December 2015 NEW STANDARDS FOR PRINCIPAL SUPERVISORS

Why Is Effective Leadership Essential? No documented instances of failing schools turning around without powerful leadership Second only to teaching among school-related factors contributing to student achievement Evidence links it to student performance

Who Are Principal Supervisors? Are district leaders who primarily support principals in their work. Spend most of their time coaching principals and helping them grow as instructional leaders. Work to create schools that are culturally/ socially responsive and have equitable access to resources. Lead strategic change that elevates the performance of schools and programs across the district. Principal Supervisors…

Principals face new pressures to improve student learning and implement new academic standards. Emerging research suggests principal supervisors can help principals improve teaching and student achievement. But today principal supervisors often focus on ensuring compliance with local and state regulations. The Model Standards will help districts ensure that principal supervisors focus on the actions that matter. Why Are Standards for Principal Supervisors Needed?

First-ever standards for principal supervisors Voluntary and adaptable A practical description of what principal supervisors should know and be able to do Product of a 12-person committee of educators, under the leadership of CCSSO Grounded in the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 What Are the Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards?

If principal supervisors shift from focusing on compliance to shaping principals’ instructional leadership capabilities, and if they are provided with the right training, support and number of principals to supervise, then the instructional leadership capacity of the principals with whom they work will improve and result in effective instruction and the highest levels of student learning and achievement.

Defining Instructional Leadership Effective instructional leaders engage in a wide range of leadership activities that directly connect to student learning. They must: Model learning for others, through reflection, personal growth, ethical practice and a focus on improvement Confront issues of equity that impede student learning Recognize and respond to the diverse cultural and learning needs of students Increase the capacity of staff to improve student learning Make decisions based on how they affect student success Understand the systems that affect student success Share and distribute responsibilities for student learning

Developing the Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards Two major influences:  Feedback from practitioners and other state and district leaders.  Research by the District Leadership Design Lab (DL2) at the University of Washington underscoring that “principal supervisors matter to improved student learning by working through principals and teachers, specifically, by helping principals grow as instructional leaders” (Principal Supervisor Performance Standards Version 1.0).

From Compliance Officer to Coach  This is a major shift for the field.  District redesign is necessary in order to better support principal supervisors in this new role.  The Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards are not a job description; principal supervisor positions vary widely from district to district, and evolve over time.

THE MODEL PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS 2015: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

Standard 1. Principal Supervisors dedicate their time to helping principals grow as instructional leaders. Standard 2. Principal Supervisors coach and support individual principals and engage in effective professional learning strategies to help principals grow as instructional leaders. Category 1: Educational Leadership

Standard 3. Principal Supervisors use evidence of principals’ effectiveness to determine necessary improvements in principals’ practice to foster a positive educational environment that supports the diverse cultural and learning needs of students. Standard 4. Principal Supervisors engage principals in the formal district principal evaluation process in ways that help them grow as instructional leaders. Category 1: Educational Leadership

Standard 5. Principal Supervisors advocate for and inform the coherence of organizational vision, policies and strategies to support schools and student learning. Standard 6. Principal Supervisors assist the district in ensuring the community of schools with which they engage are culturally/socially responsive and have equitable access to resources necessary for the success of each student. Category 2: District Operations

Standard 7. Principal Supervisors engage in their own development and continuous improvement to help principals grow as instructional leaders. Standard 8: Principal Supervisors lead strategic change that continuously elevates the performance of schools and sustains high- quality educational programs and opportunities across the district. Category 3: District Leadership

Learn more and download the Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards at CCSSO’s website:

Special thanks to The Wallace Foundation for its support of this work

Special thanks to the Principals Supervisor Standards development team Dave Volrath, Chair MaryAnn Jobe, Co-Chair Deborah Akers Kristina Brezicha Frederick Brown Andy Cole Ivan Duran Benjamin Fenton Meredith Honig Kathy Nadurak Mary Canole Irving Richardson

Addressing Implementation Issues 1.How will you use these standards to inform school improvement efforts in your district? 2.How will you reallocate district resources and central office responsibilities to effectively support the work of principal supervisors? 3.What are your short term goals for implementing a system of principal supervision? What are your long term goals? 4.What implementation issues have you encountered or anticipate to encounter as you begin to implement principal supervisors? How have you effectively addressed or will effectively address these issues?