PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS for

1 Nancy M. Sanders, of Chief State school OfficersandKaren M. Kearney, WestEdEditors2008 ISLLC-Based ModelsCouncil of Chief State school Officers State Consortium on Education LeadershipPERFORMANCESTANDARDSINDICATORS andEDUCATION leaders forLimited Print Edition for Contributors Pending Publication & Release by the Council of Chief State school Officers THE COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE school OFFICERSThe Council of Chief State school Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of pub-lic officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, theDepartment of Defense Education Activity, and five extra-state jurisdictions.

2 CCSSO provides leadership, advo-cacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major education-al issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public. THE STATE CONSORTIUM ON EDUCATION LEADERSHIPThe State Consortium on Education Leadership (SCEL) is convened by the Council of Chief State school Officersto share state policies and develop needed resources for improving education leadership. State education agency (SEA)personnel requested assistance with improving education leadership at all levels, and particularly as a means of improv-ing low-performing districts and schools.

3 In the current federal and state policy environment, SEA staff also need toincrease their leadership capacity at the state level for assisting local leaders and for intervening in low-performing dis-tricts and STANDARDS AND INDICATORS FOR EDUCATION leaders : ISLLC-BASED MODELSThe PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS for Education leaders : ISLLC-Based Models and other documents andservices were developed with the assistance of representatives from SEAs and were funded through state participationfees in the Council s State Consortium on Education Leadership. Representatives of member states contributed exten-sively to the development, writing, and national process of reviewing and editing these OF CHIEF STATE school OFFICERS Rick Melmer (South Dakota), President Elizabeth Burmaster (Wisconsin), Past President T.

4 Kenneth James (Arkansas), President-Elect Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director Council of Chief State school Officers One Massachusetts Avenue, NW , Suite 700 Washington, DC 20001-1431 Phone (202) 336-7000 _ Fax (202) 408-8072 Copyright 2008 by the Council of Chief State school OfficersAll rights Collaboration to Develop the PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS for Education LeadersDear Colleagues,We are delighted to make available the PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS for EducationLeaders: ISLLC-Based Models. The PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS are a long-awaited productof a national collaboration among state education agency (SEA) officials.

5 They describeobservable expectations that are embedded in leadership policy STANDARDS , such as the ISLLCS tandards for school leaders (CCSSO, 1996). They are a scaffold for translating the ISLLC and otherstandards into policies, programs, and practice and are a key component of state systems toprovide effective SEA contributors to this document represent 25 states that provided staff time andresources for writing, reviews, and revisions. SEA contributors brought to the task a rich mix ofknowledge and experience gained from leadership roles in schools, districts, and state-level policyarenas.

6 They lead a variety of SEA policy endeavors in administrator certification/licensure,accrediting and monitoring preparation programs, administrator assessment and evaluation,recruiting and training leaders in academies and other settings, and developing innovativestrategies for the challenges facing states on how to recruit, train, support, and retain effectiveeducation leaders . Exciting approaches to improving leadership are underway in states. Contributors generouslyshared state products and resources. They engaged hundreds of professionals and stakeholders insystematic reviews of draft content and language over a two-year period.

7 Reaction from the fieldhas been uniformly positive. Administrators, university faculty, and program providers report thatthe PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS have immediate applications in their work. Theenthusiastic reception by reviewers highlights the accuracy of our contributors insights as to whatis needed in the field. The quality of this product reflects their dedication and commitment toproviding effective leadership, educational excellence, and equity for every student. Writing the PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and INDICATORS was carried out under the aegis of theCouncil of Chief State school Officers.

8 In 2003, the Council convened a State Consortium onEducation Leadership (SCEL) for states to share information, resources, and expertise and tocollaborate on national products. The ambitious agenda taken on by the SCEL has required agreat deal of time, patience, and persistence of participants, particularly to find funding in theirstates and reach consensus across state policy and contextual differences. Member states paid forthe work through SCEL participation fees, and SEA contributors moved drafts forward innational meetings, online, and in state outreach efforts.

9 The contributors considered a wide array of options about what education leaders shouldknow and do, now and in the future. They developed a truly national perspective on leadershipexpectations that transcends differences in state and local settings. They challenged each otherto think deeply about research, practice, needs of future leaders , and how performancedescriptors could convey high expectations during a time of change, increasing accountabilityand pressures on educators. They decided to set high STANDARDS for leaders that are attainable overtime, through careful career planning and quality professional development.

10 The process andproducts of this collaboration have already contributed to national impetus for updating theISLLC STANDARDS and developing new national assessments for Wallace Foundation has generously funded a coordinated release of the PerformanceStandards and INDICATORS for Education leaders : ISLLC-Based Modelswith the newly updated ISLLC PolicyStandards and other major leadership products. The coordinated release is designed to helpeducation leaders understand and use the products and leverage their impact in a crowdedlandscape of leadership services and strategies.