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Principal Cert 268 Buzz words

Terms in this set (96)

Accountability
The fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility
Analysis
Examination of the parts of a process or a product to determine their relationship. A response that is grounded in evidence and deals with reasons, rationales, and interpretations of data and information.
Analytical Writing
Focuses on analyzing the results of the implementation of the action plan; Illustrates how the writer arrived at the conclusion/decision made
Artifact
A document used or produced by a school leader candidate that will help raters better understand the activity featured in the task. Artifacts can include, but are not limited to, a spreadsheet, a plan, student work, a completed walk-through observation form, etc.
Assessment Technique
A method of eliciting evidence of intended student learning. PASL Glossary 2
Assessment Tool
An instrument used to measure intended student learning formally or informally
Assessment
A process of observing, monitoring, measuring, analyzing, evaluating, documenting, and reflecting for the purpose of adjusting teaching to enhance learning, resulting in improved student performance
Formative Assessment
A process for gathering evidence of student learning that can be used to adapt the teaching to meet the learning needs
Summative Assessment
A process for gathering evidence of student learning at the culmination of a specific body of learning or a given time to determine whether the intended learning goals have been met.
Formal Assessment
A process for gathering evidence of student learning to make general instructional decisions using a standardized, published test or instrument that includes specific procedures for administration and interpretation
Informal Assessment
A process for gathering evidence of student learning to make general instructional decisions using casual, informal techniques that do not require specified procedures for administration and interpretation
Best Practices
Professional procedures that are accepted or prescribed as being correct or most effective
Change Management Process
A practice of taking deliberate and intentional actions in response to a specific problem in order to achieve a desired outcome. Change management includes consideration for processes, systems, organization structures, and people to make a successful transition to a desired outcome
Collaborative Team
A group of individuals who share common beliefs and work toward common goals. Collaborative team members spend time discussing what they hope to accomplish as a team and set team and individual goals for reaching that vision. A collaborative team is made up of people with varying areas of expertise who share tasks, resources, responsibilities, and leadership
Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
A Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) outlines the vision, mission, values, and procedures that a school adopts to align instructional practice, student learning, professional development, curriculum development, and organizational structure to achieve the identified goals
Contextual Information
The information a candidate gathers about the learning environment to provide the rater who will be scoring the submission a better understanding of that environment. Contextual information appears at the beginning of each task and can be identical for all three tasks
Continuous Improvement Process
A cycle of improvement are actions that are sustained over extended periods of time and focused on improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of a school. An ongoing, multifaceted plan is part of an organizational commitment to enhancing a school's effectiveness and includes steps for identification, planning, execution, and assessing progress
Cultural Influences
The specific behaviors, characteristics, and beliefs of the individuals in a particular group that could influence instruction and student learning
Culturally Responsive Teaching
A student-centered approach to teaching in which students' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured in all aspects of learning to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being for all students
Curriculum Alignment
Refers to an academic program that is (1) well organized and purposefully designed to facilitate learning, (2) free of academic gaps and needless repetitions, and (3) aligned across lessons, courses, subject areas, and grade levels
Data Driven Instruction
An educational approach that relies on information to inform teaching and learning
Data Points
An identifiable element in a data set
Data
Information, facts, or statistics used to inform and measure progress during the school improvement process. The type of data the candidate selects (e.g., longitudinal, snapshot, historical, demographic, qualitative, quantitative) should be relevant and useful for its educational purpose. Data-collection tools A variety of methods (e.g., checklists, interviews, observations, surveys) used to systematically collect specific information to gain a better understanding of an identified need. Also known as "data-gathering tools"
Descriptive Writing
Focuses on the retelling of what happened in a school situation or event; illustrates to the reader the context of the writer
Differentiation
Different or altered learning activities employed by the educator to meet the needs or learning styles of learners, allowing them to process constructs or make sense of concepts and ideas
Dispositions
A person's inherent qualities of mind and character (beliefs)
Distributed Leadership
a conceptual and analytical approach to understanding how the work of leadership takes place among the people and in context of a complex organization
Diversity
The differences among groups of people and individuals based on age, gender, culture, language, race, ethnicity, religion, exceptionalities, and socioeconomic status. PASL Glossary 3
Engage
To encourage active participation among colleagues. Engaged participants typically take action that demonstrates their willingness, interest, and involvement, and gain satisfaction from their accomplishments
English Learners (ELs) and English Language Learners (ELLs)
A student who is learning the English language in addition to his or her native language. ELL is referred to on the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), while EL is referred to in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Both terms are used in assessment questions to reference the same student group
English
Language Learner(ELL)- A student who uses a primary language other than English, and who is developing proficiency in English
Equity
The quality of being fair and impartial
Evidence of Learning
The data gathered through formal and informal assessment strategies that demonstrate progress toward identified goals
Evidence
Any information produced and submitted by a school leader candidate, or a colleague who documents the school leader candidate's performance, that can be linked to the standards measured by the Task. Evidence can be found in the written commentary and artifacts, including the video
Exemplar
An example or model that has the characteristics of a high-quality response. An exemplar is a concrete illustration of the evidence needed to meet a desired standard. (See an exemplar shown in a sample score of 4 response.)
Exit Ticket
A sort formative assessment given by a teacher after completing a lesson to determine the degree to which students have learned the material taught in the lesson
Facilitation
The guiding of the group process to ensure effective participation. Participants achieve a mutual understanding. Their contributions are considered and included in the ideas, solutions, or decisions that emerge. Participants take shared responsibility for the outcome. Feedback is provided to and by the group members
Feedback Survey
Method of collecting evaluative comments from a specific group of colleagues. Used in Task 2 to elicit information regarding the professional development activities
Feedback
Information given to a colleague regarding progress toward a goal. Effective feedback is goal-referenced, tangible and transparent, actionable, user-friendly (specific and personalized), timely, ongoing, and consistent
Follow
Up Activities-Additional activities used to reinforce and extend learning. Follow-up activities help foster continuous professional learning with colleagues
Graphic Representation of Collected Data
A means of displaying data that facilitates reader analysis (e.g., spreadsheet, graph, bar graph, pie chart, scattergram, color coding). PASL Glossary 4
Guiding Prompt
A question or statement provided in the Task requirements that elicits a school leader candidate's response
High Quality Instruction
Curriculum, instruction, and assessments that are engaging and differentiated through the principles of Universal Design for learning
High
Leverage- Having the characteristics of the most effective and efficient way to address the most important aspect of a situation
Higher
Order Thinking-Critical, reasonable, reflective thinking that focuses on deciding what to believe or do by questioning assumptions and using a process of skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information
Human Capital
The skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or population, viewed in terms of their value or cost to an organization
Implement with Fidelity
Occurs when teachers use the same instructional strategies and deliver the content of curriculum in the same way that they were designed to be used and delivered
Implementation
The process of executing a plan
Implications for Instruction
The concepts or strategies teachers will apply in response to a clear understanding of the current instructional situation
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
A plan created in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to guarantee that a child who has a disability receives specialized instruction and related services
Innovative Thinking
The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value
Instructional Challenges
Identified difficulties during instruction that need to be addressed to best meet the needs of all learners
Instructional Coaching
A process for developing a teacher's knowledge, skills, and practice to improve instruction and student learning. By offering individual support and feedback in a non-evaluative and trusting setting, an instructional coach works with the teacher to provide ongoing and job-embedded professional development specific to the teacher's needs
Instructional Practice
The approaches and pedagogy used by classroom teachers to meet the learning goal(s) and needs of the students
Instructional Strategies
The approaches used by school leaders working with colleagues or by classroom teachers to best meet the learning goal(s) and needs of the students
Item Analysis
A data-review process focused on studying individual questions on an assessment. An item analysis allows educators to evaluate the quality of each question and facilities data disaggregation to measure student performance at different levels, determine student misconceptions, and plan interventions
Learning Goals
The intended learning based on standards and curriculum that students should master as a result of instruction
Learning Organization
an organization that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself
Learning Outcomes
Statements that describe the learning that students have accomplished and can reliably demonstrate. Learning outcomes may include knowledge, skills, and dispositions and are more specific than goals
Longitudinal Data
Data in which the same type of information on the same subject is observed over multiple points in time. PASL Glossary 5
Micro vs Macro View
Macro view is a broad, big picture perspective, whereas the micro view focuses upon small details and daily interactions
Mindset
The established set of attitudes held by someone
Monitor
The process of tracking or recording progress toward a goal over time
Performance Level
The ability of students (groups or individuals) to demonstrate evidence of learning
Performance Task
An authentic assessment that allows a school leader candidate to apply knowledge and skills by completing a task. The school leader candidate is able to show a wide range of knowledge and skills through this type of assessment
Practitioner
A person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession
Probing Question
A question that is intended to help others think more deeply about an issue. Probing questions are more than clarifying questions and move toward challenging assumptions and exposing contradictions, which leads to new understandings
Problem/Challenge
In the context of Task 1, a problem refers to a situation that needs prompt attention and influences instructional practice and student learning; e.g., poor performance in a content area by students at a grade level over multiple years; declining student attendance; insufficient technology implementation by teachers; weak performance by advanced students on a performance measure. A challenge refers to conditions that would take extended time to remediate, such as instructional practice, student grouping, scheduling issues, or staff morale
Professional Development
A comprehensive, sustained, intensive approach to supporting teachers' and school leaders' effectiveness in improving instructional practice and raising student achievement
Protocol
A well-defined structure or set of actions, usually in the form of a simple one- or two-page document, that is used by educators to structure professional conversation and ensure that meeting time is efficient, purposeful, and productive
Rationale
The underlying principle or justification for a decision. A rationale should relate to the school context as described by the school leader candidate
Real
Time Feedback- A practice by an instructional coach to give feedback to a teacher while the lesson is in progress in order to provide immediate feedback and enhance the teacher's execution of instruction
Reflection
The capacity to reflect on or review specific incidents of practice as a way of engaging in continuous learning to increase overall instructional effectiveness and student learning. It includes an analysis of actions by the school leader candidate that notes which colleagues successfully absorbed the content and which colleagues did not, what the impact on practice is, and how colleagues might change instructional practice to attend to future student needs. Reflection also includes thinking about pedagogy, student characteristics, and outcomes, and involves using data to review instructional decisions and improve teaching strategies and learning outcomes
Research
Based Instructional Practice-A particular program or collection of instructional practices that have a record of success; i.e., there is reliable, valid evidence that when a program is used with a particular group of students, the students can be expected to make adequate gains in achievement
Research
The systematic investigation into and study of educational materials and sources to establish facts, verify and broaden understanding, and reach new conclusions. In Task 1, research allows the candidate to examine best practice compared to current practice in the area identified by the problem/challenge and best inform next steps in the planning process. PASL Glossary 6
Resources
The tools used to provide additional support for professional development to meet the learning goal(s) and needs of the students
Root
Cause Analysis- The process for determining the deepest underlying reason a problem occurs, such that, if the cause is removed, the symptoms of the problem can be eliminated or substantially reduced
Rubric
Written criteria for evaluating a performance that indicates the qualities by which levels of performance can be differentiated and that anchor judgments about the degree of success of a school leader candidate's assessment
School Culture
The set of norms, values, beliefs, perceptions, and written and unwritten rules that influence every aspect of how a school functions
Self
Reflective Writing- Focuses on reflecting on the results of the action plan and how the learnings from this task will impact the future work of candidates; illustrates the writer's self-analysis and retrospective
Show Call
A teaching technique used after a written task is completed. The teacher chooses a student example to show the class and calls on various students to discuss in detail some aspect of the student work. This technique can be a great tool for studying characteristics and common errors of student work or all the students' benefit
Social Capital
the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively
Social Justice
Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society
Social Systems
the patterned network of relationships constituting a coherent whole that exist between individuals, groups, and institutions
Standards
A list of statements that articulate expectations of performance for professional educators. Professional leaders are expected to exercise good judgment and use the standards to inform and improve their own practices
Strategic Change
A restructuring of an organization's business or marketing plan that is typically performed in order to achieve an important objective
Strategic Planning
A systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them
Student Learning
The desired outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities that students should attain as a result of a particular set of educational experiences. Summative assessment See Assessment
Supportive Interactions
The ways a school leader candidate provides emotional and/or academic support to help colleagues develop and feel comfortable in a building's environment. This could include principal sensitivity, building-wide behavior, and cognitive/instructional development through concept development, feedback, and modeling
Targeted Audience
Colleagues who have been identified as the recipients of professional development activities in Task 3. This is the group the collaborative team involves to improve research-based instructional practice. PASL Glossary 7
Think Pair Share
a discussion technique that gives students the opportunity to think about a question presented by the teacher. Then students pair up with a classmate to compare mental or written notes. Finally, the teacher class on pairs of students to share their thinking with the rest of the class. Asking students with the larger group builds confidence, encourages greater participation, and results in more thoughtful discussions
Turn and Talk
An instructional strategy that allows all students to participate in discussions. When using this strategy, students turn and talk to a classmate about a topic at the teacher's prompting. All students are able to process new learning while engaging in meaningful conversation with a classmate
Vertical Alignment
When a curriculum is vertically aligned or vertically coherent, what students learn in one lesson, course, or grade level prepares them for the next lesson, course, or grade level. Teaching is purposefully structured and logically sequenced so that students are learning the knowledge and skills that will progressively prepare them for more challenging, higher-level work
Vision
The ability to see or something that you can imagine; a picture that you see in your mind
Walk
Through Observation-A brief, non-evaluative classroom observation that focuses on specific, targeted, instructional outcomes. Walk-throughs can be done by an administrator, a supervisor, or a peer either individually or in teams
Written Commentary
A written response by the school leader candidate to the guiding prompts within the task requirements documents for the assessment
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