Competency Reflections

Ashley Martin

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.

Competency 1 was addressed in my role as Data Manager. In this position, my primary responsibilities included systemizing student assessment data, generating reports, and helping teachers make sense of student assessment data. One of my districts core initiatives is data-driven accountability. This role has supported that initiative. One of the meaningful results of this role has been the implementation of data teams. Data Teams is a process that entails systematically analyzing student data and using the analysis to make instructional decisions. With the data teams implementation, I have gained a gained a thorough understanding of student assessment data. Data is a powerful tool if used appropriately. I have been able to help teachers, parents, and students to understand the numerous reports they receive.

To continue learning about this competency, I would like to seek more opportunities to facilitate a vision about other components that are vital to a 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 experience as the coordinator of two literacy initiatives, I- Station Incentives and Real Men Read, allowed me the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with members of the school community in order to meet the diverse needs of our students. I Station is a web- based reading program that delivers individualized reading instruction. It provides monthly assessments to monitor progress and even offers teacher resources. I was charged with creating an incentive program to get students invested into their time spent on the program as well as it reinforce the benefits of working hard to improve. Students were (and still are) rewarded monthly for their growth. To address this, I formed a committee comprised of teachers, the literacy coach, and parents. We were able to get funding for the rewards through the parentteacher organization. In addition, the group completes the assembly and distribution of the incentives. In a similar fashion, my work with Real Men Read has allowed me to collaborate with community members. With this program, male community members are assigned a classroom to mentor. They come in for an hour monthly to reinforce the importance of literacy and to foster a love for reading. Scholastic partners with our district to provide a book for each child that they can take home. Through both programs I was able to work with and mobilize students, teachers, parents, and community to promote literacy.

Competency 003: The principal knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical and legal manner.

Competency 3 was addressed through my role as gifted and talented (GT) coordinator of one of my campuses. In this role, I oversee the GT program on our campus. I am responsible for ensuring that we are in compliance at the state and district level in regards to gifted students. There are many components of a gifted and talented program that call for ethics. First, you are handling sensitive student information- identification numbers, testing results, and lots of documents that require the signatures of parents, school representatives, and in some cases, district representatives. Second, this student population entails federal funding. Enough said! Finally, the academic journey for students can be affected if not taken seriously.
From this, I have learned that being ethical when it comes to student data is a requirement of educators. I have also learned what could potentially happen if not handled properly.

Competency 004: 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.

As with competency 1, competency 4 was addressed through the implementation of data teams. As previously stated, I was able to help teachers be strategic about their instructional decisions. With the data teams, they are now able to align the curriculum, instruction, resources, and assessments given. The process is a reflective. First, an assessment is given and student data is chart. Second, strengths and weaknesses are outlined with an emphasis on the root causes for the weaknesses. Third, goals are set. Fourth, choose instructional strategies. Finally, determine results indicators. It has been a joy to actually see teachers journey through this process. They are now comfortable with (and some excited about) discussing data. Through those monthly professional learning communities (PLCs), they have been able to learn and shares way to analyze data. I have learned that if properly presented, even the most intimidating concept can be received and used.

Competency 005: 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.

Competency 5 has best been viewed from one of my current principals. She possesses the right momentum to keep instructional programs growing by constantly monitoring progress. She holds staff members accountable for student learning and staff growth. One of the things has implemented that I believe is going to make a huge difference on our campus are book studies. In particular, several staff members are engaged in a leadership book study. We are reading a book and applying the content to real experiences within the school.

Competency 006: 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.

As an appraiser for teachers on campus, I was able to gain insight into competency 6. The appraisal system used by my district is also a development tool. With it, we not only assign ratings on instructional and professional criteria, but we also provide meaningful feedback. Several conferences are held throughout the year to provide feedback and give guidance for teachers. Last year I had the perspective of one being appraised This year that perspective shifted to me being the appraiser. That experience required a shift in the mindset I had as an educator. Helping the teacher had everything to do with helping the students. Having this perspective lead to some critical conversations, which contributed to teacher development.

Competency 007: The principal knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to ensure an effective learning environment.

Competency 7 has been addressed daily through many different experiences. Organizational skills are a must. There is so much on an administrator's plate that if they are not organized to some degree, they will get lost in the shuffle of things. Problem-solving and decision- making are a constant. I experienced many surprises, those often unexpected things that happen on any given day in a school. I recall a time when a teacher on my grade level had what appeared to be an emergency. The teacher stormed out of the building, leaving her students in the classroom by themselves! Staff was occupied with other pertinent duties so we had to put our heads together quickly. We split the classroom based on the grade level recommendations and were able to continue with the rest of the day. I am learning that principals must think on their feet often and be able to make decisions that are sound.

Competency 008: 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 experiences I am currently having with planning the Gifted and Talented Expo and assisting with our schools Girls Day event shed light on competency 8. We have used action plans during our meetings to ensure that steps are not overlooked and that people are responsible for various duties. It has been an exciting challenge managing the various areas. I am convinced that administrators are undercover event planners. They must handle people, finances, and resources frequently. To grow in this area, I will seek out courses, seminars, and workshops on campus budgeting.

Competency 009: 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 number one priority of my school district. I recall hearing the voice of my first principal saying, Safety first! I have a different perspective of safety now that I am out of the classroom. There are many factors to consider when you have an entire student body in mind as opposed to a classroom. I have seen and learned a lot through the various duties that I have throughout the day (morning at the front door, lunch, and dismissal). It is important to be alert, attentive, and ready to move in the event something happens. I would like to obtain more information and training on the various procedures centered on school safety.