MEDICINE HAT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 76 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES TITLE: Principal Reflection: Principal Questions EXHIBIT CODE: 301 E 003 POLICY REFERENCE: 301 Quality Leadership, Professional Growth, Supervision, Evaluation EXHIBIT See attached exhibit: Principal Reflection: Principal Questions. Approved and Adopted: April 19, 2011
Medicine Hat School District No. 76 PRINCIPAL QUESTIONS EMBODYING VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Vision, mission, communication, leadership, school improvement, planning, decision making, change and innovation, analyzing data, school goals and celebration of school achievement. 1. Does your school have a vision/mission? If so, how was it developed? How has it translated into developing and influencing the school culture? Teaching practices? Student learning? How would a visitor know what the mission and vision are? 2. How has your vision become a shared vision with stakeholders? Explain the process. 3. How do you report student achievement/diploma results to your parents and community?
4. What procedures do you have in place to recognize student and staff accomplishments? 5. Describe specific changes/initiatives you have undertaken in the last two years, and the rationale for these changes/initiatives. 6. What extra-curricular activities are provided at your school to address the interests and needs of the students?
PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP Quality teaching, strategies, student achievement, student assessment, evaluation, supervision, appropriate programming, technology, communication with parents and use of community resources. 1. Do you have a copy of all staff long-range plans? Have you gone through these with each teacher? Please show examples. 2. Do you have a copy of course outlines for each teacher? Have teachers shared the information with students and parents? Please show examples. 3. A. Do all staff members have access to the latest curriculum materials? How do you ensure that they keep them current? B. Do you consider yourself knowledgeable with curriculum, including implementation of new curriculum in your school?
4. Have you collected all staff Professional Growth Plans and discussed them with staff this year? Please show examples. 5. What process is used to analyze Achievement/Diploma results? Please provide examples. 6. What strategies relating to school improvement plans have you implemented as a result of the Accountability Pillar Report? 7. Explain how you determine the number of minutes for each subject in your timetable. Have you considered things like weaknesses identified by achievement testing, student needs, etc?
8. How are your Special Needs and Gifted students integrated and/or programmed for? 9. How do you ensure that student assessment and evaluation practices are fair, appropriate and balanced? 10. Describe your involvement in effective supervision and evaluation of staff. What measures are you employing to ensure that all teachers meet the Alberta Teaching Quality Standards? 11. How is your school using technology to enhance and support student learning?
12. What community resources are being used to enhance student learning? 13. What sort of issues and information do you regularly communicate to your parents? How is it done? Provide examples.
DEVELOPING AND FACILITATING LEADERSHIP Leadership capacity, shared decision making, multiple perspectives, team building and involvement of school community. 1. Explain the decision-making procedures in your school with a focus on assessing the input of staff/school council/parents in the following areas: Technology Plan School Plan ( Education Plan, Annual Education Results Report, student handbook) Student Achievement Budget 2. If we were to ask staff members, what would they tell us about your regular staff meetings? Show an example of an agenda and minutes. 3. Explain how you are building leadership capacity in your staff.
4. Cite examples of how you promote team-building skills among members of staff and community. 5. Describe the structure of your school council. When are the meetings scheduled? How effective are your meetings? Cite examples. Describe attendance at your meetings.
MANAGING SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND RESOURCES Resources and safe & caring. 1. To what extent have you used Mental Health Workers? 2. Do teachers have access to student records? Are they up to date? 3. How do you keep staff current on new and existing policies?
FOSTERING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS Positive working relationships, fairness, integrity, caring, respecting & honoring diversity, a focus on the best interest of students, communication, facilitation, problem-solving, dealing with conflict and acting with professionalism. 1. Do you provide time for students and staff to sit with you or members of the administrative team and voice concerns? 2. Do students, parents and community members believe that your staff respects and honors diversity, and provides a safe and caring environment? Explain. 3. Do you have a school-wide discipline policy? How was it developed? Please provide a copy.
4. What is the procedure for handling discipline problems in the school? 5. Are you viewed as fair and considerate by students, staff and community? Cite examples. 6. Are parents notified of potential and existing problems, either academic or behavioral, so that early intervention takes place and issues are resolved? Cite examples. 7. Describe your relationship with your administrative team.
LEADING A LEARNING COMMUNITY Life-long learning, high expectations, meaningful professional development and parental involvement. 1. Do you consider yourself a learner? Cite examples. Explain your involvement in professional development this year. 2. How are professional development decisions made in this school? Are the professional development activities meaningful? Cite examples. 3. Aside from school council, what opportunities do you provide for parental involvement?
UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO THE LARGER SOCIETAL CONTEXT Child advocate, awareness of community needs and community advocate. 1. Do you consider yourself a child advocate? Cite examples. 2. Are there specific ways you address the unique and diverse community needs? Cite examples. 3. What is the approximate percentage of parent turnout for your parent teacher interviews? What have you done, and what do you plan to do, to increase the number of parents attending?
SUMMARY 1. What do you consider your areas of strength? 2. Have you identified areas where improvement can be made? Consider reference to Professional Growth Plans.
BUDGET 1. Do you have a budget committee? 2. Is the school council/staff provided an opportunity to provide input into the budget process? How does this occur? 3. Is the staff/parent council provided interim financial position of the school regularly? When does that occur and in what form?
O & M 1. Do you meet regularly with your custodians to address concerns; and include at least a monthly walk about? 2. How often do you have outside user groups in your building and do you collect rent? Is the rent then passed onto Central Office? 3. How often do you meet with the Administrator of Facilities and/or Manager of Custodial Services to discuss concerns and upcoming projects?