Providing Instructional Leadership

 As discussed in Alberta Education’s document on the Principal Quality Standard, a principal that provides instructional leadership “ensures that all students have ongoing access to quality teaching and learning opportunities to meet the provincial goals of education.“

I felt I have met the criteria by doing the following:

• To ensure that assessment practices are appropriate and fair, I completed a course “Understanding the Principles of Level B Assessments”. This allows me to conduct assessments and provide educators with outcomes and results to reflect upon when programming and delivering instruction to students.
• I consistently reflect upon my teaching practices and attempt to observe the practices of other educators to ensure that I a using the most effective techniques to increase the understanding of my students.
• I regularly evaluate student progress in relation to their abilities and the curriculum to determine if programming is appropriate. This is paramount, as all of my students have severe emotional and/or behavioral concerns with DSM-IV coding as well as IPP’s. Which, us used to create, implement, modify and evaluate individual goals and progress within those goals.
• I am the primary resource and contact individual within my building for teachers who may have questions or concerns regarding new technological applications that are being used. I also regularly update colleagues about new programs, applications and technologies that can be used to accommodate for the diverse learning styles of our students.

 At this point I must clarify that I am unable to meet the criteria for the descriptor stating: Principal implements effective supervision and evaluation to ensure that all teachers meet Alberta Teacher Qualification Standards because I am a teacher. However, for the remaining descriptors I do:

• Regularly advise and advocate for students to parents and guardians as to the most beneficial resources, both within a school as well as those within a community that would be ideal for students and their progress.