PLI - field supervision page 1

Field Supervision Handbook Page 1, 2, 3

PLI Field Supervision Handbook

It goes on one at a time
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again after they said no,
it starts when you say We
and know who you mean, and each
day you mean one more.
- Marge Piercy, “Low Road”

The Principal Leadership Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, is a program to prepare leaders for urban schools. To prepare highly qualified leaders, we enlist the collaboration of districts and sites, principals and superintendents, field supervisors and faculty, who together try, once again, as the poem above suggests, to “start because we care” about urban schools and the students in them.

The PLI is responding to a California Governor’s Initiative to increase the number of principals who are better prepared to lead urban schools. PLI graduates are knowledgeable about curricular and instructional alternatives and are able to work collegially with teachers, parents and community to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and thereby improved achievement, for students in urban schools. PLI candidates become familiar with the broadest possible range of reforms and develop a greater understanding of their roles as leaders in the change processes that will be required to implement these reforms. Candidates are chosen, in consultation with districts, on the basis of their commitment to urban students and schools and on their prior experience as strong teachers.

The curriculum of the PLI is organized around four thematic areas:
Teaching and Learning
Educational Organizational Leadership and Management
Education Change and ReformIssues in Urban Education

The candidates are Behring Scholars, and they receive a scholarship that covers most of their UC Berkeley fees. The Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) is a part of the Kenneth E. Behring Institute for Educational Improvement. The PLI was implemented in Summer 2000.

The primary goal of the program is to engage future urban educational leaders in translating theory and research into effective practice. The program is rigorous and competitive, and it is both university- and field-based. PLI candidates are asked to make connections between courses and between theory and practice. They are charged with becoming thoughtful practitioners who value and apply research to the practical world of schools.

A summary of program principles that particularly apply to field supervision are:

Principals are collaborators and distributed leadership is a productive way to organize schools.
The main responsibility of the administrator is to be an instructional leader, and the main work of the principal is organizing a professional development climate at the school in which observation of classrooms is a norm and the purpose of teacher work is improving the achievement outcomes for students.
A solid knowledge base of learning theory and models of teaching best prepares future principals to talk to teachers about teaching and learning.
Supporting teachers requires principals to observe classes, plan carefully for professional development with staff input, and not back away from having the difficult conversations.
Operations and management decisions are made in the service of teaching and learning.
The cycle of inquiry for school improvement requires data analysis and an investigation and analysis of student and teacher work.
Poverty is the largest risk factor for students and families, thereby placing students placed at risk for educational failure; yet urban students, families, and communities have assets that are often overlooked. It is the responsibility of the principal to form effective relationships with parents and the community.
Diversity is a strength of urban schools and effective leaders are able to talk openly about race, ethnicity, culture, class and gender differences, assets and issues.
Schools should be places of continuous inquiry and improvement, and aspiring principals should be engaged in site-based inquiry and research as a way of preparing to be administrators who can lead teachers to do the same.

There are two ways in which PLI students can engage in field work: (1) a Practicum or (2) an Administrative Internship. At the time of application, candidates are required to submit an approval form with signatures from a proposed site supervisor and a district official indicating the willingness of the supervisor and the district to support the candidate. (Appendix H).

One form of assessment of field work and class work is the Professional Development Plan and Documentation (PD2). The PD2 is a working document that the candidate prepares at the outset of the PLI and amends or adds on to as s/he gains experience through the practica or internship experiences. This form is organized around the four thematic areas of the PLI and the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSELs). The field work, during the academic year and summer, is critical for gaining the hands-on experiences in leadership that are represented by the competencies.

The PD2 is used in these ways:

Each candidate is asked to assess prior experience in leadership that is deep and sustained for inclusion on the PD2.
All coursework is viewed as a part of fulfilling the standards. The coursework often includes site-based requirements.
Each candidate, in collaboration with the Program Coordinators, the Field Supervisor, and the Site Supervisor, identify specific field-based objectives and experiences under each competency.
Each candidate addresses six objectives in the PD2: interpersonal, public speaking, race and diversity, technology, data, and personal health/motivation

The final PD2 is submitted in August of the second summer of the program as evidence that the candidate has gained novice level administrative experience and is prepared for a role as a school leader. The Candidate is then recommended for the Preliminary ASC credential after he or she completes the Masters Project, a requirement of the M.A. However, performance of standards in a credential program is not the only criteria in obtaining a position. Sufficient experience, as determined by the district, is an important determinant in which position is appropriate for the candidate. Should the candidate have a position prior to completion of the Masters Project, the program is authorized to obtain an Administrative Intern credential for the candidate. Upon completion of the MA, the candidate is then recommended for the Preliminary ASC.

One important way in which candidates develop leadership capacity is taking on leadership roles in the schools. With the assistance of the Field Supervisors, who are UC Berkeley employees, candidates are better able to make the theory-practice connections. The FS is the candidate’s mentor and advocate. The responsibility of the Field Supervisor is to negotiate with the Site Supervisor to design leadership experiences that will meet the competencies need to become a site leader and troubleshoot any issues that arise.

PLI Students in Practicum Leadership Experiences

Most students in the PLI program are eligible for and select the Practicum option. They are typically employed in a school, or on occasion a district office, in one of several capacities: Teacher, Curriculum or Literacy Coach, Teacher on Special Assignment, or Coordinator of a Special Program. The work they are engaged in requires a teaching credential.

To adequately prepare to be a leader, however, each of these candidates must be involved in substantial leadership experiences and projects at a school site. The more sustained the experiences are, the better prepared the candidate will be for administrative positions. Yet, the practicum experience is not “one size fits all.” It is the belief of the PLI program that it is our responsibility to (1) work with individual districts and schools to design practica experiences that represent the individual needs of each student; (2) carefully monitor those experiences onsite; and (3) make certain that the candidate has sufficient experience that s/he will qualify for leadership positions in the district.

The minimum number of required leadership hours during the program is 225 hours over the course of the program (fall, spring, summer 2), but more importantly the candidate must demonstrate their abilities in the multiple areas detailed in the PD2 and the CPSELs.

The minimum hour requirement is matched with the course requirements: Practicum in School Site Management 460A (Fall), Practicum in School Site Management 460B (spring) and Practicum in School Site Management 460D(Summer 2). In the fall and spring, candidates engage in leadership experience and leadership projects at the school site. In summer 2, the candidate and the program, in conjunction with the PLI staff and Field Supervisor, develop a summer practicum or internship that best meets each candidate’s needs to complete novice standards for principals as indicated on PD2. They are typically in the summer practicum from 8:30-12:30 for six weeks. In all cases, the candidates should work with strong administrators. PLI candidates engage in leadership experiences throughout the course of the 14 month program.Therefore, the candidate must have an opportunity at the school site to engage in leadership projects and experiences. These experiences include, but are not limited to: facilitating meetings, observing classes and having conversations about practice with teachers, shadowing the principal, acting as Principal for a Day, attending meetings at the district level, taking responsibility for a special project, becoming an active member of School Site Council (including preparation of school plan and budget), organizing and presenting professional development for colleagues, and organizing parent workshops. They should have an opportunity to have substantive experiences in all aspects of teaching and learning and in management (budget, scheduling, discipline, school planning).

If the candidate is a full time classroom teacher, accommodations need to be made at the school site in terms of the schedule so that the prospective administrator can engage in and gain competence in administrative responsibilities.

Those in the practica option are assigned a UCB Field Supervisor who has served as a full time principal. The Field Supervisor is expected to make a minimum of three observations/consultations at the school site per semester and provide feedback to the candidate. A fourth consultation can occur by phone or email. These observations are documented by the FS and observation forms or narratives are on file with PLI program.

PLI Students in Administrative Internship Option

As a result of UC Berkeley’s involvement in collaborative relationships with public school districts in our region, the PLI has approved for offering the Administrative Internship. The internship option is a response to the district need for qualified administrators and is designed to serve local school districts, which hire people into administrative positions simultaneously with their enrollment in the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program. In all cases. these PLI candidates are full time employees of the hiring school district and the school district requests an Administrative Intern Credential for its employee. The district must provide a letter of employment.

Typically, the intern will be a certificated staff member within a district and is recruited by the district for an administrative opening in the district. The university trusts that the Superintendent and the School Board of that district have made a wise decision in choosing

that person as an Administrative Intern. The university sees its role as collaborative support for the Administrative Intern who is also a PLI candidate. At no time do we recruit interested persons to be interns and then place them in school districts.

For those candidates who are in this situation, the PLI at UC, Berkeley offers an Administrative Internship option. For these students, who will be acting as full time administrators, the objective is to gain a variety of experiences that prepare them to fulfill the competencies of novice administrators, with a particular concentration on setting them on the right course in their first role as an administrator. The PLI Program emphasizes their development as instructional leaders and works with the school site administrator to make certain there is sufficient time and attention given to observing classes and conferencing with and guiding teachers.

Depending on the kind of experiences that candidates have during the school year, the summer experience for the person in an Administrative Intern role will be designed individually to meet the needs of the candidate. Again, the task of the PLI Practicum Coordinator and Field Supervisors is to work closely with districts and schools to design summer school experiences that assist candidates in completing standards in individual areas of need.

Those in Administrative Intern roles are assigned a UCB Field Supervisor who has served as a full time principal, preferably in the district in which the candidate is working. The Field Supervisor is expected to make a minimum of 6 visits per semester or 3 visits in the summer to consult with Administrative Intern.

During Summer 2 or the fall following the PLI, the candidate can also obtain an Administrative Intern credential if the candidate is hired for an administrative position in the schools.

Field Supervision Handbook Page 1, 2, 3