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Pennsylvania Superintendent 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 - Work with the Board of Education to accomplish strategic goals and objectives.

Core 1B - Facilitate the development of a shared vision for personalized student success.

Core 1C - Apply strategic thinking and change strategies to address student achievement challenges at the district level.

Core 1D - Work with a team to create and implement strategic, operational, and tactical plans that demonstrate desired results.

Core 1E - Lead a team through a district-level problem solving process resulting in a plausible solution.

Core 1F - Apply a range of leadership styles appropriate to a variety of coil texts.

Core Standard Two:

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

Core 2A - Implement a district-wide standards-based reform initiative.

Core 2B - Apply systems thinking in decision-making situations.

Core 2C - Focus adequate resources on reform efforts.

Core 2D - Demonstrate the ability to align reform efforts with federal, state, and district requirements.

Core Standard Three:

The leader knows how to access and use appropriate data to inform decision-making at all levels of the system.

Core 3A - Lead decision-making processes appropriate to the situation.

Core 3B - Structure problems for solution and frame issues for resolution.

Core 3C - Use assessment and evaluation information for continuous improvement efforts.

Core 3D - Use data and information to inform decisions.

Corrolary Standard One:

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

Corollary 1A - Apply research-based best practices to solve school reform problems and challenges.

Corollary 1B - Apply best practices to establish and improve the organizational climate across the educational community.

Corollary 1C - Model the attributes of a continuous learner and demonstrate that expectation for others.

Corollary 1D - Plan and execute plans to ensure the safest and most secure environment across the district.

Corollary Standard Two:

The leader manages resources for effective results.

Corollary 2A - Develop a budget plan that is aligned to district goals and priorities.

Corollary 2B - Ensure that technology is appropriately implemented throughout the district.

Corollary 2C - Know how to manage human resources effectively.

Corollary 2D - Increase and allocate available resources.

Corollary 2E - Assess the way resources are utilized and the results produced.

Corollary 2F - Know regulations and policies and how to interpret them accurately and apply them appropriately.

Corollary 2G - Provide consistent and effective management practice through written policies and procedures.

Corollary Standard Three:

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

Corollary 3A - Establish and improve the culture of learning throughout the district.

Corollary 3B - Communicate effectively.

Corollary 3C - Involve key community, district, and school stakeholders in reform efforts.

Corollary 3D - Model appropriate leadership behavior and develop leadership skills in others through mentoring and coaching.

Corollary 3E - Assemble appropriate stakeholders into effective teams for problem solving.

Corollary Standard Four:

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

Corollary 4A - Demonstrate impeccable personal and professional ethics at all times.

Corollary 4B - Embrace and utilize diversity to improve performance and learning.

Corollary 4C - Use data and information from multiple sources to improve decision-making across the district.

Corollary 4D - Address conflict and resolve differences to achieve effective results.

Corollary Standard Five:

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

Corollary 5A - Identify and interpret external influences and how they impact local educational decisions.

Corollary 5B - Exhibit continuous focus on all children and their individual learning needs.

Corollary 5C - Exhibit sound judgment in operational and educational decisions to maximize learning opportunities for all children.

Corollary 5D - Engage with governmental and political leaders to effectively address the developmental and educational needs of all children.

Corollary 5E - Demonstrate knowledge of the law.

Corollary Standard Six:

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

Corollary 6A - Use professional development as a way to increase individual and institutional capability.

Corollary 6B - Engage staff and Board members in relevant professional development activities.

Corollary 6C - Develop professional development plans that create challenging opportunities for all staff.

Corollary 6D - Demonstrate the ability to identify and nurture individual strengths and leverage the human resources to benefit the district.

Corollary 6E - Design professional development plans that lead to improved student learning.

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.