivated the students to work hard.  My belief was that there would be a huge disconnect between the two, but when all was said and done, the teachers and students both agreed on almost the same things.  The portion I need to work on at this point is to implement a campus wide motivational system where all my teachers are utilizing some of the methods that the students stated would help motivate them the most to work hard.  I know this will be tough because some teachers are comfortable with what they do in class and don’t want to change.  My best ammunition for getting teachers to change is to show them hard data and set the expectation for them.

The other area where we need to work at getting better is in the area of discipline.  There is such a huge discrepancy on the student groups receiving referrals as compared to the demographics of the school.  With this data, I will now search out activities and professional development activities focusing on cultural diversity and dealing with students that come from these diverse backgrounds.  I believe this is imperative to do because our students are missing out on educational opportunities due to the fact that they are out of the classrooms an inordinate amount of time. 

Competency 7 Area:

The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.

14c) Collaborated with an experience staff developer in a staff development activity.

23a) Discussed requirements and issues of planning, recruitment, selection, induction, compensation, evaluation and dismissal of personnel with the human resources director.

Competency seven went from being one of my weaknesses to becoming one of my strengths after doing activity 14c and putting together the professional development plan in the Superintendent Seminar class we recently completed.  Doing both of these activities allowed me to gain first-hand knowledge on the proper way to put together a professional development plan that will not only be meaningful, but useful to the faculty and staff.  I was also able to focus on the fact that we do not need to only train teachers, but many other vital members of the learning community.

I also enjoyed visiting with the human resources director and discussing all the intricacies of her position as it relates to the selection, evaluation, and retention of quality teachers in the district.  I have learned that we need to train our teachers to give them the opportunity to be successful.  If they are not successful the first time, then we need to re-train them.  After that, if they happen to stumble, then it becomes a lot less stressful when dealing with the dismissal of an employee.  This visit also re-established the importance of documentation when dealing with any employee.  Without any type of documentation, it is almost impossible to dismiss an employee unless it is a major violation. 

By dealing with the HR director and the assistant superintendent of C&I, I gained insight as well on how these two departments need to work together to insure that the proper trainings and professional development are offered to meet the needs of the employees and give them the opportunity to be successful. 

DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10

Competency 8 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.

19b) Met with attendance officer to discuss rules, procedures, and ramifications of attendance on law, finance, and general school operations.

11c) Evaluated the process used for assessing technology software.

24d) Completed a requisition and described the process it follows for approval.

38a) Compiled a list of books, publications, training manuals, etc.

18b) Reviewed and analyzed the job descriptions and evaluations of the secretary, attendance clerk, and registrar.

37b) Summarized my findings after visiting the NASSP website and seeing what they had to offer.

I feel very confident in competency eight because I feel that meeting the items in the competency are my strengths as a leader.  My experiences as a head baseball coach and principal have furthered my skills in the area of personnel and resource utilization.  In both of these leadership areas, it is a constant monitoring of what person to place in certain positions that would allow you to meet your goals that you had set. 

By completing activities 11c and 24d, there was reaffirmation of the fact that there is a huge need to have procedures and systems in place so discrepancies can be avoided by the system of checks and balances.  The flipside of that is by reviewing the process we can insure that it is not to lengthy and a turnoff to persons trying to utilize it.  As we all know, when something takes way too long to do, the chances of us following through and actually completing the process is slim to none.

The other activity that was really eye-opening was the impact of attendance on many of the general school operations.  If students are not in attendance, transportation and finance are affected the most.  Student achievement is all affected because it is proven by research that if students are not in the classroom and learning from the expert in the field, chances are they will not master the concept and that leads to even bigger problems.  The other factor of attendance affecting finance is huge.  Without funding that these students bring in, we lose teachers and staff members to budget cuts. 

The two activities that did not help me at all in building this competency into more of a strength was activity 38a and 37b.  While I believe a leader should always be a life-long learner and set the example, these activities did nothing for me in helping me gain more knowledge and be able to become more of an expert in an area.

Competency 9 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

20b) Met with head custodian and discussed job responsibilities and schedules of staff.

22a) Met with the food service manager and discussed the current requirements, concerns, and issues of the program.

21a) Interviewed the transportation director to discuss issues and needs for transportation.

I believe that competency nine became one of my areas of strength after conducting these interviews and learning about these areas more in depth.  These areas are so vital and the backbone of the district that I must make sure that the people leading these departments must be strong, trustworthy, and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. 

Activity 20b took me into the fascinating world of the custodians.  There is a new found respect for this group of people and all the work that they do for the school.  While our days are ending, theirs is just beginning.  With designated areas and duties that each is responsible for; they keep our schools sparkling and ready for use the next day.  They are also willing to help out in so many ways that are not part of their duties and never complain.

After meeting with the food service manager, I know that there will not be any more negative comments about the food in the cafeteria.  With so many guidelines that must be followed, it is a miracle that the cafeteria staff can put out quality food and function under the watchful eye of so many regulations. 

In meeting with the director of transportation, all I can say is that is one of the toughest jobs to hold in the district.  Dealing with student safety, student behavior, and the demands of the parents means that this position is always under constant criticism.  This person must also deal with the topic of aging buses and how are they going to be maintained to be ready for service.  

Competency 10 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.

35a) Helped people devise a resolution to help both sides achieve their goals and address their concerns.

17a) Assessed the degree of compliance of policy and the education plan for student services.

15b) Met with a leader leading change. Found out why the change was made and what steps were taken to make the change.

I believe competency ten to be a strength of mine due to the fact that it deals with compliance of a certain set of requirements.  This makes it easy because on so many of the issues, there is a black and white side.  There is no in-between.  This leads for quick reviews of things to insure that compliance is being met and that we are not setting ourselves up for potential problems.

Activity 35a fell hand in hand with trainings I attended this year and that I will utilize the remainder of my career.  By utilizing cognitive coaching and crucial conversations, I was able to resolve a major issue on my campus this year in dealing with differences of opinion on our adopted curriculum.  It was great to actually practice what I had learned and have that lead to an amicable outcome of a conflict. 

The other activity that helped build my confidence in this competency was meeting with a leader who was leading change.  We adopted a new curriculum management plan this year and the transition has not been as smooth as we would have liked it to be.  From this I learned that no matter how much background and time is spent on certain areas, if it is important to people, they will fight you tooth and nail to not have to change.  Even by providing these patrons with statistical evidence and hard data that supported the change, their degree of compliance was not very good and even to this day we are still struggling to gain their support.  The other learning experience was that in order to initiate change, it cannot just be dropped on people.  The time must be taken to communicate at many different intervals so that stakeholders can be eased into the change.