RESOURCE CENTER

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Principal Responsibilities Skills
Support and Authority

Principal Responsibility # 1
Develop, implement, and monitor procedures and practices that promote a safe and orderly school environment.

Skills/Knowledge

• Knowledge and ability to shape school climate and implement systems that promote safety and order.
• Knowledge and ability to use a variety of instructional, management, discipline, assessment, and placement options to establish an environment conducive to quality instruction.
• Knowledge and application of legal and district policy requirements regarding discipline and safety.
• Review, analyze, and revise school safety and discipline plans based on school data.
• Develop open communication systems that allow for proactive identification and intervention of potential incidents.
• Establish and implement crisis plans and to follow up appropriately.
• Respond effectively in a timely manner when incidents occur.
• Communicate so that students, parents, and community members are confident the school is safe.
• Knowledge of special education discipline/504 regulations and laws.
• Identify and use community resources.

Support

• Training and best practices for prevention and intervention of violence-including issues/ideas that are community specific.
• District and community support for principal decisions which follow district policy and best practice to ensure a safe environment.
• Advice, assistance, and resources for specific student safety and discipline issues.
• Complementary district and community resources to assist students and staff.
• School board policy aligned with expected practice.
• Assistance with data collection and analysis for a comprehensive picture of safety and order of the school environments (vs. simply counting suspensions, etc.).
• Up-to-date information and training on changing legal and district policy related to student safety and discipline.
• Human and/or fiscal resources to provide for adequate campus supervision.
• District support for working with disruptive students, including those in special populations.

Authority

• Authority to access district, community resources to assist with difficult student behaviors.
• Availability and authority to assign alternative placements for any students who disrupt the educational process or for students who are repeat, serious offenders.
• Authority to assign to staff responsibilities for maintaining a safe and orderly school environment; to evaluate staff performance in this area.

Principal Responsibility # 2
Influence, establish, and sustain a school culture conducive to continuous improvement for students and staff.

Skills/Knowledge

• Articulate a shared belief vision for continuous improvement and life-long learning.
• Develop an atmosphere of personal responsibility, trust, and collaboration among students and staff.
• Promote and ensure respect and equity in the treatment of staff and students.
• Understand the needs and strengths of the individuals in the school.
• Apply effective group processing skills.
• Promote and model life-long learning and continuous growth.
• Use authentic assessment data, including self-appraisal, to measure improvement and inform action of individuals, groups, and the school system.
• Recognize and celebrate efforts and achievements.
• Articulate a vision with students, staff, and parents.
• Facilitate the development of a discipline plan which includes a problem-solving model.

Support

• Create time to work with staff outside of instruction time.
• District support, e.g., legal counsel.
• Resources for staff training/inservice.
• District commitment to each school's uniqueness and implementation of district goals.
• Access to resources that assist administrators in meeting job performance targets for continuous student and staff improvements.

Authority

• Hire, reassign, and nonrenew staff.
• School administrator input to negotiation process.
• Access district and community resources.
• Direct staff development to address needs.

Skills/Knowledge

• Knowledge of components and purpose of School Improvement Plan (SIP).
• Analyze data to assess the effectiveness of SIPs.
• Communicate clearly and interpret data results with constituent groups (staff, parents, board, community).
• Collaborate, consensus build, and problem-solve with individuals and groups.
• Create, facilitate, and mobilize a group to implement the SIP.

Principal Responsibility # 3
Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of data-driven plan(s) for improvement of student achievement.

Support

• School and district expertise in analyzing and interpreting data.
• Provide parent and community support of the SIP in schools and district.
• District support for school needs for personnel, time, and resources.
• Assistance with staff who won't collaborate or won't cooperate.

Authority

• Require teachers to teach essential learnings as defined by state and local curriculum.
• Require teachers to use authentic assessments and the data from their assessments to drive instruction.
• For staff and principal to modify SIP based on data results (i.e., remediation needs while still maintaining high academic standards).
• Use teacher success with student achievement as a requirement for hiring or accepting transfers.
• Direct resources toward staff development goals of SIP and instruction.

Principal Responsibility # 4
Assist instructional staff in aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment with state and local learning goals.

Skills/Knowledge

• Working knowledge of education reform elements-e.g., EALRs, WASL, state learning goals, classroom-based assessment, etc.
• Use assessment to diagnose learner needs and to design appropriate learning intervention to improve success on state and local measures.
• Focus staff on priorities of teaching and learning.
• Guide staff in curriculum alignment process.
• Assist staff in adjusting to and accepting changes, especially the changes in teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Guide staff in alignment processes within and across curriculum areas and grade levels.
• Knowledge of best practices of instruction and assessment.
• Engage instructional staff in frequent conversations/reflection about classroom practice.

Support

• Necessary time and resources for:
• Staff development for teachers and administrators.
• Curriculum alignment activities, including K-12 and cross-curricular articulation.
• Staff collaboration in the development of instructional and assessment plans and materials.
• Ownership and shared accountability of K-12 and district staff, specialists included.
• Materials and inservice supporting reform efforts provided by district, regional and state agencies, and professional associations.
• Recognition and encouragement for progress in aligning curriculum instruction and assessment.

Authority

• To assign and reassign staff within school to facilitate delivery of instruction.
• To place and/or regroup students to facilitate student achievement.
• To direct budget toward student achievement goals.

Principal Responsibility # 5
Monitor, assist, and evaluate staff implementation of school improvement plans and effective instructional and assessment practice(s).

Skills/Knowledge

• Act proactively in advancing the SIP's impact on learning.
• Guide staff through the change process while maintaining focus on student learning goals.
• Assist staff in self evaluation leading to effective practice.
• Engage all instructional staff in decision making, implementing, and evaluating the SIP.
• Use data to inform decision making about instruction and assessment.
• Use a variety of monitoring structures, e.g., informal observation, assessment analysis, formal lesson observation, etc., to improve instruction and assessment.
• Knowledge of and ability to clearly communicate effective instructional and assessment practice for staff.
• Develop collaboration and peer mentoring among staff.

Support

• Superintendent shares vision and assists in follow through on a long-term basis vs. viewing short-term problem.
• District personnel, including superintendent, understand the complexity, legal liability, and political elements of change and remain supportive of school efforts.
• Job description of administrator reflects priority of student achievement goals.
• Tasks that are not directly related to achievement goals are eliminated from administrator performance expectations.
• Training in performance-based evaluation and development of SIP.
• Training/collaboration among school administrators to define and apply evaluative criteria consistently for all staff.
• District support for administrator in evaluation/probation process.
• Time and resources for staff collaboration.

Authority

• To alter negotiated agreements for consistency of effective school practices and maximizing student achievement.
• To focus on student achievement as the primary responsibility of administrators.
• To match staff selection and retention to program needs.
• To accept/reject staff assigned to school based upon demonstrated skill in promoting student achievement.
• To give input into tentative negotiated agreements for consistency with effective school practices and maximization of student achievement.

Principal Responsibility # 6
Manage human and financial resources to accomplish student achievement goals.

Skills/Knowledge

• Gather, analyze, and use data to create, evaluate, and manage a school budget plan.
• Involve staff and community in developing the budget plan.
• Knowledge of laws related to special areas (ASB, special programs, grants).
• Skills in recruiting and securing the best applicants for the job.
• Use effective staff development and improvement strategies.
• Knowledge of effective practices, rules and regulations, related to staff supervision, coaching, and evaluation.
• Skills and knowledge to take someone through probation and nonrenewal.
• Effectively conduct and confront difficult issues and discussions.
• Focus school financial and human resources on teaching and learning.

Support

• District, state, and federal consistency in projecting and providing appropriate funds to accomplish student achievement goals.
• Training in the hiring and budgeting process.
• Resources for recruiting staff, e.g., time, district procedures and timelines compatible with hiring the best staff.
• All administrators appropriately supervise and evaluate rather than simply transferring staff.
• Organizational support and resources for probation and nonrenewal decisions.
• Time available for supervision and improvement of instruction as a major focus of principals' job.

Authority

• Authority to determine where resources at the school level are allocated.
• Final decision on acceptance of staff transfers (on basis of student achievement, relations with students and staff).
• Manage the hiring process and make the choice of applicants.
• Authority to develop a program and assign staff accordingly.
• Policies and procedures that allow flexibility in time for observation/feedback cycle following classroom observations/assessments, i.e., contract language timelines.

Principal Responsibility # 7
Communicate and partner with colleagues, parents, and community members to promote student learning.

Skills/Knowledge

• Use effective communication skills and strategies to:
• Market the school to enlist community support.
• Resolve conflicts among individuals and groups.
• Build common focus and collaboration to enhance student learning.
• Partner and collaborate with administrative colleagues.
• Build collegial and collaborative relationships with and among school staff members.
• Share leadership based upon situation and need.
• Identify and involve business and community leaders and key communicators.
• Use a variety of vehicles and tools to communicate about student learning with constituents, both within and outside of the school.
• Gather and use relevant data regarding community responses to student learning and their attitudes about the school.
• Work with local media to "get the word out" regarding student learning.
• Celebrate success across school and community.
• Break down barriers between school and community.
• Knowledge of diversity issues.
• Use recognition of strengths and potential areas of conflict to guide actions.

Support

• Training for students, staff, and community in/for school collegiality within the school and the community.
• Training in skills, means, and structures fro establishing effective community links.
• Sharing what works across schools and levels.
• District views role of community involvement as a primary principal responsibility and provides training, coverage, and support for this effort.
• Assistance from district Community Relations Director as needed for school communications plans.
• Community provides placements for student work experiences within the community, schools, and district.
• Insurance, liability coverage, background checks, recruitment, and training for volunteers handled at the district level.
• A community believes schools are about learning.
• Administrative training in specific skills needed for principal as change agent.
• Clearly establish decision-making parameters.

Authority

• District policy and procedure encourage initiation and continuation of partnerships with community members.
• District policy and procedure must allow ability to adjust school day and/or calendar to promote community and parent partnerships.
• To require staff members to communicate with parents as part of their commitment to improvement of student learning.