2000.1 Appendix

   Superintendent's Leadership Performance Areas and Specific Areas of Responsibility

Successful Superintendents of Schools are visionary CEOs who lead dynamic enterprises in a shifting climate of policy, politics, society, economics, and law. Balancing and managing national reform and accountability initiatives against local circumstances, they create the conditions that drive their school district's leadership, quality of instruction, and student achievement. Research has shown that the nation's most successful Superintendents possess highly developed leadership, vision, and strategic thinking skills, and that these skills, combined, influence student achievement.

Together, CABE and CAPSS have created the following framework to help guide Superintendent evaluation and development. CABE/CAPSS regularly revises this document to reflect continuing developments that shape Superintendents' areas of responsibility.

I.  Educational Leadership

Grounded in relationships, the Superintendent enlists and guides school district stakeholders toward the district's educational goals, demonstrating an intense focus on continuous district improvement.

Working with the Board of Education, community, and staff, the Superintendent:

  develops and implements a vision that inspires action and commitment;

  develops and implements a district leadership plan that guides decision making;

  aligns resources to drive a district-wide strategy for improving the performance of all students;

  establishes systems that build staff capacity and hold staff accountable for results;

  establishes and sustains a culture of continuous improvement and accountability;

  purposely aligns systems and structures that support the strategic operating plan;

  identifies the values and ethics under which the schools function.

Serving as the Board of Education's educational leader and chief executive, the Superintendent:

  works with the Board of Education, staff and community to facilitate the development and implementation of a vision of learning that sets high performance expectations for all students and staff;

  promotes a positive school culture in which there is an effective instructional program and a comprehensive professional development plan for staff;

  belongs to, actively supports, and participates in professional organizations (e.g., CAPSS, AASA) and encourages the Board of Education to actively support and participate in their professional organizations (CABE, NSBA);

  uses knowledge of research-based best practices related to learning, teaching, student development, organizational development, and data management to optimize learning for all students.

II.  Organizational Management

Effective facilitation of the day-to-day operations of the school district and its programs requires leadership in organizational management. This includes establishing systems and appropriate delegation of tasks for:

  consistent with Board of Education policy, recruiting, hiring, and retaining personnel for the school district who show potential to best meet the needs of all students;

  providing a system of support, supervision, and consistent evaluation to ensure effectiveness of certified and classified staff;

  preparing, advocating for, and implementing an annual budget that addresses district goals and meets the needs of all students;

  implementing policies adopted by the Board of Education and recommending appropriate changes; and informing the Board of administrative procedures necessary to implement Board policies;

  ensuring the health and safety of students and staff;

  reporting regularly to the Board of Education on all relevant matters.

III.  Community and Board of Education Relations

Community and Board of Education relations are critical to the success of the Superintendent and the school system.

Community relations: The Superintendent works in partnership with the Board of Education and the community to:

  establish a vision, goals, and objectives for the district;

  communicate regularly and clearly with the community;

  provide data and information to assist with the evaluation of the district operations and programs;

  represent the district to the community;

  maintain positive working relationships with key local, regional, and state organizations and agencies.

Board relations:

Working in a professional manner, the Superintendent:

vprovides professional advice and keeps the Board of Education informed and updated on educational issues and the school system's needs and operations, by providing appropriate recommendations and supporting data.

  responds to communications from staff and community, as appropriate; ensures the adherence and appropriate response through the chain of command; and keeps Board of Education members informed about significant operational issues in a timely manner.

IV.  Staff Relations

No chief executive officer, including a superintendent of schools, can lead a successful organization without establishing healthy and productive relationships with the organization's staff members. To establish such relationships, a superintendent must ensure that systems are in place that:

  provide for a safe and orderly work environment for all staff;

  delegate authority appropriately to all staff members;

  give all staff members sufficient authority and support to meet their responsibilities;

  provide all staff members with effective, relevant, and ongoing professional development aligned with their responsibilities and opportunities for advancement;

  provide all staff members the information they need to meet their responsibilities;

  provide for substantial consideration of input from staff members on all important policy and procedural decisions that involve them;

  provide for regular and systemic communication to all staff members with respect to all major organizational goals, objectives, and management issues.

V.  Personal and Professional Qualities and Relationships

Personal and professional qualities and relationships are critical to the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The Superintendent, with poise and diplomacy, must:

  maintain high standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity in all professional matters;

  continue to refine and develop their skills and contemporary knowledge;

  make decisions based on sound professional practice;

  interact effectively with individuals and groups both within and outside the school district to accomplish the goals of the district;

  strongly advocate for public education and support their convictions;

  maintain a healthy balance between professional obligations and personal life.

VI.  Growth in Student Achievement

Every school district's core mission is to prepare all students for the future by ensuring their growth in achievement. The Superintendent does not deliver instruction directly to students but must set expectations and take specific actions that establish a culture conducive to growth in student achievement.

The Superintendent must establish systems for:

  involving stakeholders throughout the system to establish instructional and achievement goals;

  collecting data on a regular basis regarding student achievement in all programmatic areas;

  analyzing data to identify areas of instruction requiring focus and emphasis;

  developing and implementing plans to ensure growth in student achievement and for revising those plans regularly, in accordance with relevant student achievement data;

  holding staff accountable for implementing plans to enhance student achievement and for the intended growth in student achievement;

  determining whether achievement growth strategies are successful and methods to conduct relevant assessments;

  setting, in concert with the Board of Education, assessable school system goals for yearly performance in student achievement and methods for conducting the relevant assessments;

  setting, in concert with the Board of Education, reasonable and assessable goals for their performance -- within the context of available resources and Board support -- for the Superintendent's proposals.

Reference:  Connecticut Superintendent Leadership Competency Framework developed by LEAD Connecticut