Results of the CASE Needs Assessment of Building Level Administrators Executive Summary The Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) with a grant from the Colorado Department of Education conducted a needs assessment of Colorado building level administrators. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the professional development needs of principals and assistant principals necessary to lead their schools to higher levels of student performance. Items included in the survey were based on current literature that describes best practices in schools that lead to significant school improvement and student achievement results. Surveys were mailed to all Colorado principals and assistant principals for a total of 2,324 recipients. There were 486 completed surveys returned; this is 21% of the total surveyed. Thirty-three subjects returned the surveys using the CASE website. Only nine surveys were returned with no forwarding address. Survey items were grouped into ten categories and building administrators were asked to respond to the extent training was needed for each of the items using a 4 point scale. The four-point scale identified the extent to which principals, assistant principals and teachers need training in the ten categories: 1. Not at all, 2. Small extent, 3. Some extent, and 4. Extensively. For the purpose of this summary, a percent rating was used. For example, a rating of 75% indicates that 75% of the respondents rated the item as an area where training is needed (3) to some extent or (4) extensively. Please see the attached survey results for more information. In Table 1, the ten categories are listed in the same sequence they were given in the survey.

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Table 1: Ten Categories Included in the Needs Assessment Survey 1. Leadership for School Improvement 2. School Organization and the Environment 3. Promoting a Culture of Learning 4. Managing and Using Data 5. Technology 6. Teacher Quality 7. Teachers Demonstrating Best Practice 8. Professional Development 9. Student Services 10. Communication

Summary of Ratings School administrators identified the category Leadership for School Improvement as the area with the greatest need for training overall. The survey item, … to set goals based on student achievement results with an emphasis on closing achievement gaps and addressing learning deficiencies…, received the highest rating, with more than an eighty two percent of subjects responding that training is needed to some extent or extensively. Setting priorities for change and identifying common beliefs to accelerate student learning also received high ratings in this category. The second highest category identified for training was Promoting a Culture of Learning. This category delineates the qualities of a learning environment such as …motivation to learn new teaching practices and a sense of urgency to improve learning for students and teachers…Teaming was identified as a training need with the descriptors of … effectively work in teams to monitor student progress and identify best instructional practice…and… regularly discuss instructional practices that will lead to higher levels of student performance for all students…each receiving high ratings. In addition, the item,

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… collectively examine student work to ensure that the level of performance is aligned with performance standards… received a need rating of over 75%. The item… Ensuring that teachers demonstrate skill in presenting lessons that will engage students in authentic learning activities that require higher levels of critical thinking… received the highest rating with a response across all size districts of approximately 85%. The category, Teachers Demonstrating Best Instructional Practice, had a strong response in several of the items, including training for school wide literacy, writing across the curriculum, and best instructional practice training in math, science and English. The category, Managing and Using Data, had several items that were identified as having high training needs. …Continually monitoring data, establishing the means to manage and distribute data, and analyzing data to determine school goals… received ratings of approximately 75% with the exception of districts in the 10-20,000-size group responding with an average of 66%. All five items in this category received ratings overall above 75% with few exceptions by district size. The category, Professional Development identified a need for training in order to establish a process for teachers to try new learning and to collaboratively design a professional development plan that is linked to student and teacher performance needs. The item…Provide a supervision and evaluation process that is designed to promote the professional development of staff, and is closely linked to student performance goals and the school improvement plan…in the Teacher Quality category received a need rating of 75% across all size of districts. The Student Services category that itemized training for IDEA and LEP received ratings of approximately 66% across all size districts. There was more disparity among different size districts in their responses on items in this category. Districts within the 2,000 to 10,000 range, responded with a rating of a 70% training need for both IDEA and LEP.

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The category, Communication received ratings of from 50% to mid 60%. Smaller districts reported a need of 70% with districts of 10,000-20,000 responding with a 52% average. This category included the items that addressed parental involvement, managing the media, and providing information for stakeholders and parents. The three items in the Technology category were all rated between 50% and 60%. Again, there is more disparity among districts with regard to the need ratings in this category. The item …ensuring teachers have sufficient computer skill to integrate technology into the curriculum and use technology as an instructional tool… received the highest ratings in this category with districts of 2,000-10,000 giving it an average of 74%. Recommendations: The following recommendations are given based on the needs assessment of building level leaders across all size districts. Professional development for school leaders should be focused on the real work of principals as they move their schools to meet high performance standards. Training should be sustained over several years as principals work with their faculty to problem-solve around school improvement issues. 1. Design and offer a leadership series that would provide building administrators with training in systemic school improvement. Principals would learn the skills and knowledge necessary for: •

Creating a collaborative school culture focused on accelerating student performance results;

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Using student performance data to determine goals and guide instruction;

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Providing the structure for teacher’s to meet regularly in teams to discuss student performance issues, instructional strategies, and school and classroom goals;

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Designing and implementing job-imbedded professional development that is linked to student learning and teacher training needs.

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2. Provide one or two day workshops addressing specific areas so that school leaders can select workshops that meet their specific needs. These workshops would include: •

Managing and using data; monitoring student performance, setting goals and action plans for school improvement;

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Planning and implementing interventions to accelerate student achievement;

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Implementing a process for supervision and evaluation that is linked to school improvement and student achievement;

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Best instructional practice specific to math, science, writing across the curriculum, and school-wide literacy;

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Using technology as a tool to improve instruction;

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Designing professional development that supports the school improvement plan.

Conclusion: Although the literature continues to cite the principal as key to significant school improvement, there have been few opportunities for principals to learn the essential skills necessary to lead faculty in today’s environment of heightened accountability. Colorado school leaders now have access to longitudinal data on student performance and many schools are making progress in meeting achievement goals. However, school leaders are in need of acquiring the knowledge and skills that have been identified in current school reform literature as strong indicators for significant school improvement. Professional development for school leaders cannot be delivered as a series of disconnected one-time activities that are not directly tied to school improvement goals and student achievement. For training to affect school improvement, it must be in-depth, sustained over time, and embedded in the day-to-day practice of the administrator.

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