Leadership

2.1: MONITORING EFFECTIVENESS

Leaders regularly monitor and evaluate the success of the school’s program and hold themselves accountable for results.

KEY QUESTIONS

• How does the school leader support instructional practices that improve student learning?
• How does the school leader ensure alignment between what is taught and what is assessed?
• How does the school leader have access to school, classroom, and student level assessment results?
• How does the school leader have access to assessment results broken down by standard?
• When students don’t learn at this school, what happens at the leadership level? What happens at the instructional level?
• How does the school leader use multiple objective metrics to determine school success (i.e. assessment results, graduation rates, student retention rates, parent/student surveys, etc.)?
• How do students participate in formal assessments multiple times a year?
• How does the school leader review assessment results with staff at least quarterly?
• How are intervention programs documented?
• Are successes are backed up by data?
• How does the school leader ensure there is an annual or quarterly review of curriculum materials?

EVIDENCE

• Teacher evaluation system – documentation of classroom walk-thru observations, post-observation dialogue
• Documentation of coaching conversations
• Agenda and minutes of meetings between teachers and leaders that demonstrate discussion around student academic achievement.
• Documentation of data-driven discussions
• Documentation of intervention programs with separate analysis of intervention effectiveness
• Communication to parents regarding intervention results
• Evidence of student self-progress monitoring
• Schedules of induction or mentoring programs that include references to school values about teaching and learning
• Quarterly benchmark assessments
• Weekly formative assessments
• Summary graphs and charts displaying results of student assessments – quarterly and annually
• Student work samples with teacher feedback
• School leader reports to the governing board on school’s outcomes

2.2: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Leaders engage in regular professional development and reflective practice.

KEY QUESTIONS

• Does the school leader have a written professional development plan?
• Is the school leader aware of the professional development opportunities available every quarter from a variety of different sources?
• Has the school leader attended a conference or topic specific training in the last quarter?
• Does the school leader regularly read journals, newspapers, blogs, etc. related to education?
• How aware is the school leader of and has he/she read recently published academic reports and articles from credible sources?
• Has the school leader completed a formal self-reflection on strengths and weaknesses based on multiple sources of data (student achievement data, teacher/parent surveys, established leader rubrics, etc.)?
• How are the professional development opportunities pursued aligned with the school’s mission and vision?
• How does the school leader implement concepts/practices after the training?

EVIDENCE

• A yearly professional development plan for the school leader
• Leader’s professional development summary
• Certificates of completion from relevant trainings
• Completed self-reflection form that identifies strengths and weaknesses
• Subscription to academic professional journals
• Budget line item for professional development for administration
• Documented changes in programs with a link to research

2.3: AVOIDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The school leader abstains from any decision involving a potential or actual conflict of interest.

KEY QUESTIONS

• Does the governing board have a conflict of interest statement?
• Does the school leader avoid being involved in any decision that could lead to a possible financial gain?
• Does the school leader disclose all affiliation with potentially interested members of the governing authority?
• Does an independent, disinterested governing board conduct a review of the leader’s performance?
• Has the school leader and governing authority consulted with legal counsel to help identify any potential conflicts of interest?

EVIDENCE

• Conflict of Interest Statement in charter
• Governing board manual of policies
• Staff Handbook
• Governing board meeting minutes that indicate the leader recusing him/herself because of a potential conflict
• Organizational chart that documents no conflicts of interest
• Audit report shows no findings with regard to conflict of interest

2.4: INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Leaders make appropriate management decisions to improve classroom instruction, increase student achievement, and improve overall school effectiveness?

KEY QUESTIONS

• Has the school leader provided ample daily instructional time to support student learning?
• Has the school leader provided ample teacher planning, collaboration, and reflection time?
• Are teachers given access to sufficient instructional resources?
• How does the leader regularly evaluate the effectiveness of teaching staff?
• Has the school leader worked to maximize the amount of financial resources dedicated to supporting teaching and learning?
• How does the school leader ensure that teacher salaries and benefits are competitive enough to attract high quality teachers?
• How does the school leader take into consideration teacher strengths when making grade level and course teaching assignments?
• Has the school leader established a uniform code of conduct throughout the school that supports successful teaching and learning?
• Has the school leader developed a written plan for instructional improvement that includes coaching opportunities for all teaching staff?
• Has the school leader actively gathered input from all staff before making key management decisions that effective teaching and learning?

EVIDENCE

• School daily and weekly schedule
• Common planning time scheduled for teachers
• Documentation of PLC
• Teacher Evaluation framework that includes informal, formal observations, documentation of dialogue with leader and teacher
• Instructional resources available for teachers
• School climate/culture surveys
• Policies, processes, and procedures related to hiring, placement, and retention of instructional staff
• School budget
• Record of teacher teaching assignments
• Record of internal and external professional learning opportunities
• School wide instructional improvement plan
• Teacher/leader planning meeting minutes that show active discussion about key management decisions
• Organizational chart with role descriptions

2.5: COMPLIANCE

Leaders are aware of and comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including those pertaining to Special Education.

KEY QUESTIONS

• Has the school leader read and have a thorough understanding of the school’s charter as a contract to ensure improved student achievement?
• Is the school’s program of instruction aligned with the charter contract?
• Does the school leader have state and federal compliance documents and materials?
• Does the school leader have a calendar or timeline of key compliance requirements for reporting to the authorizer, the ADE, and the USDoE?
• Are staff members in place to collect, organize and report to the state or federal agencies data that are required for compliance?
• Has the school received any audit or compliance findings from the authorizer, ADE, or the USDoE with regard to reporting and record keeping?
• How does the school leader monitor changes to laws and regulations?
• How does the leader monitor compliance with state and federal laws?
• Does the school leader attend trainings or meetings that provide updates regarding changes to laws and regulations?
• Does the leader have a process for addressing issues identified, either internally or externally, within the school regarding non-compliance?
• Does the school leader implement changes to procedures or processes based on changes to laws and regulations as a result of training?
• Does the leader participate in advocacy, either organized or individually, with the state legislature?
• Does the leader collaborate with key staff, vendors or stakeholder to ensure compliance?

EVIDENCE

• School leader provides reports to governing board, parents, and other stakeholders which align to authorizer’s Academic Performance Framework
• Curriculum and instruction reflects the mission and philosophy described in the charter contract
• Copies of compliance documents, i.e., USFR, ADE Guidance and Regulations, IDEA, 504, Title XV, etc.
• Academic and financial dashboards for monthly reporting to board
• Calendar/timeline indicating deadlines
• Staff members hired with demonstrated knowledge or expertise needed to comply with requirements
• Audit/compliance documents and/or results
• Internal procedure manuals to guide staff in their work
• Internal audit processes and procedures in place
• Training certificates
• Demonstrated changes in processes or procedures based on updated regulations or statute
• Process for addressing non-compliance issues
• Documentation of amendments to the authorizer
• Staff or vendor meeting agendas or documentation
• Participation in Association meetings/calls or individual advocacy at the state or federal level
• Attendance at authorizer meetings
• Evidence of engagement with the authorizer, the Arizona Charter Schools Association and Center for Student Achievement. For example: participation in Advocacy Tour, Governance Week, Legal Week, professional development opportunities for leaders and teachers, school website links to outside organizations etc.

2.6: DIVERSITY

Leaders implement practices to build the school’s and community’s capacity for cultural competence.

KEY QUESTIONS

• Does the leader champion a mission that address the student achievement and learning of all learners?
• How does the school leader demonstrate that he/she respects diversity of their students and staff?
• Does the school have policies in place which respect the diversity of student learning styles and needs?
• Does the school have a system in place to ensure that the learning needs of all students are met?
• How does the school utilize research based interventions and enrichments to respond to student need?
• Does the school have access to student achievement data that can be used to inform instructional decisions with regard to intervention and enrichment?
• Is there evidence that instructional decisions are made based on data?
• Do teachers receive training on diversity, differentiation of instruction, data analysis, utilization of intervention and enrichment, etc.?
• How do educators use multiple learning and teaching approaches to support the learning of all students?
• How does the school leader monitor that policies are implemented by all staff members?
• Has the school developed a systematic response to student learning through a pyramid of interventions?
• Does the school have interventions for both academic and social needs of their students?
• How does the leader monitor the implementation of differentiation and intervention?
• How does the leader model behaviors that align which create the environment that is necessary for all students to learn and achieve?
• Are students’ academic and personal development guided by an adult advocate?
• Does the leader collaborate with key staff, vendors or stakeholder to ensure compliance?

EVIDENCE

• School mission statement addresses learning or achievement of all students
• Leader’s communication to stakeholders
• Parent/caregiver involvement plans
• List of varied activities and communication modes with families. For example: parent information portal, online newsletters, parent centers, academic nights, open house events, early release days; website, newsletters, annual report; survey results.
• School policies that address instructional methods and models that respect diversity of learning and addresses differentiation of instruction
• System of instructional management and assessment exists that support all students’ learning
• Research based interventions and enrichments are available for teachers to utilize
• Teachers have access to student achievement data throughout the year to differentiate instruction and plan intervention and enrichment
• Students have learning goals established or individualized plans for instruction based on achievement data (school, LEA or state level assessments)
• Training calendars and agenda
• A systematic response to student needs is available that outlines the specific interventions and enrichments that are available for teachers to use with students
• Evidence of monitoring of differentiation, intervention and enrichment, i.e., formal classroom observations, informal classroom visits, collection of lesson plans, conversations with students and teachers, etc.
• Evidence of modeling behaviors i.e., staff meeting agendas, newsletters or communication with students, parents and staff, observation of leader, survey data from staff and students
• Partnerships with community based organizations that represent the target population as described in the school’s charter and grant applications
• Professional development on cultural competency/culturally responsive teaching (CRT)
• Needs assessments
• Parent/student/community surveys

2.7: SELF-REFLECTION

Leaders engage actively in reflective self-assessment and school-wide assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of practices and processes being implemented at their school site(s), identify areas for improvement, and acquire or create what is needed to address identified needs.

KEY QUESTIONS

• Does the leader engage in reflective self-assessment – questions may include “How dp we know we are doing what we say we are doing?”
• Does the leader engage in annual 360 assessment and goal setting?
• Does the leader facilitate school-wide assessment?
• Is this reflective self-assessment ongoing or based on isolated events and/or timeframes?
• Is this school-wide assessment ongoing or based on isolated events and/or timeframes?
• How does the leader include teachers, staff or other members of the school community in the self- assessment or school-wide assessment process?
• How does the leader solicit feedback from others regarding his/her performance?
• Is the leader responsive to feedback and data gathered from self-assessments or school-wide assessments?
• Does the leader expect others in the school to engage in reflective self-assessment?
• How does the leader translate results from these assessments into clearly articulated improvement plan (individual and/or school-wide)?
• Does the leader collaboratively develop plans to address identified needs?
• Does the leader engage others in the implementation of the planned improvements?

EVIDENCE

• Self-assessment results i.e., formal documents, reflective journal entries, etc.
• School-wide assessment results i.e., needs improvement assessments, ASIP, Performance Management Plan documents, surveys, etc.
• Dated documents or timelines provided that indicated when self-assessments or school-wide assessments were administered
• Newsletters, correspondence with stakeholders, staff meeting agendas, etc. indicating the involvement of others in the self-assessment process and solicitation of feedback
• Policies or procedures documentation to teachers indicating the leader’s expectations for self-assessment and participation in school-wide assessment
• School and/or parent satisfaction surveys and analysis of results
• Professional growth/improvement plan for leader
• A school-wide improvement plan has been developed
• Evidence that the school-wide plan was developed collaboratively i.e., multiple authors on the document/materials, staff and teachers are able to communicate the plan and how they helped to develop it, etc.
• Evidence of implementation of the plan (individual or school-wide)