Assessment

SBEC Superintendent Competencies

Self-Assessment 

Directions:  Below you will find the SBEC Superintendent Competencies as revised in the Fall of 2010. Each competency is supported by indicators. The indicators are guides to identify knowledge and skills Superintendents should be practicing.

For each indicator, enter S, C, or I. The “S, C, or I” will indicate your assessment of your experience with each indicator.

Key to scoring:  S = I consider this a strength, I could lead in this activity.

                               C=  I feel competent in this area of knowledge and skill

       I = This is an area on which I would like to focus and improve my     knowledge and skill

When you complete the self-assessment, review your responses, compare your responses to your answers in the first course, EDLD 5396, identify your strengths and be sure to include and identify any areas needed for improvement, and include these in your 3 Year Professional Development Plan for Week 5’s Assignment.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

_S___ serve as an advocate for all children.

_S___ model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behaviors.

__S__ exhibit understanding and implement policies and procedures that promote district personnel compliance with The Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.

__S__ monitor and address ethical issues impacting education.

__S__ apply laws, policies, and procedures in a fair and reasonable manner.

__S__ interact with district staff, students, school board, and community in a professional and ethical manner.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ establish and support a district culture that promotes learning, high expectations, and academic rigor for self, students, and staff.

__S__ facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision that focuses on teaching and learning and ensures the success of all students.

__S__ implement strategies for involving all stakeholders in planning processes and for facilitating planning between constituencies.

__S__ use formal and informal techniques to monitor and assess district/school climate for effective, responsive decision making.

__S__ institute procedures for monitoring the accomplishment of district goals and objectives to achieve the district's vision.

__C__ facilitate the development, use, and allocation of all available resources, including human resources, to support implementation of the district's vision and goals.

__S__ recognize and celebrate contributions of staff and community toward realization of the district's vision.

__S__ maintain awareness of emerging issues and trends affecting public education and communicate their significance to the local educational community.

__S__ encourage and model innovative thinking and risk taking and view problems as opportunities.

__S__ promote multicultural awareness, gender sensitivity, and the appreciation of diversity in the educational community.

__S__ understand and support educational programs for all student populations, including students with special needs.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ serve as an articulate, effective communicator for the importance of public education in a free democratic society.

___S_ develop and implement an effective and comprehensive internal and external district communications plan and public relations program.

__S__ analyze community and district structures and identify major opinion leaders and their relationships to district goals and programs.

__S__ establish partnerships with families, area businesses, institutions of higher education, and community groups to strengthen programs and support district goals.

__S__ implement effective strategies for systematically communicating with and gathering input from all stakeholders in the district.

__S__ communicate and work effectively with diverse groups in the district and community; i.e., social, cultural, political, ethnic, and racial group, so that all students receive appropriate resources and instructional support to ensure educational success.

__S__ develop and use formal and informal techniques to gain an accurate view of the perceptions of district staff, families, and community members.

__S__ use effective consensus-building and conflict-management skills.

__S _ articulate the district's vision and priorities to the community and to the media.

__S__ influence the media by using proactive communication strategies that serve to enhance and promote the district's vision.

__S__ communicate effectively about positions on educational issues using effective writing, speaking, and active listening skills to ensure educational success for all students.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ analyze and respond to political, social, economic, and cultural factors affecting students and education.

__S__ provide leadership in defining superintendent-board roles and establishing mutual expectations.

__S__ communicate and work effectively with board members in varied contexts, including problem-solving and decision-making contexts.

__S__ work with the board of trustees to define and consistently adhere to mutual expectations, policies, and standards.

__S__ access and work with local, state, and national political systems and organizations to elicit input on critical educational issues.

__C__ use legal guidelines to protect the rights of students and staff and to improve learning opportunities.

__C__ prepare and recommend district policies to improve student learning and district performance in compliance with state and federal requirements

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ facilitate effective curricular decision making based on an understanding of pedagogy, curriculum design, cognitive development, learning processes, and child and adolescent growth and development.

__S__ implement planning procedures to develop curricula that achieve optimal student learning and that anticipate and respond to occupational and economic trends.

__S__ implement curriculum design and delivery systems to ensure instructional quality, appropriate depth of learning, and alignment across the district.

__S__ develop and implement collaborative processes for systematically assessing and renewing the curriculum to meet the needs of all students and ensure appropriate scope, sequence, content, and alignment.

__S__ use assessment to measure student learning, diagnose student needs, and determine effectiveness of the curriculum to ensure educational accountability.

__S__ evaluate district curricula and provide direction for improving curricula based on sound, research-based practices.

__C__ facilitate the integration of technology into the school district curriculum to enhance learning for all students

__S__ facilitate the effective coordination creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem solving by appropriate school district staff and other individuals involved in curriculum design and delivery.

__S__ facilitate the effective coordination of district and campus curricular and extracurricular programs.

__S__ ensure that staff members have a working knowledge of the accountability system and are monitoring its components to increase student performance.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ apply knowledge of motivational theories and strategies to encourage staff, students, families/caregivers, and the community to strive to achieve the district's vision.

__S__ facilitate the implementation of sound, research-based theories and techniques of classroom management, student discipline, and school safety to ensure a school district environment conducive to learning.

__S__ facilitate the development of a learning organization that encompasses high student engagement and learning with academic rigor through the use of effective planning and lesson design.

__S__ facilitate the ongoing study of current best practice and relevant research and encourage the application of this knowledge to district/school improvement initiatives.

__S__ implement and support student services and activity programs to address developmental, scholastic, social, emotional, cultural, physical, and leadership needs.

__S__ establish a comprehensive school district program of student assessment, interpretation of data, and reporting of state and national data results for improvement of student learning

__S__ apply knowledge of special programs to ensure that students are provided with appropriate resources and effective, flexible instructional programs and services.

__S__ analyze instructional resource needs and deploy instructional resources effectively and equitably to enhance student learning.

__S__ analyze the implications of various organizational factors (e.g., staffing patterns, class scheduling formats, school organizational structures, student discipline practices) for teaching and learning.

__S__ develop and use appropriate change processes to improve student and adult learning.

__S__ ensure responsiveness to diverse sociological, linguistic, cultural, psychological, and other factors that may affect student development and learning and create an environment in which all students will learn.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ improve teaching and learning by participating in quality relevant professional development activities and studying current professional literature and research.

__S__ develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive professional development plan to address identified areas of district, campus, and/or staff need.

__S__ facilitate the application of adult learning principles to all professional development activities, including the use of support and follow-up strategies to facilitate implementation.

__S__ implement strategies to enhance the expertise and skill of staff at the district and campus levels.

__S__ work collaboratively with other district personnel to plan, implement, and evaluate professional growth programs.

__S__ deliver effective presentations and facilitate learning for both small and large groups.

__S__ implement effective strategies for the recruitment, selection, induction, development, evaluation, and promotion of staff.

__S__ develop and implement comprehensive staff evaluation models that include both formative and summative assessment and appraisal strategies.

_S___ assess and support the organizational health and climate by implementing necessary strategies to improve the performance of all staff members.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ apply procedures for effective budget planning and management.

__S__ work collaboratively with board of trustees and appropriate personnel to develop district budgets.

__C__ facilitate and evaluate effective account auditing and monitoring that complies with legal requirements and local district policy.

__C__ establish district procedures for accurate, effective, ethical purchasing and financial record keeping and reporting.

__C__ acquire, allocate, and manage resources according to district vision and priorities, including obtaining and using funding from various sources.

__S__ use district and staff evaluation data for personnel policy development and decision making.

__S__ apply knowledge associated with personnel management, including requirements related to certifying, recruiting, screening, selecting, evaluating, disciplining, reassigning, and dismissing personnel.

__S__ manage one's own time and the time of others to enhance district operations.

__C__ develop and implement plans for using technology and information systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of school district operations.

__C__ apply legal concepts, regulations, and codes as required.

_C___ use revenue forecasting and enrollment forecasting to address personnel and budgetary needs accurately.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ apply procedures for planning, funding, renovating, and/or constructing school facilities to support the district’s mission and goals.

__C__ implement strategies that enable the district's physical plant, equipment, and support systems to operate safely, efficiently, and effectively.

__S__ apply strategies for ensuring the safety of students and personnel and for addressing emergencies and security concerns.

__S___ develop and implement procedures for emergency planning and for responding to crises.

__S___ apply procedures for ensuring the effective operation and maintenance of district facilities.

__C__ implement evaluate appropriate procedures to ensure efficient, effective district transportation services, food services, health services, and other services.

___C_ apply legal concepts, regulations, and codes as required.

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.

The superintendent knows how to:

__S__ implement appropriate leadership skills, techniques, and group process skills to define roles, assign functions, delegate effectively, and determine accountability for goal attainment.

__S__ implement processes for gathering, analyzing, and using data for informed decision making to attain district goals.

_S___ identify, analyze, and resolve problems using appropriate problem-solving techniques and decision-making skills.

__S__ use strategies for working with others, including the board of trustees, to promote collaborative decision making and problem solving, facilitate team building, and develop consensus.

__S__ encourage and facilitate positive change, enlist support for change, and overcome obstacles to change in varied educational contexts.

__S__ analyze and use political influences to benefit the educational organization.

Superintendent's Proficiency Assessment

Self-assessment reflection

In completing the Superintendent Competency Self-Assessment I was amazed at the number of areas that I have gone from a C or an I to an S. The knowledge that I have garnered with my coursework combined with my day-to-day work activities has really combined to make me much better prepared to take the next step in my career.

My strengths are in the areas of communication and curriculum and instruction. I have an affinity for the classroom and there is no place I’d rather be than watching a teacher connect with the students in his/her classroom. This leads me to feel extremely comfortable with Domains I and II. I feel comfortable speaking with all sizes of groups and enjoy doing research to figure out a problem and keep abreast of the trends that are affecting education.

My concern and area that I need to do the most work in is in Domain III dealing with the financial aspects of the superintendency and dealing with the maintenance and support of district facilities. When working on the assignment that dealt with the financial worksheets and templates, I felt completely inadequate. After speaking with some friends who work as superintendents and in central office, I felt better because they said the templates could make them feel inadequate also. While I continue with my educational growth, I will focus more on the financial and facility aspects of a superintendent’s responsibilities so that I can be well prepared for when I step into a district’s lead administrator.

Week 5- School Finance

Week 5

Part 1

Dr. Artebury stated in his week 5 lecture that, “It is almost impossible for anyone to illegally take money or resources from a school district without ultimately being caught. The checks and balances of the system are virtually foolproof. Invariably someone knows what a violator is doing. We all know that doing the right thing is the right thing to do.” School finance has long been a contentious topic in Texas schools.  The source of funding has been shrinking every year due to economic conditions along with more and more unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments. With the spotlight on finance, more and more school districts are scrutinizing their fiscal policies, as well as the current use of the funds in their districts.

Recently, allegations were made against a superintendent in a North Texas school district that she had misappropriated school funds to purchase furnishings for her home. This violated Texas Ethics Standard 1.3. The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay. The allegation was that the furnishings were being purchased to replace current furniture in the district. The short term effect this could have is the superintendent was put on administrative leave while the allegations were being investigated. This in turn could increase the stress at the central office of the employees who have to conduct the investigation. As part of the investigation, the process of how items are purchased and how the alleged actions could occur in the first place would need to be scrutinized and changes would need to be made as necessary.

When talking with my site supervisor over the past five weeks, the recurring theme has been transparency in everything that is done in a school district.  When misuses of school district funds are alleged, this can have a negative long term effect on the perception and reputation of a district’s administration. If the stakeholders have the perception that a district’s administration is not fiscally responsible, it can be hard for the district to raise funds to expand and repair facilities and campuses.

Ethical behavior is imperative in a school superintendent. Any time a superintendent believes that the policies and rules in place set forth by the state, federal, and local governments do not apply to him, it can have a negative effect on district morale and reputation. An example of this is a superintendent in a Dallas area district who accepted honoraria and travel expenses from two companies with whom the district did business. The district had done business with these companies prior to the superintendent coming on board; however, not to the extent that they did once the new superintendent increased the contract sizes currently in place. In a six month period, the superintendent went to nine out of state conferences and collected over $14,000 dollars in fees from the companies. He did all this even after he was told by the district’s attorney that this would be against local policy along with a legal representative of TASB giving the same opinion. Currently, the district is trying to get reimbursement of $240,000 from one of the companies for inappropriate use of district funds. The superintendent resigned prior to the board’s vote for removal. The superintendent’s actions violated Texas Ethical Standard 1.4. The educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage. It also violated Texas Ethical Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other state and federal laws.

Short term effect, is again, the time and effort it costs to conduct an investigation of this nature and the stress it adds to the district employees during said investigation. Long term, it could affect the hiring practices put in place to hire future superintendents and restrictions that could be put in place to protect from this occurring in the future.

Ethical allegations can also be brought up when dealing with contracts for vendors who supply services and products to the district. Currently an issue, more prevalently found in the charter school system, is the awarding of contracts for consulting and other services awarded to family members of board members and superintendents acting as CEOs and campus administrators. Charter schools currently are not held to the same standards as public school districts in the state. When severe issues arise with misappropriation of funds occur in a charter school, it can result in the revocation of the school’s operating charter. This conduct can also be seen as a violation of Texas Ethical Standard 1.4.

Another area that ethical conflicts can arise in is the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel. A superintendent was hired by a new district. In the new district, a high school principal and head football coach were also needed. He had the principal and her spouse from his previous district apply and interview for the jobs. In the principal interviews, he had his applicant interviewed in the morning. At lunch time, he called the committee and had them choose his applicant. In the afternoon session, he had his applicant assist in the hiring process of an assistant principal and the new football coach. The new coach hired was the new principal’s husband. The football coach had lost his certification from a previous state and had not gotten a certificate to teach in the state he currently resided. In addition to this, the new superintendent had resigned from his previous district for misappropriating gas from the school district’s gas pumps at their transportation depot. He had told the new district he had retired from the previous one. He lied on his application, which is a violation of ethics. In this situation there were several standards violated. The first one violated was Texas Ethical Standard 1.11.The educator shall not intentionally or knowingly misrepresent his or her employment history, criminal history, and/or disciplinary record when applying for subsequent employment. In the hiring of the new principal and head coach, the superintendent violated Texas Ethical Standards 2.3 and 2.5. Ethical Standard 2.3 states, the educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.  Ethical Standard 2.5 states, the educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, family status, or sexual orientation.

Short term effects will be the cost of investigation, along with having to start the process of hiring a new superintendent along with a high school principal and head football coach, all very pivotal positions in a school district. In addition, by hiring someone so seemingly lacking in ethics and morals, the perception of the leaders of the district by the community could be irreparably damaged by the entire incident, making it hard for the district to move forward in a positive manner without any long-lasting negative effects.

As a superintendent, it is important to have faith in the people with whom you work. A good educational leader allows those under him to have the authority to lead and take risks. Any time you throw in the human factor in an equation, there is the possibility for mistakes. Hopefully, mistakes will be small and can be used as positive learning experiences from which both you and the employee can grow and learn from. It is important, that as a superintendent, if you face a more serious situation, you approach it with as much transparency in the process to assure the stakeholders of the district that no one is held to any less of an ethical standard on your watch.

Part 2/3- Self-evaluation

Week 1	Competency	Week 5
C	apply procedures for effective budget planning and management	C
I	work collaboratively with board of trustees and appropriate personnel to develop district budgets.	C
I	facilitate and evaluate effective account auditing and monitoring that complies with legal requirements and local district policy.	I
I	establish district procedures for accurate, effective, ethical purchasing and financial record keeping and reporting.	I
I	acquire, allocate, and manage resources according to district vision and priorities, including obtaining and using funding from various sources.	C
C	use district and staff evaluation data for personnel policy development and decision making.	C
C	apply knowledge associated with personnel management, including requirements related to certifying, recruiting, screening, selecting, evaluating, disciplining, reassigning, and dismissing personnel.	C
C	manage one's own time and the time of others to enhance district operations.	C
C	develop and implement plans for using technology and information systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of school district operations.	C
C	apply legal concepts, regulations, and codes as required.	C
I	use revenue forecasting and enrollment forecasting to address personnel and budgetary needs accurately.	I

Although I feel a little more knowledgeable about school finances after the past five weeks working with the course material, I realize that I could spend five years working on school finance and not really consider it a strength. I know that finances and accounting practices are not necessarily my forte and when stepping into the position of superintendent, it will be important to make sure that there are extremely competent individuals in the financial department of the district. After week three of this course, I learned that having a strong network support system is imperative to being successful in some endeavors. Banding together with my wiki group to tackle week 3’s assignment was transforming. I think it was a strong example of what the future should look like for myself as a central office administrator.

Week 4

Part 4-

In looking at the budget for Lockhart ISD 2010-2011school year, the majority of its funds are earmarked for salaries and benefits. The total amount set aside is $28,737,258, which is 64.8% of the total budget. Currently the district employs 611 full and part-time staff. 366 of the staff are teachers, librarians, and counselors.

Prior to this course, I had no real idea how much of a school’s budget went to personnel and salaries. In studying the budgets, it was heartening to see that the majority of all districts’ budgets are set-aside for personnel. A concern with the large proportion of a district’s budget being set-aside for personnel is that in tough economic times, when cutbacks need to be made, there isn’t many areas to make cuts unless you look directly at personnel. In addition, when cutting personnel becomes necessary, it affects the morale of the entire district along with having a negative effect on the learning process in the classrooms (through increased class size, fewer courses selections offered, etc.).

Before enacting a salary increase for personnel, a superintendent needs to consider whether or not a salary increase will:

 promote or deter a goal driven budget that addresses Board of Education, District

Improvement Committee and Campus Improvement Committees goals and

priorities.

 require an ad valorem/property tax increase.

 place salaries at level comparable to area/regional districts.

 retain the best teachers in the district.

 reduce the fund balance to an unacceptable level.

 cause personnel salaries to exceed 80% of the Maintenance and Operations

budget.

 reduce the ability of the district to maintain established educational programs

 be received positively by the teachers and staff.

 be received positively by parents, key stakeholders and the general public.

 create an undesirable impact on any district function or activity. (Week 4 Lecture, question 4, paragraph 2)

If the district was to grant a 5% increase in salary for all personnel, it would mean an additional $1,436,863, would be allocated. In the current economic times, any positive impact the increase would have would be overshadowed by the negative impact it would have on the district’s financial health as a whole. To meet the upcoming school year’s budgetary needs, Lockhart ISD is going to have to take money from its fund balance to make sure the budget is balanced. Any increase would be adversely reflected in the district’s financial rating.

Week 4

Part 5-

I met with my site supervisor to discuss more of the financial processes of our district, as well as the financial processes put in place by the state to make sure districts are being fiscally responsible. In this meeting we discussed in detail the FIRST system along with the financial audit process that the district completes every year. The topic of transparency in activities was again prominent in our interview. Mrs. Wright has stressed in every one of our meetings that transparency in your actions should be the prominent factor in every action a superintendent takes.

In terms of the district’s audit process, it is very straight forward and follows the same direction every year. The external auditor is selected by the district RFQ - Request for Qualifications. (Bids) The LISD Board of Trustees reviews the RFQ and votes on which auditor will be approved. The audit is conducted at LISD Central Office. It is a desk top audit. The auditors ask questions regarding the special programs such as Special Ed and Title I programs. The audit concludes whether or not the district is in compliance with general accounting procedures as well as with GAO Government Accounting Office standards. The results are communicated as follows:
               1.The company determines if the district is in compliance and does put this detailed report in writing. 

               2. This booklet/report is then reviewed in an open School Board Meeting AND a PUBLIC Meeting. The PUBLIC Meeting is held first and then the Board Meeting generally follows.