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NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Task 2

Instructional Leadership for a Professional Learning Culture

What Do School Leaders Need to Think about When Creating a Professional Learning Culture through Professional Learning Groups?

Task 2 requires school leadership candidates to demonstrate how to foster school improvement by developing and supporting groups of teachers as professional learning groups. A candidate works with one small group of teachers as an ongoing learning group or community of practice by engaging in structured learning activities to improve the practice of its members with the goal of improving student performance in a student priority academic area. A priority academic area is an area in which improved student performance is desired based on input from staff at the school and district level, and with attention to student groups that are a priority in the school.

Candidates are required to provide evidence that demonstrates that the chosen subject or academic performance area and the target student group are priorities. As an example, a candidate might designate fourth-grade ELA close-reading skills for ELL students as a Task 2 priority academic area after carefully analyzing ELA data from state- required testing or other standardized measures, as well as fourth-grade first-term common assessment data and school and district improvement plans, and consulting with the fourth-grade PLC teachers. The following are not acceptable priority academic areas because they are not sufficiently focused on specific student learning performance and subject area: attendance, absenteeism, discipline or behavioral issues, graduation or retention rates, and AP enrollment. While these concerns may be a secondary issue related to a priority academic area, they cannot be the primary focus for creating a professional learning culture. The group, facilitated by the candidate, defines a focus area for study and selects a new curriculum, instructional approach, assessment procedure, or student engagement strategy to try out individually and then shares the results collectively to improve each other’s practice.

Task 2 assesses your capacity to create and facilitate a professional learning culture among a small group of teachers over time. Your aim as facilitator is to promote professional group learning norms and practices; teacher learning; and effective curriculum, instruction, and/or assessments. Using structured group building1 and group

1 Also known as team building.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

process activities, you will prepare, facilitate, support, and assess the group’s learning and individual teacher learning.

This is not intended to be specific professional development for a group of teachers where the group is a passive recipient of information regarding a pre-determined topic. Rather, the candidate should foster and facilitate an ongoing professional learning group by actively engaging selected teachers in a collaborative process to determine and/or investigate a student priority academic area and a common instructional focus designed to improve student learning in the selected priority academic area.

Your work on this task should directly relate to the North Carolina Standards for School Executives.

Schools have three interrelated cultures: professional culture, student culture, and the culture of family engagement and community involvement. This task focuses on developing a learning orientation within the school’s professional culture to improve student learning.

Consider the school’s professional culture with respect to groups and group processes. Schools use different approaches to structure and support teachers’ work in groups. Some approaches are based on divisions within the school, with groups formed within departments or within grade levels, while other approaches are ad hoc or informal. Some staff are trained in norms and practices and are supported as a collective learning community, while others do not receive training at all on how to be part of a professional learning community or community of practice.

The nature of the school’s professional learning culture with respect to the use of groups to increase each teacher’s learning will bear on how new or existing groups of teachers (and other staff) work on improving their instructional practice in the priority area.

What Do You Need to Do to Complete This Task?

 Select a student priority academic area for improvement and begin to organize a group of interested teachers for collective learning.

 Document relevant school context information, including the school and district goals and vision, and the policies and structures (such as meeting time, space, and resources) that support professional learning.

 Describe any existing types of teacher or staff groups, their membership, and how they are used in the school. Consider the nature of the current school culture for

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

teacher groups, and for group-based professional learning, and how it would shape your group work.

 Identify and invite teachers to be members of a professional learning group related to the student priority academic area and provide a rationale for their inclusion. If assigned a group, explain how the group is to be engaged specifically around the priority academic area and a focus for instructional improvement.

 Work with this group to identify an area of focus within the priority academic area for group learning and improving practice, and to develop a plan for how to work together over time.

 Facilitate group learning activities over time.

 Collect evidence of the group members’ roles in selecting the student learning focus within the priority academic area and of their learning activities, and information about curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices or engagement strategies. Based on the collection of evidence, develop a plan to pilot a new or improved practice.

 Support individual teachers as they try out new practices or take steps to improve existing instructional practices and share their experiences with the group.

 Collect evidence on new or improved practices that group members implement (individually or collectively) and analyze their initial impact on student performance (e.g., student behavior, student work samples and student feedback).

 Analyze the professional learning that group members engage in and collect feedback on their perceived effectiveness, individual and group learning, and improvement of practice, and on their evaluation of your facilitation and support.

What Do You Need to Consider to Complete This Task?

 What is a priority academic area where professional learning is needed to improve the instructional practice skills of a group of teachers or other staff for better student learning?

 What is the current school culture for teacher groups and for group-based professional learning?

 In what way will you identify the teachers (or other staff) to participate in this task as a group? Can you accomplish this task with an existing group or a subset of an existing group that may be able to sustain the work after completing it? How will you engage them in this work?

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

 Within the identified priority area, what do you envision as the focus of the group’s professional learning and how does it relate to school and district priorities?

 What research-based group learning activities should you use to foster group learning? How will you support the group’s learning?

 What instructional practices can the group pilot or improve as they engage in the task? How does the group learn about these practices and prepare to try them? How will these changes in instructional practice improve learning for all students?

 What evidence of implementation and the initial impact on student performance is needed to assess the benefits of this professional learning experience for the group of teachers (and other staff)?

The Components of the Task

The four component steps of this task require working with a group of teachers and other staff to address a student priority academic area, through a group professional learning cycle as shown in Figure 2.1.

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Figure 2.1 Task 2 Group professional learning cycle

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Component 1: Investigate

Select a student priority academic area for this task by identifying a student performance need. This area—which should relate to school and district priorities, planning, and goals and take account of existing student group performance differences—alternatively, it can be the same priority area selected for Task 1.

Next, identify the nature of existing teacher groups (grade level, department, content area, special interest, or other) in the school community.

With input from one or more school and teacher leaders, select a group of two to five teachers (teaching a common grade or content area) with which to improve instructional practice for better student learning in the priority academic area. This group can be the whole or part of an existing group or newly formed. Determine the members’ strengths, interests, and needs related to the student priority academic area, and assess their related prior knowledge and skills, their norms and expectations for group learning, and relevant school and student cultural influences.

Arrange a meeting time (during or outside the school day) and schedule for a series of meetings to foster the professional learning of the group over time.

Finally, as part of getting started, determine together which group learning approach to use (such as a professional learning community, community of practice, collaborative action research, or other action-oriented learning approach). Develop a plan for how the group will work together, share responsibilities, manage agendas and minutes, and use protocols to facilitate inquiry and learning.

A student priority academic area should be based on student performance indicators for one or more student groups. A priority student group can be defined as one or more of the student groups that are a priority in your school.

Teachers can improve student learning by focusing on and strengthening one or more of the following instructional practices: their instructional content knowledge, their pedagogical practices, their understanding of student development and learning, and the integration of the relationship among these critical instructional components into their practice.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Consider school-level conditions that hinder or foster opportunities for teachers to work together on curriculum, instruction, and assessment; ways to establish a common planning time for this task; and how frequently the group can meet.

Component 2: Prepare

Through a series of structured group meetings, help the members narrow their focus to a specific student performance priority. This process includes setting regular meeting times, having agendas and keeping minutes, assigning roles and responsibilities in the group learning process, and using protocols and tools to facilitate inquiry and learning.

Next, help the group identify a meaningful professional learning goal. The goal should be designed around improving course content, instruction, or classroom practice and should lead to improved student learning. Further, it should include objectives for group learning and for steps that each teacher takes to improve their practice to improve student learning. The goal should include objectives for collaboratively sharing instructional practices and learning from each other, through monitoring and collecting feedback on the effects of trying new or improved instructional practices, particularly to support students with different instructional or learning needs.

As an extension of these objectives, identify the key ideas that the group members are developing and instructional improvement strategies they are trying, relating them to the school context and desired outcomes.

Finally, determine what resources and supports the group members need to foster learning during meetings, try out new instructional practices in each of their classrooms, and monitor their improvements and document their benefits for student learning.

Consider the group members’ individual and collective strengths, interests, and needs in relation to the priority area, drawing on relevant professional learning and adult development theory and research.

Consider a professional learning goal that enables group members to give constructive feedback to each other and take the initiative in trying out new instructional practices for the priority area.

Component 3: Act

In the group meetings, facilitate the group members as they work to improve their instructional practice (and thus student learning) in their classrooms. It is expected that such group learning would require at least three meetings over time.

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Use a group learning process consisting of preparing, acting, and assessing. Direct the group’s learning toward implementing a new instructional practice or improving on an existing practice to increase student learning in the focus area, such as the following:

 A new or revised curricular unit (such as a unit related to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study [NCSCOS]).

 A new or improved instructional practice (such as performance-based learning or literacy instruction embedded within a subject-matter curriculum).

 A new or improved assessment practice (such as formative and interim assessments aligned to the NCSCOS or a performance assessment).

 New or improved strategies to improve student engagement through more effective differentiated instruction and support for positive student behavior that lead to improved student learning.

Your role as facilitator and support provider, which is critical to the group learning process, includes the following:

 Convening regular meetings for teachers to prepare, implement, and assess their work.

 Maintaining agendas and minutes.

 Coaching the group process, using learning protocols and tools, and reinforcing appropriate norms for group learning.

 Facilitating group learning through the full inquiry cycle (plan, act, monitor and assess, draw conclusions and implications).

 Facilitating problem solving.

 Documenting implementation experiences and learning and work of the group.

 Assisting in implementing and assessing new instructional strategies.

 Providing support to individual teachers as they try out or work to improve their instructional practices.

 Maintaining the group’s focus and energy.

 Assessing progress, change, and impact, including evaluating the members’ capacity to learn as a group.

Consider which aspects of changing practice are, or may be, the most difficult for teachers to accomplish; determine how to engage both the group as a whole and individual members, particularly the teachers who support struggling, disengaged, or gifted and talented students.

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Component 4: Assess Assess whether and how the instructional practices of the participating teachers improve through the group learning process and their individual learning efforts. Describe your own and the members’ roles in the group learning and improvement process.

Document the implementation of new or changed practices. Through a feedback form or group discussion, ask the members to comment on and evaluate the group learning process, the quality of the professional guidance and support they received from each other and from you, and what they believe changed in their knowledge and skills as a result of the learning activities and tryout work. The focus should be on what the teachers learned about their own instructional practice, the changes they adopted or used, and what they learned from these.

Where possible, solicit teacher feedback on how changes in their practices impacted the focus area for student learning and their evidence of the impact, benefits, and challenges.

Consider how the group’s professional learning activities enhance each member’s professional growth and development related to improving instructional practices for better student performance. How can the members sustain their work individually or within the group and use their learning process as a foundation to build group and school capacity?

Analyze what you learned from the group building and group learning experiences and solicit feedback from the teachers about your facilitation skills. Draw on theory, research, and best practices in leadership development, professional group building, and group learning, and on the role of interpersonal skills in group facilitation.

Finally, identify problems and successes in facilitating group building and learning, including how you enabled teachers to take greater responsibility in initiating change. As you develop a detailed analysis of leadership skills used to complete this task, include specific examples of those leadership skills and specific examples of what worked well and what could be improved. Focus your analysis on the steps you took to assemble your team, identify a priority academic area and focus, promote a positive and productive group learning environment, and provide support to the group as well as individual members. Avoid simply recapping the steps you took to complete the task and focus on the analysis of your leadership in completing the task. Draw implications from this work for improving your own group building and group learning facilitation skills for the future.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Artifacts, Documents, and Commentary

This section provides instructions for school leadership candidate submissions for the review process:

 Confidentiality and Anonymity Form. An editable version is available within the ePortfolio system. You are required to complete and upload this form for each task.

 Your three artifacts.

 Documents that support your artifacts.

 Your commentary in narrative form in response to a series of prompts about the development of your leadership skills while completing this task.

Remember: Your artifacts must not include personally identifying information about you, the school staff, or the students. Your submissions must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Be sure to protect the anonymity of the participants in your study by using generic labels (e.g., Principal A, School B, Teacher C)—NOT aliases, pseudonyms, or first names—for the district, the school, students, staff, and other individuals.

Artifacts

The artifacts that you submit for scoring, each in a separate file, are described below.

The artifacts submitted must represent authentic work completed by candidates and members of the working groups formed for Tasks 1 and 2. Listed below are descriptions of the artifacts required for Task 2.

Artifact #1: Description of the Priority Area and the Group

In a memo of up to two single-spaced pages (up to 1,000 words) written by you to the principal or superintendent, explain the academic priority focus area and the group of teachers that will address it. Include the following specifically:

 A description of a student priority academic area for group learning and the focus within this area that the group selected for its learning together. Explain how the group decided on its area of focus or shared work and how you facilitated the group’s decision to narrow its focus within the priority area for student learning. Candidates should also include how and what input was received from the school’s

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

administrative team. Explain your use of data and how you considered competing priorities and demands. As part of this task, include the following information:

• An analysis and interpretation of student demographic, academic performance, and other relevant data on the importance of this student priority area, with reference sources provided as appropriate.

• An explanation of the focus of the improvement work for the group of teachers (e.g., curriculum, instruction, assessment) as a means of addressing a specific priority academic area.

• A brief explanation of the relationship between the focus and the school or district priorities and practices.

• An explanation of how school context and student, teacher, and school culture influence the focus within the priority academic area and are being addressed through the professional learning process.

Note: Synthesize the data used to define your priority academic area for improving student performance and the focus your group selected. Do not present tables of information without interpretation and conclusions about the focus used for this task. Use tables of data judiciously to guide and inform readers.

 A description of the group selected for this task that includes a list of the members (by role, not name), and the reasons for the inclusion of each.

 Placement of this proposed group within the school context by including the following information: • An analysis of the role that group learning currently plays in the school’s teacher

and student culture, as an active part of school improvement efforts. • Identification of the types of groups that already exist in the school. • Information on recent formal training on professional learning communities,

group building, or group process, and the nature of this training. • An explanation of how you obtained group members’ commitment to participate,

including their reasons for doing so. • A description of your role in facilitating the group formation and focus selection.

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Artifact #2: Description of the Group Learning Experiences and Results

In a report of up to five single-spaced pages (up to 2,500 words) written by you to the principal or superintendent, provide a summary of what the group did over the course of its meetings. Specifically, include the following information:

 An explanation of how you supported the group’s work over time, including how you garnered and structured time and resources to support the group’s work that includes the following information:

• How you secured and scheduled meeting time.

• How you secured support to enable group work.

• How you secured other, non-staff resources to support group work or pilot new strategies.

• How you differentiated support for teachers over time.

 An explanation of how you engaged teachers in a group learning process in order to enable them to improve their own practice in a manner that will positively influence student learning in the identified priority academic area. Include the following elements:

• A justification of how the selected research-based adult learning approach(es) supported group learning.

• An explanation of how the approach will facilitate changes in practices for the focus area and lead to improved student learning in the priority academic area.

• An explanation of how the group learning approach is situated within the school’s professional learning culture, history, and context.

 A description of the group learning norms that were created and sustained to support how the members worked together.

 A brief explanation of the nature of the group’s learning and how the learning was structured that includes the following:

• The schedule of meetings and a summary of the steps the group took to conduct its work.

• A description of how protocols or other resources were used to support group learning during and between meetings.

• A description of your role in facilitating the group process and how group members shared responsibilities.

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• A description of how you monitored the effectiveness of the group’s implementation of the intervention.

• A description of how you supported the collective work of the group as well as differentiated support for individual group members over time.

• Evidence of what the teachers have learned individually and collectively and how it connects to the focus area.

 A description of how you supported individuals within the group over time and the different types of support offered. Include:

• What different or extra supports were needed for individual group members and why.

• How you differentiated support for individual group members over time.

• How successful you were in differentiating support for individual teachers.

 A summary of the work that the group did to foster learning in the focus area, and of the group’s experiences in supporting each other’s learning, including:

• The ideas discussed during regular meetings and the learning activities.

• A description of new content or practices teachers were trying out between meetings.

• A description of how the work relates to the focus within the student priority area and has been relevant for group members.

 A description of the challenges and problems, including conflicts and member differences, that arose and how you and the group resolved them.

Artifact #3. Findings, Feedback, and Recommendations

In a memo of up to three single-spaced pages (up to 1,500 words) written by you to the principal or superintendent, provide an analysis of the group members’ feedback on group learning, group task accomplishment(s), the group’s receptivity for collaborative professional inquiry, and your facilitation role. Also provide evidence of the benefits of the work for improving teaching practice and student learning. Specifically, include the following information:

 A summary identifying which group members (by role) provided feedback and how it was collected.

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 An analysis and interpretation of group or group members’ feedback that you collected about the following aspects of the task, including a list of the individuals (by role, not name) who provided feedback and a brief description of how you obtained feedback: • Their experiences learning together as a group over time. • Your group facilitation and support skills. • Evidence of what group members learned individually as well as collectively. • How differentiated feedback is connected to the priority academic area. • How the work addressed the selected focus within the priority academic area,

and what group members tried out and learned individually and collectively. • The group’s accomplishments, challenges, and implications for improving group

members’ teaching practices. • How group member disagreements or conflicts were addressed and how

members learned to work to resolve differences. • Preliminary evidence of how group members’ work together is impacting student

learning in the priority academic area. • The potential and recommendation for sustaining the group and/or use of

groups, the group’s receptivity for collaborative professional inquiry generally, and changes in instructional practice.

 Recommendations for sustaining the group or use of groups to foster a professional learning culture in the school to improve student learning.

NOTE: All supporting documents, reports, and tables of data that are referenced in these artifacts must be included in the appropriate category of documents below and be appropriately cited.

Documents by Category

Documents that must be submitted are supporting materials used by you and the working groups to complete the task. These documents provide supporting evidence pertaining to the task work and are necessary to inform scoring.

In addition to the artifact files described above, you must submit the following documents used in the task, using a separate file for each of these six categories:

 Category #1: Background data and other information that defines the priority academic area and focus selected.

 Category #2: A list of teacher or other staff groups existing in the school.

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 Category #3: A list of the group building and discussion group protocols you used to facilitate your group.

 Category #4: The agendas and minutes for all the group meetings.

 Category #5: Other materials that are relevant to the work that the group undertook, such as references for readings used in group meetings or samples of student work that were examined.

 Category #6: The group learning feedback form and summary findings.

Commentary

You must submit a clearly presented and well-focused written commentary that explains how you accomplished the task.

Write a personal commentary of up to two single-spaced pages (up to 1,000 words) on your own learning and leadership development through this experience. Avoid simply recapping the steps you took to complete the task and focus on the analysis of your leadership for improving your own group building and group learning facilitation skills for the future. Base your analysis on the activities and on the feedback received from group members about your leadership and how it influenced their professional learning. It is critical to include your own learning about your leadership and ability to foster group learning.

The commentary should not be a description of all of the actions you took to complete the task or a reiteration of the work accomplished, which has been covered in other artifacts and documents. Rather, identify and describe the leadership skills you used over the course of the Task 2 project. Where applicable, provide examples of these leadership skills in action. Be sure to reflect upon the leadership skills you used and describe how your leadership skills developed or changed over the course of the Task 2 project.

Specifically address your leadership skills and practices in response to the following questions about aspects of this task:

 What leadership skills did you use to build a professional learning community? What particular lessons did you learn that shaped your leadership approach?

 Describe any adjustments you made to your leadership practices throughout the task. How did your leadership skills change over time? Describe any adjustments you will make to your leadership practices in the future.

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 In what ways did you help the group members make progress in improving instructional practice for the designated focus area?

 What problems did you face and what successes did you achieve in facilitating group building and group learning? How did you handle conflict or group member differences? How did you enable teachers to take greater responsibility in initiating learning and change? How did you promote sustainability? What lessons have you learned to improve your ability to facilitate group learning in the future?

 What would you do differently to improve group effectiveness? Why would you take these new steps? Include specific examples of what worked well and how you would improve your leadership skills in facilitating a group learning process for the future.

 Identify your successes and challenges as a leader in completing Task 2. Explain what you would have done differently, based on your experiences. Identify the implications for your future school leadership work, including acknowledgement of your strengths and areas for growth and proposing what skills and practices you need to improve to develop further as a school leader.

 What feedback did you receive from PLC group members, school leaders, and other stakeholders (e.g., students, teachers or administrators outside of the working group, and/or parents and community members) regarding your leadership during Task 2, and how can you use this feedback to improve your leadership practices moving forward?

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Task 2 NCPPA Evidence Chart

This chart provides a list of all required work products for NCPPA Task 2, as well as a description of supported file types for submission. Your NCPPA work products must conform to the artifact, document, category, and commentary specifications for each task. Candidates are required to submit all artifacts, commentary, and relevant documents without any information that would identify them (e.g., candidate name), their school or district, individual students, staff, and others who were part of task completion.

Note that your evidence cannot contain hyperlinks to required uploads. Any web content you wish to include as part of your evidence must be submitted as a document file, which must conform to the file type requirements listed below.

Please refer directly to the “Artifacts, Documents, and Commentary” section of Task 2 in this handbook for detailed requirements pertaining to the intent and content requirements of each file.

NCPPA Task 2 Evidence Chart: Instructional Leadership for a Professional Learning Culture

Part Work Product / Evidence Specifications (if required)

# of Files

Acceptable File Types*

Part A Confidentiality and Anonymity Template provided

1 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

Part B Artifact #1 - Description of the Priority Area and the Group

Max 2 single- spaced pages (no more than 1,000 words)

1 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

Part C Artifact #2 - Description of the Group Learning Experiences and Results

Max 5 single- spaced pages (no more than 2,500 words)

1 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

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Part Work Product / Evidence Specifications (if required)

# of Files

Acceptable File Types*

Part D Artifact #3 - Findings, Feedback, and Recommendations

Max 3 single- spaced pages (no more than 1,500 words)

1 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

Part E Category Documents

1) Background Data

2) Teacher List

3) Protocols

4) Agendas and Minutes

5) Other Materials

6) Feedback and Summary

Separate file(s) for each of these 6 file categories

6 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

Part F Commentary Max 2 single- spaced pages (no more than 1,000 words)

1 .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

*The maximum size for any individual file is 500 megabytes (MB). There is no limit on the number of MB uploaded for an entire task. The success of an upload through any application depends heavily on the type of network, the file size, and the network capacity at upload time.

Note:

Scorers are not required to read artifacts and commentary that either exceed or do not meet the requirements. Submissions that fall far short of the required word length are likely to lack sufficient information and detail, which would adversely affect how the scorers evaluate the work products and thus the candidate’s potential score.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

If any submitted materials do not meet the Submission Requirements listed on the program website, a condition code may be applied during the scoring process instead of a numerical score. If a condition code is applied to any indicator, the entire task will be unscorable. If your complete submission, or portions thereof, cannot be scored due to failure to meet Submission Requirements, no refund will be issued and no portion of your assessment fee can be applied to the cost of any future NCPPA registration or associated services.

Please consult the program website to review submission requirements, passing standards, and other policies related to submitting and scoring of NCPPA Tasks.

Submission Readiness

Scorers will be reviewing your submission to determine if you have complied with the NCPPA Submission Requirements located on the program website. If your submission does not meet the Submission Requirements, a condition code may be applied during the scoring process instead of a numerical score. If a condition code is applied to any indicator or rubric, the entire task will be unscorable.

Review the “Task 2 NCPPA Evidence Chart” located in the Task 2 section of this handbook and on the Candidates/Resources page of the program website to confirm your completion of all required work products and specifications.

Before submitting, have you:

 Appropriately blinded your submission with all candidate, school, district, staff, and student identifying information removed?

Candidates are required to submit all artifacts, commentary, and relevant documents without any information that would identify them (e.g., candidate name), their school or district, individual students, staff, and others who were part of task completion. This includes screenshots, identifiable school logos and emblems, web addresses, URLs, and website graphics. Candidates must use generic labels (e.g., Principal A, School B, Teacher C, Teacher D), and not aliases, pseudonyms, or first names (e.g., Ms. Smith, Mr. Jones, Sally, Tom).

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 Completed and uploaded the Confidentiality and Anonymity Form for this task?

To confirm that the work has been appropriately blinded, candidates must submit a completed Confidentiality and Anonymity Form with each task submission, in which they confirm that they have removed all personally identifying information (e.g., candidate name) and the names of their school, district, staff, and others.

The editable Confidentiality and Anonymity Form is provided within the ePortfolio system. Candidates are required to check the boxes and upload this form for each task.

 Addressed a priority academic area for the school?

A priority academic area is an area in which improved student performance is desired, with input from staff at the school and district level, and with attention to student groups that are a priority in the school.

 Cited supporting documents?

Candidates are to cite supporting documents, submitted for each task, in the relevant artifacts for the same task.

Is the submission complete in that it contains all supporting documents in each category? Hyperlinks provided in lieu of required uploads are not permissible.

 Clarified your role?

Candidates must explain their role in completing the tasks to ensure authenticity of work being submitted.

In addition, you must describe any and all points of collaboration with any other individual(s), include the rationale or purpose of the collaboration, and clearly state your role in the collaboration and the role(s) of your collaborators. Have you provided appropriate attribution(s), so that scorers are able to differentiate your original work from the work of others?

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 Demonstrated feedback collection and use of feedback evidence?

Throughout the three tasks, candidates are asked to collect, analyze, and use feedback on plans, strategies, and collaborative work. In written submissions and supporting documents, candidates must demonstrate that feedback was collected; report on the number and roles of people interviewed, surveyed, or consulted; present analyses; and draw conclusions about the feedback. It is insufficient only to collect feedback on the candidate’s leadership of the group.

 Proofread all documents?

Candidates are to proofread all documents before uploading to:

• Remove all names of the candidate, school, district, staff, and student identifying information.

• Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to compare each artifact against the instructions and rubrics before submission to ensure relevance and completeness.

After uploading into the ePortfolio system and before submitting, candidates are required to check their work to ensure that they do not upload duplicate artifacts and documents or blank files, and that every file can be opened without error.

 Prepared all documents by category?

Submitted documents should be specific to the task and discussed and referenced in the relevant artifact(s). Complete school report cards, school improvement plans, and school handbooks should not be uploaded as documents. Only relevant tables of information or plan and handbook excerpts should be uploaded as category documents and discussed and referenced in the appropriate artifacts.

Documents must be legible. Handwritten agendas and minutes, for example, must be readable.

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 Included an analysis of your leadership skills in the commentary?

The analysis of the candidate’s leadership skills should be emphasized, regardless of whether the candidate feels the work on each task was successful. Include a description of how challenges were approached. Candidates should describe in detail, with specific examples, their leadership role throughout this task. Candidates should reflect on their leadership strengths and areas for growth, taking into consideration feedback gathered from relevant stakeholders.

 Reviewed the rubrics for this task?

Read the descriptions of each rubric in the next section. The rubrics will be used to score candidates’ work. Before submitting, candidates are strongly encouraged to evaluate their work using the rubrics.

Task 2: Instructional Leadership for a Professional Learning Culture Rubrics

How Will the Evidence of Your Leadership Practice Be Assessed?

As you prepare your artifacts and commentary, use the following rubrics to guide your thinking, planning, action, analysis, and presentation.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Rubric 2.a: Plan to Facilitate Group Learning

NC Standard 3. Cultural Leadership

NC Standard 4. Human Resource Leadership

How does the candidate plan for a professional learning culture to improve instructional practice and student learning?

The primary source of evidence for Rubric 2.a is Artifact #1.

In addition to this primary source, relevant information found in other parts of the submission may impact the score for each rubric.

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.a.1: Group identification and group formation

Identifies two or more teachers with whom to work. Informally forms a group, only for information sharing.

Selects two or more teachers whose work is related to the priority area. Forms the group for information sharing and professional learning. Develops a weak commitment among the group members to try out new instructional practices.

Selects two or more teachers for a professional learning group with an interest in improving teaching practice in the focus selected for the priority area. Forms the group for professional learning with a clearly defined facilitation role. Develops a moderate commitment among the group members to try out new instructional practices to improve student learning.

Engages two or more teachers for a professional learning group, with school and leader input, based on their individual and collective strengths clearly connected to the priority area and focus. Forms the group for professional learning with a clearly defined facilitation role and expectations for shared leadership. Develops a strong commitment among the group members to support each other in trying out new instructional practices to improve student learning.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.a.2: Group learning plan

Does not identify a priority area or does not link a focus to student performance data. Provides limited information on school context for group learning. States an aim for group learning. Does not propose a plan for group learning or has a plan that has few or no strategies to support group learning.

Generally defines a priority area with limited use of student performance data and information on the school context and culture. Provides an aim to improving teachers’ instructional practice and a general plan for group learning. Includes some attention to strategies to support group learning in the proposed plan.

Identifies a priority area that reflects student performance data for one or more student groups. Uses data to explain how the priority area and focus for improving teachers’ instructional practice is influenced by school context and culture. Provides a goal and objectives for group learning based on the focus for the priority area. Provides a plan with structure and process for group learning.

Identifies a priority area and focus that explicitly links to student performance data for one or more student groups and subgroups. Uses data to explain how the priority area and focus for improving teachers’ instructional practice is influenced by existing practices and school context and culture. Provides a goal and measurable objectives for group learning that address the focus for the priority area. Has a research-based plan for group learning and a professional learning culture, with strategies, structure, and process. Links plan to school-level conditions, existing resources, school culture, and broader school improvement strategies.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Rubric 2.b: Enact a Professional Learning Culture to Support Team Learning

NC Standard 3. Cultural Leadership

NC Standard 4. Human Resource Leadership

How does the candidate support group learning?

The primary sources of evidence for Rubric 2.b are Artifact #2, Artifact #3, and Commentary.

In addition to these primary sources, relevant information found in other parts of the submission may impact the score for each rubric.

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.b.1: Group process

Does little to facilitate group learning. Is a member of the group; facilitator role is unclear. Does not help the group create and use learning norms. Does not hold group meetings over time.

Facilitates the group with limited evidence on how the facilitation engages group learning or individual learning. Establishes general group learning norms. Holds group meetings over a short time period, without sufficient time for a full inquiry cycle.

Consistently facilitates group learning related to the focus area. Has a clear role as the group’s facilitator or organizer. Establishes and uses shared norms for working and decision making. Uses protocols or structured group learning processes with the group to facilitate group learning. Provides support for individual teachers to facilitate learning. Holds group meetings over time with sufficient time for a full inquiry cycle.

Consistently facilitates group learning in the focus area and has a clear role as the group organizer and facilitator. Enables shared responsibility for facilitating group learning. Establishes and uses shared norms for problem solving, resolving conflicts, monitoring, and eliciting feedback. Uses protocols or structured group learning processes and individual teacher support strategies to facilitate learning. Holds group meetings over time with sufficient time for more than a full inquiry cycle. Differentiates support for individual teachers within the group and one-on-one.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.b.2: Group learning and work

Unsystematically shares information with others about practices. Identifies generally what the teachers learn individually and/or collectively. Provides at least some claims about how the teachers’ learning connects to the focus.

Directs teachers with limited information and support for individual and collective work. Describes in some detail what the teachers learn individually and/or collectively. Provides evidence on how the teachers’ learning connects to the focus.

Supports teachers’ ongoing individual and collective work. Employs different strategies, meetings, and other interventions to meet the diverse needs of each group member. Provides clear evidence on what the teachers have learned individually and as a collaborative group and how this learning connects to the focus area.

Promotes and deepens teachers’ ongoing individual and collective work through cycles of preparing, acting, monitoring, assessing, and sharing. Enables teachers to share their individual learning experiences with the group. Provides evidence on what the teachers learn individually and collectively through the group learning process, and that the evidence is differentiated by teacher need or interest and is connected to the focus.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Rubric 2.c: Assess Team Learning to Improve Ongoing Group Learning

NC Standard 3. Cultural Leadership

NC Standard 7. Micropolitical Leadership

How does the candidate assess progress and change pertaining to a group learning task?

The primary sources of evidence for Rubric 2.c are Artifact #3 and Commentary.

In addition to these primary sources, relevant information found in other parts of the submission may impact the score for each rubric.

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.c.1: Assessment of group process and group work

Describes own learning accomplishments, with limited attention to others’ learning experiences.

Describes what group members tried out and/or what occurred in the group process, and the task accomplishments, drawing on teacher feedback. Makes weak or no links between group process and group accomplishments.

Uses teacher feedback and other data on how group process facilitates group’s learning and task accomplishments (individually and collectively).

Uses data on teacher feedback, documentation of practice, and other evidence to show how group learning and task accomplishments (individually and collectively) led to changes in teaching practices. Provides evidence that the group developed capacity as an ongoing learning community. Draws on theory, research, and best practices in leadership development, professional group building, and learning.

NCPPA Candidate Assessment Handbook

Beginning (1.00 to 2.09) Developing (2.10 to 2.74) Meeting (2.75 to 3.49) Exceeding (3.50 to 4.00)

2.c.2: Assessment of leadership skills and practices

Discusses leadership in general, if at all, but not relative to this task. Does not evaluate relevant leadership skills.

Conducts only a general analysis of some leadership skills and practices used in completing this task, without drawing on specific experiences. Recaps the steps taken in completing the task with little evaluation of their leadership skills.

Draws on specific learning experiences to evaluate their leadership skills and practices relevant to this task. Identifies what worked well and what they could have done differently. Identifies changes that could be made to improve their leadership skills in the future.

Drawing on specific learning experiences, describes and evaluates the relevant leadership skills and practices used to complete the task. Describes how they adjusted leadership practices throughout the task, providing specific examples. Solicits and analyzes feedback on their leadership skills from stakeholders involved in this task and utilizes this feedback to help identify what worked well and what they could have done differently. Proposes specific steps to improve their practice.