EdLd 674Supervision and Administration

Carl Plucker
Zepeda Chapters 1-4
Danielson Chapters 3&4

1. What are the purposes of supervision?

My thoughts:
An administrators job is to the best of their ability guarantee a world-class
educational experience to every student who has the privilege to walk through their
doors, or logs on to their virtual school. To do this an administrator must have the right
person at the right spot at the right time. These people need to be highly motivated,
highly skilled and magnificently supported as they work to fulfill the organizations vision
and mission. An administrators role is to lead by example and be a part of the
organization. Part of the charge requires that they watch and supervise the people around
them. Much of this is informal, however there needs to be a systemic formal component
as well. Team members that need individualized support cannot be allowed to flounder
without aid. Team members need recognition and feedback on the incredible job they are
doing as well as insight into areas of weakness. Weak areas need to be improved upon
following a Personal Development Plan in tandem with the mentoring administrator or
qualified mentoring teacher (Zededa, 2007). Areas of strength need to be shared with the
staff again as part of a systemic plan to making all team members part of a continuous
improvement program. Danielson describes this as teachers performing at the
Distinguished level (Danielson, 2007).
Supervision and evaluation are the acts that the administrator does to ensure that
the school that is open to students is the same school that is sold on the website or shiny
pamphlet. Supervision is not evaluative. Supervision is the acting in concert helping
teachers develop and schools gain and maintain world class instructional practice.
2. What are the purposes of evaluation?
My thoughts: --Evaluation is the first and last part of a continuous improvement
plan and is meant to be summative in nature. Evaluation is where staff members
or programs are assessed according to a transparent set of standards. Staff
members are clear on what they are going to be evaluated on as well as program
directors are regarding the program. Evaluations are then used as the starting
point in determining what areas of performance need improvement. It is at this
time that an appropriate Supervision Plan is used to ensure goals are developed
and supported. Evaluations will bring to light areas of weakness. This is different
than the goals of the Instructional Supervisor. The Instructional Supervisor must
keep their observations free of fault finding (p.64).
3. Why are principals often given primary responsibility for supervising and evaluating
instruction?
My thoughts: --To be licensed and given the title of principal or asst. principal I
think it is safe to say they should show leadership abilities. They are the
protectors of the dream, a world-class educational experience for anyone who
enters the building. Principals need to inspire leadership from the ground up.

When this happens programs evaluate themselves by the instructors who are in
the classroom.
In todays era of accountability the public wants evidence of learning and resource
management. (p.9) Principals are given this mandated when many of them dont
have the discipline expertise to truly evaluate the instruction. A system of distrust
and credibility issues impedes much of what could come out of a positive
evaluation process. Teachers often feel it is an Us vs. Them situation.
Principals busy schedules often hamper the follow-up process and more distrust
develops. In this however, lies opportunity! Evaluative programs are dangerous
and often end poorly for reasons stated above, however, if a culture of true
Instructional Supervision were to take root the opposite may be realized. Zepeda
(p.29), citing the 1973 research of M. Cogan (p.12), that when authentic
Instructional Supervision was practiced, teachers were able to be professionally
responsible and more than able to be analytical of their own performance, open
to help from others, and self-directing.
The public wants accountability and they look to the leadership in the school to
account. What needs to happen is a culture of accountability to work its way
throughout the school and a system to develop where teachers account to each
other and report to the principal. Sounds a lot like the clinical definition of
Supervision.
4. What is the principals role in improving instruction?
Your thoughts: --The principals role in improving instruction is pretty
straightforward. The principal needs to ensure that each department has identified
the essential learning inside their part of the curriculum. From those essential
learnings, specific learning targets, not activities, need to be articulated and
commonly addressed throughout the department in student friendly language
(Danielson, p 51). Once these are clearly articulated and understood by
stakeholders, common assessments that vary in approach need to be created and
delivered throughout the school. Once the data is examined from these
assessments the principal needs to ensure that the teachers/teams that are
experiencing success have an opportunity to work with teachers/teams that didnt
do as well. The principals role is to expect and account for a common curriculum
and then provide a vehicle for collaboration so all can reach proficiency.
Additionally, the principal as supervisor needs to continue to develop the
strengths of their teachers as well as intervene in their weaknesses.
5. What is the principals role with program evaluation (i.e. results-based curriculum, state
mandated tests, etc.)?
My thoughts: --The principals role is to expect continuous improvement. Much
like the answer above, the principal needs to ensure that the school is teaching the
agreed upon curriculum and that there is a mechanism in place that allows
teachers to compare results in a noncompetitive/non-evaluative way as a means to
learn from each other.
Programs that are under performing need to be looked at closely with specific
goals identified and addressed. Human resources need to be developed with areas

of weakness improved upon. Human resources unable to perform at the level

expected after an agreed upon time of intervention need to be reassigned or
terminated.
Instructional resources, when budgets allow, need to be enhanced to support
student engagement.
The principal is expected to develop leadership within the teaching staff to expect
high standards.
6. What are the essential skills of successful instructional supervisors?
My thoughts: --They need to be exceptional instructors themselves and be very
keen to the nature of supervision. They need to create or foster a culture that is
steeped in Collaboration, trust, and care for members of their school (Zepeda
p.19) They need to be passionate. They need to be aware when those around
them are not keeping up, and then they need to differentiate. They need to be
excellent communicators, knowing when to listen and when to speak. When they
do speak, the need to be credible. They need to be current with what research is
saying. They need to know when they dont know something and get the people
who do in front of the group.
They need to have vision (p. 17). They need to know that we are not there yet,
however we will never get there unless we continue to do action research and then
reflect. Instructional supervisors need to inspire the instructional artists around
them.
7. What is the role of supervisory motivation in professional growth?
My thoughts: --Never ending. We are never done growing professionally. A
supervisor that doesnt promote professional growth and doesnt celebrate it when
it happens has just nominated their school for the AYP School of the month. A
staff that is not motivated and supported to grow professionally is a staff that will
back channel, create a revolving door regarding talent, and create a school
embedded in mediocrity regardless of the level of ability that the student get off
the bus with.
8. How would you describe your experiences with supervision and evaluation?
Your thoughts: --Terrible. As a non-tenured emerging teacher I was evaluated 9
times in three years. The only useful advice I received was that I say OK too
much. I was never asked what my curriculum was and what I based my lesson
plans on. I was never asked to show a lesson plan or to articulate my
understanding of the curriculum. I was never asked to explain my
evaluation/assessment system.
9. What, in your opinion, (a) hinders and (b) supports the principals responsibilities/role
with supervision and evaluation?
My thoughts:
(a) Hinders
a. The union and tenure policies
b. Lack of teacher leaders
c. Changing expectations
d. Teachers being pulled in too many directions
e. Clock and the 9 month teacher calendar

f. Lack of, and inefficient use of, staff development days

(b) Supports
a. The public
b. Todays culture of accountability
c. NCLB or new state equivalentIf it evolves into something
that is realistic.
d. Guaranteed and viable curriculum
e. Standards that are being rewritten with high quality teacher
input
f. Highly motivated and recognized for their efforts teachers
g. Teacher leaders
10. For what reasons might supervision of instruction change to evaluation of instruction?
My thoughts: --It should be that way right now. A mediocre administrator could
in theory supervise a mediocre instructional corps and maintain the status quo.
However, if the model evolves and the instructional corps is now evaluated, only
after a period of quality supervision however, areas of weakness as well as areas
of strength should become visible. This airing out could help foster plans to
intervene regarding weaknesses and showcase events to get quality work that
distinguished teachers are doing out into the open. I think it is human nature that
one will work on areas of weakness once they have been identified, thus the
beginning of a continuous improvement plan. Additionally, if the administrator
has the job description of performance evaluator it only makes sense that their
performance will also be evaluated based on performance, a pretty effective
motivator if there truly is a healthy system of supervision in place as well.
11. If the school for which you are hired as a principal used the same supervision and
evaluation models as your current school, what would you change? Why?
My thoughts: -- These are all changes because we really dont have a
supervision and evaluation process in my school.
I would immerse myself in the research that supports supervision
as a way to build capacity in my staff. I would investigate and find out
what type of culture truly exists. I would work to reestablish trust and the
value of professionalism. I would support the development of teacher
leaders who would facilitate and hopefully create true Professional
Learning Communities. I would recognize and support their development
and compensate them for their efforts. I would expect that they develop,
with support, the means of collaboration that would truly create a system
where the supervision of staff members and the evaluation of programs
and personal could authentically happen from the bottom up.
I would ask to review curriculum frameworks and identified
learning essentials and targets annually. If they were weak I would
facilitate a plan that would clearly articulate them and work to establish
common assessments in a fair amount of time.
12. Teacher motivation to accept and implement alternative teaching strategies is founded on
their ability to learn new techniques, see the value of the new techniques, and stay
focused without resorting to self-protection or self-defeating behaviors (Sergiovanni,
2007). If this is true, what can and should supervisors and evaluators do to improve the
probability that teachers will accept and implement alternative teaching strategies?

My thoughts: --First, it would be the expectation. If you are going to teach in this
building, you have to see yourself as continuously improving (Danielson p.30)
Second, I would identify the staff members that are current in the literature and
develop their leadership abilities. I would make those that were capable
facilitators in the PLCs. I would also find a way to recognize them and
compensate them for their additional contributions.
Finally, I would celebrate and recognize achievement and risk taking.
13. As a school administrator new to the profession what will you say or do if a veteran
teacher questions your ability to supervise and evaluate?
My thoughts: --Prior to being in that position I would have professionally
developed myself to allow me the credibility necessary to be in that position. I
would then listen to their concern and have them show me how and why they are
in a position to make that claim. If their claim has merit I would get the
mentoring and experience needed to fill the gap. If their claim were without
merit, I would encourage the individual to work with me as a teacher leader in
the area of supervision and evaluation. Ultimately I would like to make that
person an ally all the while mentoring them into the vision I found value in.
If they continue to act in an insubordinate way, I along with human resources and
union representation, would take administrative action against them potentially
reversing tenure status.
14. How are instruction, professional development, and supervision linked?
My thoughts: --They are not linked as individual parts connected by
convenience or modern education philosophy. They are three of the same, each
being what they are based on and on what they add to each other. The closest
example I can think of is the Christian definition of the Trinity. However, I would
like to change the word supervision to evaluation as it was eluded to in question
#10. Instructional theory, brain science and what we now understand regarding
how people learn are changing so fast that without professional development we
cannot hope to stay current. If we are ahead of the curve than it is our
professional responsibility to develop those around us. Regarding
evaluation/supervision we have to be the keepers of the dream. Teachers and
programs need to be held to high account and that will only happen if all evolved
continually assess how things are going.
Quality Supervision Models need to be identified and supported.
Mentoring and building capacity needs to be the ultimate goal to ensure a world
class learning experience for our students.
Reference List:
Danielson, C., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2009). Enhancing
professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, Va: ASCD
Zepeda, S. J. (2007). Instructional supervision: Applying tools and concepts.
Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.