Texas Administrative Code
Title 19 - EDUCATION
Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Chapter 149 - COMMISSIONER'S RULES CONCERNING EDUCATOR STANDARDS
Subchapter BB - ADMINISTRATOR STANDARDS
Section 149.2001 - Principal Standards
Universal Citation: 19 TX Admin Code ยง 149.2001
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Purpose. The standards, indicators, knowledge, and skills identified in this section shall be used to align with the training, appraisal, and professional development of principals.
(b) Standards.
(1) Standard 1--Instructional Leadership. The
principal is responsible for ensuring every student receives high-quality
instruction.
(A) Knowledge and skills.
(i) Effective instructional leaders:
(I) prioritize instruction and student
achievement by developing and sharing a clear definition of high-quality
instruction based on best practices from research;
(II) implement a rigorous curriculum aligned
with state standards;
(III) analyze
the curriculum to ensure that teachers align content across grades and that
curricular scopes and sequences meet the particular needs of their diverse
student populations;
(IV) model
instructional strategies and set expectations for the content, rigor, and
structure of lessons and unit plans; and
(V) routinely monitor and improve instruction
by visiting classrooms, giving formative feedback to teachers, and attending
grade or team meetings.
(ii) In schools led by effective
instructional leaders, data are used to determine instructional decisions and
monitor progress. Principals implement common interim assessment cycles to
track classroom trends and determine appropriate interventions. Staff have the
capacity to use data to drive effective instructional practices and
interventions. The principal's focus on instruction results in a school filled
with effective teachers who can describe, plan, and implement strong
instruction and classrooms filled with students actively engaged in cognitively
challenging and differentiated activities.
(B) Indicators.
(i) Rigorous and aligned curriculum and
assessment. The principal implements rigorous curricula and assessments aligned
with state standards, including college and career readiness
standards.
(ii) Effective
instructional practices. The principal develops high-quality instructional
practices among teachers that improve student learning.
(iii) Data-driven instruction and
interventions. The principal monitors multiple forms of student data to inform
instructional and intervention decisions and to close the achievement
gap.
(2)
Standard 2--Human Capital. The principal is responsible for ensuring there are
high-quality teachers and staff in every classroom and throughout the school.
(A) Knowledge and skills.
(i) Effective leaders of human capital:
(I) treat faculty/staff members as their most
valuable resource and invest in the development, support, and supervision of
the staff;
(II) ensure all staff
have clear goals and expectations that guide them and by which they are
assessed;
(III) are strategic in
selecting and hiring candidates whose vision aligns with the school's vision
and whose skills match the school's needs;
(IV) ensure that, once hired, teachers
develop and grow by building layered supports that include regular
observations, actionable feedback, and coaching and school-wide supports so
that teachers know how they are performing;
(V) facilitate professional learning
communities to review data and support development;
(VI) create opportunities for effective
teachers and staff to take on a variety of leadership roles and delegate
responsibilities to staff and administrators on the leadership team;
and
(VII) use data from multiple
points of the year to complete accurate evaluations of all staff, using
evidence from regular observations, student data, and other sources to evaluate
the effectiveness of teachers and staff.
(ii) In schools with effective leaders of
human capital, staff understand how they are being evaluated and what the
expectations are for their performance. Staff can identify areas of strength
and have opportunities to practice and receive feedback on growth areas from
the leadership team and peers. Staff evaluation data show variation based on
effectiveness but also show improvement across years as development and
retention efforts take effect. Across the school, staff support each other's
development through regular opportunities for collaboration, and effective
staff have access to a variety of leadership roles in the school.
(B) Indicators.
(i) Targeted selection, placement, and
retention. The principal selects, places, and retains effective teachers and
staff.
(ii) Tailored development,
feedback, and coaching. The principal coaches and develops teachers by giving
individualized feedback and aligned professional development
opportunities.
(iii) Staff
collaboration and leadership. The principal implements collaborative structures
and provides leadership opportunities for effective teachers and
staff.
(iv) Systematic evaluation
and supervision. The principal conducts rigorous evaluations of all staff using
multiple data sources.
(3) Standard 3--Executive Leadership. The
principal is responsible for modeling a consistent focus on and commitment to
improving student learning.
(A) Knowledge and
skills.
(i) Effective executive leaders:
(I) are committed to ensuring the success of
the school;
(II) motivate the
school community by modeling a relentless pursuit of excellence;
(III) are reflective in their practice and
strive to continually improve, learn, and grow;
(IV) view unsuccessful experiences as
learning opportunities, remaining focused on solutions, and are not stymied by
challenges or setbacks. When a strategy fails, these principals analyze data,
assess implementation, and talk with stakeholders to understand what went wrong
and how to adapt strategies moving forward;
(V) keep staff inspired and focused on the
end goal even as they support effective change management;
(VI) have strong communication skills and
understand how to communicate a message in different ways to meet the needs of
various audiences;
(VII) are
willing to listen to others and create opportunities for staff and stakeholders
to provide feedback; and
(VIII)
treat all members of the community with respect and develop strong, positive
relationships with them.
(ii) In schools with effective executive
leaders, teachers and staff are motivated and committed to excellence. They are
vested in the school's improvement and participate in candid discussions of
progress and challenges. They are comfortable providing feedback to the
principal and other school leaders in pursuit of ongoing improvement, and they
welcome feedback from students' families in support of improved student
outcomes.
(B)
Indicators.
(i) Resiliency and change
management. The principal remains solutions-oriented, treats challenges as
opportunities, and supports staff through changes.
(ii) Commitment to ongoing learning. The
principal proactively seeks and acts on feedback, reflects on personal growth
areas and seeks development opportunities, and accepts responsibility for
mistakes.
(iii) Communication and
interpersonal skills. The principal tailors communication strategies to the
audience and develops meaningful and positive relationships.
(iv) Ethical behavior. The principal adheres
to the educators' code of ethics in §
247.2
of this title (relating to Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas
Educators), including following policies and procedures at his or her
respective district.
(4) Standard 4--School Culture. The principal
is responsible for establishing and implementing a shared vision and culture of
high expectations for all staff and students.
(A) Knowledge and skills.
(i) Effective culture leaders:
(I) leverage school culture to drive improved
outcomes and create high expectations;
(II) establish and implement a shared vision
of high achievement for all students and use that vision as the foundation for
key decisions and priorities for the school;
(III) establish and communicate consistent
expectations for staff and students, providing supportive feedback to ensure a
positive campus environment;
(IV)
focus on students' social and emotional development and help students develop
resiliency and self-advocacy skills; and
(V) treat families as key partners to support
student learning, creating structures for two-way communication and regular
updates on student progress. Regular opportunities exist for both families and
the community to engage with the school and participate in school
functions.
(ii) In
schools with effective culture leaders, staff believe in and are inspired by
the school vision and have high expectations for all students. Staff take
responsibility for communicating the vision in their classrooms and for
implementing behavioral expectations throughout the building, not only in their
own classrooms. Teachers regularly communicate with the families of their
students to provide updates on progress and actively work with families to
support learning at home. Members of the broader community regularly engage
with the school community.
(B) Indicators.
(i) Shared vision of high achievement. The
principal develops and implements a shared vision of high expectations for
students and staff.
(ii) Culture of
high expectations. The principal establishes and monitors clear expectations
for adult and student conduct and implements social and emotional supports for
students.
(iii) Intentional family
and community engagement. The principal engages families and community members
in student learning.
(iv) Safe
school environment. The principal creates an atmosphere of safety that
encourages the social, emotional, and physical well-being of staff and
students.
(v) Discipline. The
principal oversees an orderly environment, maintaining expectations for student
behavior while implementing a variety of student discipline techniques to meet
the needs of individual students.
(5) Standard 5--Strategic Operations. The
principal is responsible for implementing systems that align with the school's
vision and improve the quality of instruction.
(A) Knowledge and skills.
(i) Effective leaders of strategic
operations:
(I) assess the current needs of
their schools, reviewing a wide set of evidence to determine the schools'
priorities and set ambitious and measurable school goals, targets, and
strategies that form the schools' strategic plans;
(II) with their leadership teams, regularly
monitor multiple data points to evaluate progress toward goals, adjusting
strategies that are proving ineffective;
(III) develop a year-long calendar and a
daily schedule that strategically use time to both maximize instructional time
and to create regular time for teacher collaboration and data review;
(IV) are deliberate in the allocation of
resources (e.g., staff time, dollars, and tools), aligning them to the school
priorities and goals, and work to access additional resources as needed to
support learning; and
(V) treat
central office staff as partners in achieving goals and collaborate with staff
throughout the district to adapt policies as needed to meet the needs of
students and staff.
(ii)
In schools with effective leaders of strategic operations, staff have access to
resources needed to meet the needs of all students. Staff understand the goals
and expectations for students, have clear strategies for meeting those goals,
and have the capacity to track progress. Members of the staff collaborate with
the principal to develop the school calendar. Teacher teams and administrator
teams meet regularly to review and improve instructional strategies and analyze
student data. Throughout the year, all staff participate in formal development
opportunities that build the capacity to identify and implement strategies
aligned to the school's improvement goals.
(B) Indicators.
(i) Strategic planning. The principal
outlines and tracks clear goals, targets, and strategies aligned to a school
vision that improves teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.
(ii) Maximized learning time. The principal
implements daily schedules and a year-long calendar that plan for regular
data-driven instruction cycles, give students access to diverse and rigorous
course offerings, and build in time for staff professional
development.
(iii) Tactical
resource management. The principal aligns resources with the needs of the
school and effectively monitors the impact on school goals.
(iv) Policy implementation and advocacy. The
principal collaborates with district staff to implement and advocate for
district policies that meet the needs of students and staff.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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