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Pennsylvania Principal Competencies

Candidate Competencies (Knowledge and Understanding)

Core Standard One:

The Leader has knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, creating an organizational vision around personalized student success.

Core 1A - Understand and address major challenges that schools face as they enable students to reach high standards to be successful adults in the new world economy.

Core 1B - Lead and motivate a school or district in creating a vision and strategic plan focused on higher student achievement.

Core 1C - Create a process of change in order to improve student achievement.

Core 1D - Develop a vision, mission, and strategies for school improvement.

Core 1E - Understand the conceptual framework for thinking strategically.

Core Standard Two:

The Leader is grounded in standard-based systems theory and design and is able to transfer knowledge to his/her job as an architect of standard-based reform in theschool.

Core 2A - Understand historical and contemporary issues in the development of national, state and local PK-12 academic standards.

Core 2B - Understand current Federal, state and district standards and requirements for demonstrating and reporting student performance data.

Core 2C - Understand standard-based systems theory and design, including the elements of a standards-based school system, which are aligned and focused on string results for students.

Core 2D - Understand the implications of communicating assessment results to students, teachers, parents, government and the community-at-large.

Core 2E - Understand current research and strategies on school reform and school design models.

Core 2F - Understand the importance of a coherent curriculum and effective instruction as key strategies for improving student performance.

Core Standard Three:

The Leader is grounded in standard-based systems theory and design and is able to transfer knowledge to his/her job as an architect of standard-based reform in theschool.

Core 3A - Understand the critical role of data in informing decisions, setting, targets, and interpreting results for learning.

Core 3B - Understand available technologies that can be used to gather and maintain data systems.

Core 3C - Understand how to access data needed to address the long-term and strategic planning needs of the school in the areas of personnel, fiscal operations, facilities, technology and other leadership initiatives.

Core 3D - Understand how student achievement data are used in decisions on curriculum and instruction and how to access data from national, state and local sources.

Core 3E - Understand how to use data from many sources reported in multiple formats to improve student achievement, such as demographics, student achievement and learning, school process, perceptions data.

Corollary Standard One:

The Leader creates a culture of teaching and learning with an emphasis on learning.

Corollary 1A - Develop a deep understanding of current research in teaching and learning.

Corollary 1B - Model the attributes of a continuous learner and create high expectations for others.

Corollary 1C - Engage families in developing a learning culture.

Corollary 1D - Develop leadership skills in teachers.

Corollary Standard Two:

The Leader effectively manages resources for effective results.

Corollary 2A - Effectively employ available resources to maximize benefits.

Corollary 2B - Plan and implement an effective learning environment.

Corollary 2C - Develop and maintain an effective staffing plan.

Corollary Standard Three:

The Leader collaborates, communicates, engages, and empowers others inside and outside the organization to pursue excellence in learning.

Corollary 3A - Engage stakeholders in effective improvement efforts.

Corollary 3B - Communicate effectively with all stakeholders

Corollary 3C - Effectively engage stakeholders in the school governance process.

Corollary Standard Four:

The Leader operates in a fair and equitable manner with personal and professional integrity.

Corollary 4A - Practice impartial, reasoned and ethical judgment in all decisions and actions.

Corollary 4B - Understand and demonstrate the professional code of ethics.

Corollary 4C - Respect and engage diverse stakeholders to improve performance and learning.

Corollary Standard Five:

The Leader and advocates for children and public education in the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.

Corollary 5A - Accurately interpret and apply laws, policies and regulations to promote the success of students.

Corollary 5B - Effectively educate and engage governmental and community leaders in issues regarding children and their education.

Corollary 5C - Promote a continuous focus on children and their learning.

Corollary Standard Six:

The Leader supports professional growth of self and others through practice and inquiry.

Corollary 6A - Understand the process of aligning professional development activities with student performance goals.

Corollary 6B - Understand the importance of continuous learning within the context of a learning organization.

Corollary 6C - Understand the importance of motivating, mentoring and modeling to improve professional practice.

Special Education One:

Over-representation of diverse students in Special Education.

Sed 1A - Identify factors contributing to the over-representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in programs for individuals with disabilities and implement strategies for the reduction of the over-representation.

Sed 1B - Demonstrate an understanding of over-representation of minorities in special education so as to not misinterpret behaviors that represent cultural, linguistic differences as indicative of learning problems.

Sed 1C - Demonstrate the ability to interact and meet effectively with families.

Sed 1D - Distinguish between the culture of the family and the economic situation of the family and how poverty affects families.

Sed 1E - Identify how the family’s culture and values affect how they view disabilities.

Sed 1F - Celebrate heritages and vultures and their link to learning.

Sed 1G - Incorporate stories and resources from many cultural and ethnic traditions.

Sed 1H - Build on students’ strengths when teaching literacy skills to language minority students.

Sed 1I - Use best, evidence-based practices for teaching student from diverse backgrounds.

Sed 1J - Implement processes that successfully prevent inappropriate placement and ensure that the opportunities for educational achievement to minority students equal those offered to the majority group.

Special Education Two:

Prevention and Early Intervention.

Sed 2A - Connect general education curriculum, compensatory and special education in providing high quality standard- based instruction/intervention that is matched to students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs.

Sed 2B - Demonstrate high-quality instruction for all students, through scientific research and evidence-based practice to produce high rates for learning for all students.

Sed 2C - Implement universal screening of all students with periodic monitoring of students’ progress in the curriculum.

Sed 2D - Provide interventions for struggling learners at increasing levels of intensity and matched to individual student need.

Sed 2E - Implement an integrated system of assessment and data collection for identification of students struggling to meet academic and behavioral expectations.

Sed 2F - Monitor students’ learning rates and levels of performance and use that information in ongoing problem solving and decision-making.

Sed 2G - Determine which students need additional help regarding the intensity and likely duration of interventions, based on each student’s response to instruction across multiple tiers of intervention.

Sed 2H - Participate in school-wide approaches to intervention and effective instruction.

Sed 2I - Demonstrate evidence-based practices for use in both the special and regular education settings in the school.

Special Education Three:

Effective Instructional Strategies for students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings.

Sed 3A - Identify effective instructional strategies to address areas of need.

Sed 3B - Scaffold instruction to maximize instructional access to all students.

Sed 3C - Monitor student progress to provide mediated scaffolding and increase academic rigor when appropriate.

Sed 3D - Provide feedback to students at all levels to increase awareness in areas of strengths, as well as areas of concern.

Sed 3E - Strategically align standard-based curriculum with effective instructional practices.

Sed 3F - Identify and implement instructional adaptations based on evidence-based practices to provide curriculum content in a variety of ways without compromising curriculum intent.

Sed 3G - Analyze performance of all learners and make appropriate modifications.

Sed 3H - Design and implement programs that reflect knowledge, awareness and responsiveness to diverse needs of students with disabilities.

Sed 3I - Use research-supported methods for academic and non-academic instruction for students with disabilities.

Sed 3J - Develop and implement universally designed instruction.

Sed 3K - Demonstrate and understanding of the range and the appropriate use of assistive technology (i.e., no tech, low tech, high tech).

Sed 3L - Demonstrate efficient differentiated instruction and an understanding of efficient planning, coordination, and delivery for effective instruction required for inclusive settings.