principal supervisor standards refresh final 06-14-16

The Principal Supervisor

Leadership Standards

The Principal Supervisor Leadership Standards

Copyright © 2016 by NYC Leadership Academy, Inc., Long Island City, NY. All rights reserved.

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Welcome to the Principal Supervisor Leadership Standards. These standards are designed to help systems better define

effective practices of a principal supervisor as well as to support principal supervisors to improve their performance in

the complex work of balancing support and supervision. We firmly believe that high-quality leadership in the role of a

principal supervisor is critical to achieving NYC Leadership Academy’s vision to improve academic outcomes

nationwide, particularly in under-served and under-resourced communities.

Developed by the NYC Leadership Academy in consultation with current practitioners* around the nation and aligned

to the Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards (2015), the NYCLA Principal Supervisor Leadership Standards

reflect our deep experience in national principal development and our work in supporting schools and systems in 28

states within the United States and two countries. This document is grounded in the belief that focused work on a subset

of clearly defined standards helps principal supervisors most effectively support their principals in positively impacting

student success.

*Please refer to the Appendix for a list of contributors.

http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2015/2015PrincipalSupervisorStandardsFinal1272015.pdf

The Principal Supervisor Leadership Standards

Copyright © 2016 by NYC Leadership Academy, Inc., Long Island City, NY. All rights reserved.

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The document contains seven standards and identifies their critical core

leadership dimensions and behaviors: (1) Build Instructional Leadership

Capacity; (2) Develop Learning-Rich Communities of Practice; (3) Balance

Coaching & Evaluation; (4) Engage System Leaders to Promote Principals’

Success; (5) Lead for Equity and Access; (6) Drive & Sustain Strategic Change;

and (7) Pursue Personal Leadership Development.

The goals of the standards are to (a) assist school systems in defining priorities

and core responsibilities for principal supervision; (b) support school systems in

identifying essential practices of a principal supervisor during the recruitment

and selection process; and (c) ground the professional growth of principal

supervisors in concrete skill and knowledge development—whether through

formalized professional learning experiences or through individual goal-setting

and development.

This is a living document for principal supervisors that can be used regularly to

chart growth and progress, and set actionable goals for learning and

development.

(1) Build Instructional Leadership Capacity

Leadership Dimension

Behaviors That Meet the Standard

Alignment to Model Professional Principal

Supervisor Standards (Actions)

1.1 Engage in own instructional

leadership development to ensure all

students have access to high quality

teaching and learning

a. Take responsibility to continuously develop

instructional expertise and stay up-to-date with

local, current, and national initiatives related to the

school experience

b. Utilize a research-based foundation to support, plan,

and guide own instructional leadership

development

c. Understand the difference and intersections

between a principal’s leadership ability and a

principal’s ability to lead instruction

d. Communicate an explicit plan outlining your role in

supporting principals to achieve their goals

1.2 Support principals to develop,

articulate, and implement an

instructionally-focused theory of

action that meets the unique needs

of their school communities

a. Support principals to identify well-defined school-

wide instructional focus area(s) based on data

trends and patterns

b. Facilitate alignment between the system’s

instructional theory of action with those within your

network of schools

c. Support principals to build a climate and culture

centered around the improvement of instructional

practice

d. Support principals to create culturally responsive

learning environments that build on students’ assets,

needs, and experiences and willingly confront issues

of equity and access that impede student learning

(1) Focus their time on supporting principals’ efforts

to improve teacher effectiveness, student learning

and achievement

(4) Collaborate with principals to articulate and

refine a district-wide shared vision and

understanding of effective principal instructional

leadership and how the evaluation system supports

the vision

(4) Ensure all principals clearly understand the

district’s expectations for instructional leadership

and the associated terminology

(5) Examine school-level goals and strategies to

promote equity for students and ensure alignment

with district vision, policies, and strategies

1.3 Build a culture of instructionally

focused feedback

a. Spend majority of time in schools observing and

supporting principal practice to determine

leadership needs

b. Know how to diagnose and identify principals’

strengths and weaknesses and determine actions

and supports needed to improve their instructional

leadership practice

c. Model observation and feedback protocols to

develop principals’ skill at using low-inference

evidence to identify patterns and trends related to

instructional focus area(s)

d. Engage in teacher observation and feedback

calibration (or norming) exercises with principals to

improve classroom-based practices across the

school

e. Build principals’ capacity to provide actionable

instructional feedback to teachers and other staff

(1) Spend time in schools observing principals and

the effects of their leadership efforts

(2) Monitor their use of time to ensure they are

spending most of it in schools developing principals

as instructional leaders

(4) Gather qualitative, quantitative, and

observational evidence about principals’ capacity

for instructional leadership

(5) Lead processes to select and induct principals

ready to serve as successful instructional leaders

1.4 Build principals’ capacity to

develop staff ownership of high-

leverage instructional initiatives

a. Support principals to develop systems and structures

for distributive leadership

b. Build principals’ ability to diagnose staff’s strengths

and areas for growth as related to providing access

for all students, across lines of race, class, gender,

language, and ability

c. Help principals develop sustainable structures for

capacity-building, teacher leadership, collaborative

learning, and shared decision-making

(5) Help principals created distributed leadership

systems and structures that support teaching and

learning

(6) Ensure that the school community has access to

the full range of integrated services to meet the

diverse cultural and learning needs of each

student

(2) Develop Learning-Rich Communities of Practice





2.1 Establish practices that build a

culture focused on equity, trust, and

public learning for principals

a. Engage principals in a collaborative decision-making

process to establish purpose, goals, and outcomes

using qualitative and quantitative data and/or

problems of practice

b. Create learning structures for principals to share

expertise, engage in continuous improvement, and

strategically implement initiatives

c. Create a safe space to address hard-to-discuss topics

and encourage failure and vulnerability as key levers

to continuous learning

(2) Establish and sustain safe and supportive

learning communities that provide peer

feedback and promote innovative thinking

(7) Understand the dimensions and challenges

of professional growth

2.2 Design, lead, and facilitate

standards-based learning experiences

for principals

a. Create an annual scope, sequence and curriculum to

support professional learning

b. Engage communities of practice in exploring cutting-

edge practices and research-based models to

challenge the status quo and identify new solutions to

persistent challenges

c. Leverage various learning modalities to design flexible,

ongoing, and just-in-time learning

d. Assess formative and summative impact of

professional learning on the growth and achievement

of school goals, and adjust accordingly

(2) Utilize professional learning strategies that

are supported by research and known to be

effective with principals

2.3 Support principals to implement

learning-rich communities of practice

at their school sites

a. Apply tenets of adult learning theory to build

principals’ capacity to lead conversations about


b. Hold principals accountable for using meeting time

with staff effectively

c. Model learning processes aimed at building and

sustaining strong communities of adult learners

d. Observe and provide feedback to principals about

the impact of the communities of practice they are

facilitating, organizing, and/or leading, on student

learning

(2) Build relationships with principals based on

knowledge of adult learning theory, common

goals, trust, support, and mutual

accountability

(2) Ensure the principals’ communities of

practice stay focused on instructional

leadership

(3) Balance Coaching and Evaluation





3.1 Seek to recognize own mental

models when engaged in a coaching

relationship

a. Make an explicit effort to recognize and

acknowledge the differences between your

own leadership stance and the leadership

stance of the principal you are coaching

b. Seek to understand the cultural and diverse

learning needs of principals in order to

differentiate your coaching style based on

individual needs

c. Transparently explain reasoning and research

behind decisions and actions that have an

impact on your coaching moves

3.2 Build relationships based on mutual

trust and accountability

a. Establish a safe learning environment by modeling

vulnerability, help-seeking, and being transparent

about own gaps in knowledge

b. Seek feedback from principals to model the critical

importance of reciprocal accountability and two-

way feedback

c. Practice responsible pivoting by shifting between the

roles of evaluator and coach as necessary, while

always staying focused on principal learning

(2) Communicate effectively with principals

and explain reasoning and research behind

decisions and actions

(2) Shift from being a coach to a supervisor as

necessary to push the learning of the principal

7) Share professional learning goals with

supervisors and principals to garner support and

accountability

3.3 Continuously learn and employ a

range of targeted coaching strategies

a. Balance the learning needs and dynamics of each

principal and leadership team with the instructional

needs of the school community

b. Provide actionable feedback to principals that

provokes thinking, creates conditions to promote

necessary discomfort, and opens opportunities for

reflection

(2) Differentiate the support given to each

principal through balancing the learning needs

of the principal and the instructional needs of

the school

(3) Provide purposeful, timely, goal-aligned,

and actionable feedback to principals

c. Model questioning techniques to build principals’

ability to effectively balance inquiry with problem-

solving

d. Know and practice when to be directive and when

to be facilitative based on individual needs

3.4 Diagnose and assess principals’

needs using multiple measures of

achievement and performance

a. Maintain a growth mindset when applying

evaluation tools to provide goal-aligned feedback

and support

b. Develop principals’ capacity to explicitly link

leadership actions with instructional practice and

student outcomes with specific attention to the

diverse cultural and learning needs of students

c. Use multiple data points to diagnose and assess the

principals’ capacity to lead including the ability to

directly confront biases that impede students ability

to learn and achieve

d. Use the system’s key performance and evaluation

indicators to drive principal goal setting,

identification of areas for support, and creation of a

learning plan.

e. Engage in difficult conversations to address

underperformance using evidence-based data

(3) Use evidence from a variety of sources to

assess current levels of principals’ proficiency

and to target areas for professional learning

(3) Formatively assess principals’

implementation of new practices through on-

site observations and other sources of evidence

(3) Monitor the effects of principals’

implementation of prescribed actins

(4) Communicate and model how the

evaluation process supports principal’s growth

as instructional leaders

(4) Support principals in reaching their goals by

monitoring progress, conducting formative

assessments, providing feedback, and revising

elements of the professional learning plan as

needed

(4) Collaborate with principals to identify

leadership strengths and weaknesses,

determine actions and supports needed to

improve their practice, and develop a

professional learning plan for achieving their

goals

(4) Engage System Leaders to Promote Principals’ Success


Behaviors That Meet the

Standard



4.1 Collaborate with system leaders to

prioritize initiatives that are best

aligned to the needs of school

communities and actively work

towards equity and access

a. Strategically buffer principals from

distractions to keep a focus on

instructional leadership and equity

b. Support system to manage requests of principals and

streamline outgoing communication to principals to

increase coherence across the system c. Prioritize high-impact solutions that maximize a focus

on the improvement of instructional outcomes for the

system’s most under-served youth

d. Actively dissect the impact of system goals, policies,

and strategies on schools and school leaders, and

advocate accordingly

(5) Gather and provide feedback to district

leaders regarding district goals, policies, and

strategies to support the work of principals and

student learning

(5) Evaluate the effectiveness of the district’s

systems to support schools and student learning

(8) Provide feedback to central office staff

about ways to improve services that support

principals, schools, and student learning

4.2 Act as a conduit between system

and principals to manage resources

and problem solve

a. Analyze what occurs at the intersection of system and

schools to identify and act upon conditions that

impede instructional improvement

b. Use systems-thinking and multiple data points to

diagnose and draft potential solutions to challenges

across the system

c. Ensure principal understanding of what makes a high

quality leader

d. Employ innovative thinking, at the school and system

level, in response to identified needs of students

(1) Identify operational and other central office

supports for principals that allow principal

supervisors to focus on instructional leadership

(5) Connect principals to central office

resources and personnel to support the

principals’ work

(5) Strategically buffer principals from

distractions to maintain their focus on

instructional leadership

4.3 Identify and align resources within

the system that promote equity and

access for all students

a. Ensure that there is easy access to data within the

system to be able to diagnose and predict racial

disparities b. Help principals align resources to prioritize short- and

long-terms goals that promote academic learning

and social emotional growth

(5) Assist principals in learning to allocate

school resources in ways that best support staff

and meet their school’s needs

(8) Identify operational and other central office

supports for principals to implement change

c. Help principals align decisions and resources

(including time and attention) to explicitly address

inequitable practices and dismantle systems and

policies that perpetuate inequitable practices d. Coach principals with time management and

strategic thinking in service of goal attainment

4.4 Foster communication and

relationship-building between

principals and system leaders

a. Facilitate shared decision-making by connecting

principals to central office and other resources

b. Engage principals, key system leaders, and

community stakeholders in problem solving that

solicits multiple perspectives, incorporates feedback,

and broadens ownership

c. Act as system ambassador and principal advocate to

effect agreement on system’s instructional vision and

strategic priorities

d. Engage stakeholders in difficult conversations to

improve relations between school communities and

the system

(5) Communicate vision, goals, and strategies

of the district with all internal and external

stakeholders

(5) Lead for Equity and Access



Alignment to Model Prof.

Principal Supervisor Standards

5.1 Publicly model a personal belief

system that is student-centered and

grounded in equity and access

a. Practice language and behaviors that are responsive to

differences across lines of race, language, class, religion,

ability, gender and sexual orientation

b. Continuously identify, examine, and manage own

assumptions, beliefs, and personal behavior

c. Coach principals to identify, examine, and manage

assumptions, beliefs, and personal behavior

d. Model strategies designed to support adults and students

engage in context-specific, culturally responsive learning

about difference

e. Utilize short and long term data to understand specific

needs of school communities and support principal to

promote urgency amongst staff

(2) Model culturally responsive best

practices and effective leadership

behaviors such as self-awareness, reflective

practice, transparency, and ethical

behavior

(6) Exhibit cultural competency in

interactions and decision making with

principals and community

5.2 Partner with families, staff, and

communities to ensure fair treatment

and equal access to opportunities

a. Model being proactive, thoughtful, and equity-

conscientious when addressing the needs of stakeholders

b. Build principals’ capacity to use research-based, high-

leverage strategies to empower parent leadership

c. Ensure that each student, staff, and parent is treated fairly

and has physical and linguistic access to the learning

environment

(6) Ensure that teachers and staff are

treated fairly and equitably and have

physical access to a positive and

collaborative work environment

5.3 Promote productive dialogue and

collective work on equity, with an

emphasis on race

a. Leverage relationships with key leaders to increase the

sense of urgency and legitimacy around the topic of racial

equity in schools

b. Ensure equitable access to exceptional teachers through

recruitment and selection, and high quality instructional

practices with explicit attention to staff representation of

student demographics across lines of race

c. Create the conditions and common language for

courageous conversations around race

(6) Ensure that each student is treated fairly

and equitably and has physical access to

the learning environment and academic

access to excellent teachers

d. Explicitly address issues that impede the achievement of

racial equity or access at the school level or within the

system

5.4 Champion and encourage

cultural responsiveness amongst

principals as they manage

relationships, communicate, and

collaborate with stakeholders

a. Build principals’ capacity to practice language and

behaviors that are responsive to differences across lines of

race, language, class, religion, ability, gender, and sexual

orientation

b. Support principals as they learn how to navigate political

contexts and environments external to the school (system,

city, state, and federal governance, elected officials,

funding sources, constituencies)

c. Ensure principals’ communication, collaboration, and

decision-making reflect the system’s values and beliefs in

equity and access for all students

(6) Protect students’ equitable access to

social capital within the school and to high

quality instructional practices

(6) Monitor schools as affirming and inclusive

places

(6) Drive and Sustain Strategic Change





6.1 Analyze and interpret data

across a network of schools with

specific attention to the diverse

cultural and learning needs of

students

a. Leverage formative and summative data to inform

network-wide decisions and focus areas around


b. Help principals accurately interpret a wide range of

data to identify patterns, trends, and instructional

needs, with specific attention to disparities across

lines of race, ability, language, and gender

c. Formatively assess implementation, progress and

impact of facilitated change, and make mid-course

corrections, as needed

d. Use continuous and structured cycles of inquiry to

review data and identify areas of inequity with

principals and their leadership teams

(3) Gather qualitative, quantitative and

observational evidence about principals’ capacity

for instructional leadership and serving the needs of

diverse learners

(8) Use evidence from a variety of data sources to

identify areas that need improvement in each

school as well as across school to inform district

responses

(8) Use data to assess the impact of change on the

determined need.

(8) Assess the principal’s effectiveness in leading

change at the school level

6.2 Model resilience when

addressing social, cultural, or

political challenges

a. Balance the urgent with the important, prioritize, and

align daily actions/behaviors to stated goals

b. Predict and plan for intended and unintended

consequences of key decisions

c. Remain current on local, state and federal laws,

regulations, and data as they relate to the teaching

and learning experience for principals, teachers, and

families

d. Model how to navigate resistors, demonstrate

empathy for diverse perspectives without

personalizing resistance, and maintain a steadfast

lens on school improvement

(7) Remain current on latest laws, regulations, and

required data

6.3 Manage innovative and systems-

focused change

a. Demonstrate willingness to adapt to change

b. Identify current and anticipate future expertise and

capacity needs within the system

c. Leverage the system to support the development of

a pipeline of future school and system leaders

d. Use systems thinking to create organizational and

programmatic coherence with your system peers

and within your network of schools

e. Synthesize and makes meaning of complex, and

sometimes contradictory information and

stakeholder perspectives to effectively solve

problems

f. Lead effectively using a broad, long term view

despite unclear, shifting or incomplete information

(5) Assist with the development of a strong pipeline

of future school leaders

(8) Determine situationally-appropriate strategies

for improvement, including transformational and

incremental approaches, in response to identified

principal and school performance needs

(8) Employ innovative thinking and strategic

planning to create change in response to identified

school performance need

(8) Communicate to principals and district the

need and the means for effecting and embracing

change

(7) Pursue Personal Leadership Development





7.1 Maintain a personal growth

mindset

a. Use feedback, principal performance, and student

achievement data to identify personal strengths

and areas for growth

b. Create processes for principals, colleagues, and

supervisor to provide direct and actionable

feedback

c. Assess and monitor progress against goals in order

to make revisions to improve leadership practice

d. Model continuous self-improvement and public

learning for principals

(7) Use feedback and data from multiple sources (e.g.

principals, supervisor, and principals supervisor

colleagues) to reflect upon personal strengths and

weaknesses and determine needed professional

learning

(7) Evaluate progress in achieving professional learning

goals and adjust as necessary to achieve them

7.2 Facilitate personal leadership

growth

a. Set personal measurable goals aligned to the

vision and performance metrics of the system

b. Seek learning opportunities to maximize quality by

leveraging successes and systematically

addressing areas of growth

c. Promote a culture amongst peers focused on

individual and collective professional growth and

public learning

(7) Use relationships and experiences to inform and

improve their leadership practice

(7) Set pertinent and measurable learning goals to

improve their leadership practice

(7) Engage in individual and collective professional

learning activities to meet professional learning goals

APPENDIX - List of Contributors We would like to thank and acknowledge the following practitioners who contributed to the development and refresh of the NYCLA Principal

Supervisor Leadership Standards.

Karling Aguilera-Fort, Assistant Superintendent

San Francisco Unified School District

San Francisco, CA

Dr. Imee Almazan, Principal

Alum Rock School District

San Jose, CA

Dr. Linda Anderson, Executive Director

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Suwanee, GA

Bernard Chandler, Academic Superintendent

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Cleveland, OH

Dr. Alison Huguley, Assistant Superintendent

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Pittsburgh, PA

Clay Hunter, Executive Director

Gwinnett County Public School

Suwanee, GA

Peggy Goodman, Executive Director

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Suwanee, GA

Gonzalo S. La Cava, Area Superintendent

Fulton County Schools

Atlanta, GA

John LePelley, Principal


Cleveland, OH

Carol Lockhart, Academic Superintendent


Cleveland, OH

Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri Reed, Assistant Superintendent

Monterey Peninsula Public Schools

Monterey, CA

Obi Okobi, Principal

City Neighbors Hamilton

Baltimore, MD

Dr. Matilda Orozco, Asst. Sup of Elementary Education

Beaumont Independent School District

Beaumont, TX

Habeeb Quadri, Principal

MCC Full Time School

Morton Grove, IL

Lorenzo Russell, Academic Superintendent


Cleveland, OH

Dr. Michele Shannon, Assistant Superintendent of Leadership

Boston Public Schools

Boston, MA

Lawrence Bo Wright, Superintendent

Solvay Union Free School District

Solvay NY

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