Important Competencies for the Selection of Effective School Leaders: Principals’ Perceptions Arturo J. Cavazos Martha N. Ovando The University of Texas at Austin Paper Presented at the 2012 University Council of Educational Administration: The Future is our: Leadership Matters November Denver, Colorado

Introduction  Public Education has been under increased scrutiny since the passage of accountability laws accentuating the responsibilities for all educators, including principals.  The accountability standards for public schools and the changes in student demographics make the job of the principal more complex and demanding.  As a result, the selection of effective school principals has become critical to enhance student achievement

 Previous research on competencies of effective principals have focused on superintendents’ perspectives (Rammer, 2007).  Few have focused on which competencies are important for the selection of campus leaders from the principals’ perspective within schools serving majority Hispanic students.

Purpose of the Study To examine which competencies are important for the selection of school principals along the Texas-Mexico border, from the principals’ perspective, how these are assessed during the selection process, and whether differences exist by campus level: elementary, middle, and high school.

Research Questions 1.What do principals perceive to be important competencies in the selection of an effective school leader? 2.How were the competencies of effective school principals assessed during the selection process? 3.What are the differences in the importance of the competencies by campus level: elementary, middle school, high schools?

Methodology  Quantitative Survey Research  Sample Selection  Campuses  Participating principals  Instrumentation  Data Analysis

Campus Data and Demographics DemographicN= 100 Campus level Elementary school39 Middle school33 High school27 K-12 1 Student enrollment 251– –1, ,001–1, , Proportion of Hispanic students 51–90%36 91%+64

Partici p ant Profile Demographicn Gender Female64 Male36 Ethnicity Hispanic63 White34 Black 2 Other 1 Tenure as principal 1–3 years 9 4–7 years37 8–10 years15 11–15 years years20

Important competencies in the selection of an effective school leader.

CompetencyM Communication4.85 Visibility4.82 Culture4.73 Focus4.73 Involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment4.73 Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment4.71 Resources4.66 Ideals/beliefs4.64 Outreach4.64 Monitoring/evaluating4.62 Input4.62 Situational awareness4.60 Discipline4.59 Affirmation4.57 Order4.57 Flexibility4.56 Relationships4.52 Optimizer4.48 Change agent4.47 Intellectual stimulation4.43 Contingent rewards4.41

Additional Competencies CompetencyDefinitions Data-driven decision making “Is able to analyze campus test data and determine instructional gaps for goal setting and targeting.” “Knowledge and skill to interpret and make changes based on data collected.” “Finding a way to reach a goal without looking for excuses” Finance“Principal has a working knowledge of budget.” Knowledge about special needs “Understands programs including Special Ed, Bilingual, Gifted and Talented, Migrant, At Risk, etc.” LoyaltyNo definition given Ethics “Holds her/himself to a high level of professional standards of conduct.” Triage partnering “Student, parent, school partnering in instructional program.” Professional development “Is able to determine professional development needs based on data analysis.” Balance“Ability to keep work and personal life in equal increments.”

Assessing competencies of effective principals assessed during the selection process.

Competency Application Presentation at interview Interview with committee Interview with superintendent or designee Not assessed n%n%n%n%n% Communication Visibility Focus Involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment Culture Resources Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Outreach Monitoring and evaluating Situational awareness Ideals/beliefs Discipline Input Order Affirmation Flexibility Relationships Optimizer Contingent rewards Intellectual stimulation Change agent

Additional Forms of Assessments  Other competencies were assessed using different methods. For example:  A Gallup Survey  Reference checks  Experience in the district  Familiarity with the district

Differences in the importance of the competencies by campus level: elementary, middle, and high school.

Competency ElementaryMiddleHigh MMM Communication Visibility Focus Involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment Culture Resources Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Outreach Monitoring and evaluating Situational awareness Ideals/beliefs Discipline Input Order Affirmation Flexibility Relationships Optimizer Contingent rewards Intellectual stimulation Change agent

Conclusions All the identified competencies are endorsed as important for the selection of effective principals Communication is the most important competency to consider in selecting a principal serving in predominantly Hispanic schools at any campus levels Data-driven decision making is an emerging competency to consider when selecting principals along the Texas-Mexico border. Assessment of competencies tends to rely mostly on interviews with a committee and interviews with the superintendent or designee

Implications  Practice  School districts should determine the competencies that are relevant and important for principals serving in a specific school context.  Human resource managers must identify and employ the most effective methods for assessing the competencies.  Professional development initiatives should address the gaps in competencies of current principals.

Implications (Cont.)  Aspiring principal candidates could complete a self assessment and use the results to address any gaps in their preparation.  Principal preparation programs should conduct assessment centers to identify candidate competencies and address their needs through curriculum or individualized development plans.

Future Research  Focus on principals’ competencies in areas other than the Texas-Mexico border.  Determine similarities and differences relevant to gender or size of campus.  Include face to face interviews with select principals in a specific district.  Employ an inductive approach to identifying the emerging critical competencies given the current accountability context.

Closure Equity and excellence in education for all students demand an effective school principal for each and every campus. When the assessment of competencies correlated with effective school principals becomes an integral part of the selection process in all districts across the country, academic achievement should expand exponentially for all children.

Thank You