Campus Supervised Summary and Validation Report
Directions: This report should summarize all Campus Supervised Internship Activities that have been completed.  You will document your activities on this form and submit the completed form in your 12th course. ·         The Internship requires a minimum of 150 campus supervised internship activities. These activities should match the candidates’ Internship Plan activities. ·         The intern must use the 38 leadership activities, located in their textbook (pages 22-65) as the starting point for these activities. There needs to be a minimum of 38 Campus- Supervised entries that encompasses the 38 leadership activities and nine competencies. *Educational Technology Leadership candidates must include the 33 ISTE Technology Performance Indicators associated with the eight Technology Facilitation Standards in addition to the 38 principal leadership activities.* ·       All columns are required for completion of form. ·       Name: Gina G. Lunsford ·         Total Number of hours: 375 hours
State Competency Standard/ISTE Technology Facilitation Standard	Skills and Experience Area/ ISTE Performance Indicator	Date Completed	Time Spent on Activity	Description of Activity	Reflection (150 words or less detailing what you have learned from this activity)
SBEC Domain  Competency 01Leadership Skill #1	Vision/Mission	April 2013	40 hours	Analyze school’s vision/mission statement as it relates to school’s master schedule; determine if the vision statement is reflected in the reality of the master schedule	Throughout the duration of my internship program, I have had the opportunity to work at two different schools within our district – our high school and one of our elementary schools. Our district is in the process of opening new campuses and closing older elementary campuses and combining elementary campuses due to growth (new high school opens in fall of 2014; middle school moves to renovated current high school; new intermediate opens; 7 elementary schools reduced to 4 with consolidations). Each of these campuses is a Title 1 school, meaning that a good portion of the school(s) is low-income. At the two campuses where I had the opportunity to work/observe, I noticed striking differences, particularly in vision. At the elementary school, the principal has a very clear vision for all students, regardless of race, gender, ability, or socio-economic circumstances. She is a leader, and leads her staff to that same vision of high expectations of learning and mastery. She works closely with her staff to develop programs and/or interventions for those students who struggle, and seeks to make every student be treated as a general ed student first. At the high school, the vision is much different, particularly when it comes to race and ability. African American and Hispanic students are treated fairly if they are athletes, and special education students are treated as a bother. Discipline and the code of conduct are often used against those students who are not athletes or high achievers, and tolerance of their differences is minimal. Focus is primarily on those students who are college bound, with little regard given to those who are not. While our drop-out rate is low, it is not a clear reflection of what actually occurs on that campus. The principal is a manager, and seeks control of every department and every program, regardless of whether or not he is knowledgeable in that area or discipline. Morale is low for both teachers and students, many parents feel as if they are “at war” with school.
SBEC Domain Competency 01 #2	Strategic Plan	April 2013	20 hours	Review the strategic plan for district/school. Note the personnel involved in the plan’s development, implementation, and evaluation. Investigate support and concerns from the various parties involved	At the beginning of the year, every employee in our district was asked to serve on the district’s Strategic Planning Committee. Employees located a central administration represented a different strategy, and served as strategy section leader/liaison.  In looking at each strategy and what its purpose was, I decided to serve on the “Community Partnerships” section of the strategic plan which would be lead by the district’s public relations superintendent. The goal of the Community Partnerships committee is to establish partnerships with real estate developers and builders within the community and to establish and strengthen partnerships with businesses and business owners in the community, establish partnerships with local churches in the community, and conduct annual reviews of existing partnerships. This has been a very rewarding part of the internship as I have gotten to know the community much better (I am a commuter-I live outside of the district). Also, as a lifelong Transition Specialist, this has served to help our special education teachers and students in finding post secondary activities such as continuing education and employment.
SBEC Domain Competency 01 #3	Data Collection & Analysis	April 2013	30 hours	Review district’s collection procedure and data collected; interview persons directly involved; analyze data and the perspectives from each party involved.	I worked with our building principals, department chairs, school counselors, and special education director. In several meetings throughout the year, we discussed the data from state standardized test scores, common assessments, and benchmarks, and compared them to previous years. We use the AYP and AEIS (for state tests) as a “report card” on how well our school does and even how well our school compares to others with similar demographics. The reports were explained as in how the campus is broken down into sub-populations, and that each sub-population is required to meet a certain percentage when it comes to standardized testing. We also discussed services and programs that were needed in order to improve these scores. These items were listed for budgetary purposes.
SBEC Domain Competency 01 Leadership Skill #4	Effective Communication	April 2013	10 hours	Use communication as tool for positive strategies for improving student success.	Communication is key and mandated in our department (special education). Unfortunately, communication most often comes in the form of negative communication such as failure reports, discipline issues, attendance issues, etc. This year, I challenged my team to communicate with parents in positive way, on a regular basis, and note any changes they saw in struggling students. This was foreign to many of them, and many resisted at first, but as the year progressed, our discipline referrals, failures, and attendance problems decreased with many of our most problematic students. In fact, one particular teacher in our department is a “great fan of” the disciplinary referral. I challenged her for one week to not write ANY discipline referrals, but to look for one positive (and it could be anything!) to communicate to her most difficult student and/or their parent, and to see if that changed that student’s behavior in any way. And it did! In fact, because of this one change, HER discipline referrals have reduced by over 75%!
SBEC Domain Competency 01 #5	Negotiating/Consensus Building	April 2013	30 hours	Choose a current issue in the district/school. Use steps for issue resolution with a small group of concerned parties; reach consensus for a plan to resolve the issue and/or critique on areas where resolution failed.	Issue: Our high school campus began the practice of Inclusion for our special education students who were taking a Modified (M) state standardized test. In previous years, all students taking an M test (English/math) were automatically placed in a resource classroom for those subjects (no resource classes for science/social studies). This move was made to improve low test scores in the areas of English and math for special education students in high school (receiving instruction in the general education teacher who is highly qualified and receiving additional assistance from the special education teacher who is highly qualified in modifications and accommodations of content). Method: From previous years data (AYP, AEIS, grades, ARD minutes), myself (department chair), an assistant principal with special education experience, and our special education director met to collect names based on data, of students struggling in the areas of English and math. A list of those students was generated, their current schedule placement for those classes identified, and modifications of those schedules to place them in the general education classroom with an Inclusion Support Specialist from our special education department. As class leveling occurred, adjustments were made. Concerned Parties: As was expected, this was met with much concern and some anger. General ed teachers were very resistant to having another teacher in their classroom, and wondered why “those kids” couldn’t just be taught in special education.  Our special education teachers who had been designated as Inclusion Support Specialists were fearful of going into classrooms where they felt unwelcome, and often the students whom they were going to help were resistant because of feeling “pointed out.” Even the counselors felt that inclusion was an infringement on the general ed teacher and the general ed students, and that students who needed that type of support should be taught in special ed resource classrooms. Resolution: As relationships were built by our Inclusion Support Specialists with general ed teachers AND students, this process has become much better received over the course of this school year. In going through this process, the key piece that was missing that would have made this transition much easier was training for both general ed and special ed teachers,  and collaboration WITH the general ed teachers throughout the entire process.
SBEC Domain Competency 01 #6	Collaborative Decision Making	April 2013	10 hours	Lead a group and practice each of the group leadership tasks (outlining goals, problem definition, seeking information, providing information, clarifying/elaborating, challenging viewpoints, diagnosing progress, and summarizing); have group members complete an evaluation of my performance	Our campus is practicing the PLC model for instruction. Our general ed departments meet weekly, but our special education department had never met or been invited to meet with any of the general ed departments. Because I had been invited to a training/conference in PLC’s, I asked our principal if we/I could start our own PLC meetings within our department. With his approval, our department began meeting twice a month to discuss issues, make plans, and brainstorm better ways of working within the general ed classrooms/self contained classrooms. At first, the sessions we “gripe sessions” about how we were not welcomed and not wanted, but using the leadership skills I have learned (outlining goals, problem definition, seeking information, providing information, clarifying/elaborating, challenging viewpoints, diagnosing progress, and summarizing), we quickly moved to a more effective PLC and were able to discuss real problems and solutions, create measurable goals for our department, and integrating ourselves into the general ed PLC’s for the upcoming school year. In evaluating my effectiveness as a leader and creating collaborative decision making, I received high marks not just from my team, but from our principal as well.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #7	Analyzing the Curriculum	April 2013	5 hours	Actively participate or interview a person with experience in the textbook selection process. Include an overview of the process, evaluative criteria used, and recommendations.	I interviewed one of my campus administrators. She stated that she was not the one who was responsible for ordering the textbooks, and that it was more of a district decision. About two years ago, the district had to purchase new textbooks, but, instead of going to a publisher’s website to order, representatives from each publisher came out and gave a presentation to the textbook committee. What sold the textbook committee on any new textbook was not just the textbook itself, but many times,  the added supplements that accompanied the textbooks. For example, when there are supplements with the textbook and they come with “extras” at no additional charge, it was a major selling point because other publishers charged for these supplements. Once a publisher was selected, it would have to be voted on by the district’s School Board for approval.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #8	School/Program Scheduling	April 2013	50 hours	Participate in the process of student class scheduling	School/class scheduling has become the basis of my existence over the last 3 years! I work hand in hand with other department chairs, counselors, and principals to create a schedule for our students, and to place them in the classes that they must have to graduate. This process is tedious and arduous and often the source of many a headache, but it is a crucial process, particularly at the high school level. Scheduling is done by computer, and hand scheduling is avoided if at all possible. It has become particularly tedious as we have implemented inclusion this year. Many times this year, we have had to hand schedule those students needing inclusion, and it has caused quite a lot of stress, particularly for our counselors. I have also been the one who looks line by line at every special ed student’s schedule to make sure that they have what they are supposed to have according to their ARD document – and to make sure that they have an English, a math, a science, and a social studies class! That would seem to be simple – but the surprise is the ones that do not have all four cores! This process is takes place just about all year long. It is like putting together a million piece puzzle!
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #9	Supervision of Instruction/Instructional Strategies	April 2013	1 hour	With the permission of the principal and two teachers, conduct two classroom observations using the clinical supervision model.	As a teacher, I had previous knowledge that no teacher teaches like another just from watching teachers over my lifetime. While teacher may try to imitate each other, everyone has their own style and ways of communicating that are as unique as their fingerprint. I was also familiar with the supervision model because I have been observed many times and received copies of the forms. I felt like I already knew most of information before I completed the activity. After the activity, I think my previous knowledge was confirmed as correct. Even though the teachers were teaching the same thing, each one did so in different ways; from the way they explained to the style they delivered it. This will help me in the future to know that there is no “right way” to teach, as long as the students understand to the best of their ability. Teaching is going to look different when you go into different classrooms.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #10	Learning/Motivation Theory	April 2013	4 hours	Review methods used to encourage student motivation in the classroom. Observe a successful learning/motivations theory currently being implemented in the district and discuss findings with selected administrators and faculty	The absolute best learning/motivation theory I have seen this year takes place at the elementary campus where I have shadowed/observed. They have implemented a process known as PRIDE tickets, in which the students are “caught in the act” of doing something pertaining to what they call, PRIDE behavior (P-prepared; R-respectful; I-integrity; D-determined; E-excellence in everything). These tickets are given out by anyone on that campus that observes students doing what they are supposed to be doing and/or acting the way they are supposed to be acting. The students LOVE it! And so do the teachers! Students are rewarded by getting to spend time with the principal in an informal way helping her do things in and around the office; the teachers are rewarded by getting to wear jeans and t-shirts after a certain amount of tickets have been given. This has reduced significantly the amount of office referrals and behavior interventions on that campus. Students are engaged in learning and in behavior that creates a positive climate and atmosphere for everyone.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #11	Learning Technology	April 2013	2 hours	Use several different search engines for finding Internet information on a particular topic. Compare the results of the searches, an make recommendations for the best use for students and subject area	While some people prefer one search engine over another, one may want to consider what they are looking for when selecting a search engine. This was not my previous idea, before starting this task. However, after further investigation, I found that different engines provided better information than others. I could not have predicted this. I always use a particular one and I’m really not even sure why. But after this activity, I would recommend using different engines depending on your subject area and the person conducting a search. Different people have different uses for their preference. This was an important activity because I proved myself wrong. If you don’t make a mistake you won’t learn. Even though I thought I wouldn’t learn from this activity, I did. This will affect me in the future because I will remember that I need to investigate things myself instead of just making a hypothesis and believing it to be true without testing it.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #12	Evaluation of Student Achievement/Testing Measurement	April 2013	60 hours	Gather and analyze the district/school, state, and national normed test results. Assess the current strengths and weaknesses in student achievement. Make recommendations for improvement in student performance on standardized tests.	As department chair for special education, I have the duty of being the testing coordinator for my department. For that particular duty, I ensure that all of our special education students take the appropriate test as indicated in their ARD document, and ensure that the appropriate and allowable accommodations are in place for test day. This has been particularly daunting these last two years with the administration of the remaining TAKS test takers and the implementation of the STAAR EOC. We also participated in the STAAR EOC field tests last year, which created two months of what seemed like non-stop testing for our students. This year, I also had to administer STAAR Alt for one of our high school teachers who had not successfully passed the module training needed to administer that test. Included in those duties are the training of teachers, room assignments, and class rosters. It is often tedious work, but crucial, especially when dealing with special education students, and ensuring that the correct test is given. I have been fortunate in that we have had no discrepancies or errors these last 3 years. I also work with the current administration, special education director, and assistant superintendent in analyzing current testing data. Although we are successful in the passing rate of most of our students throughout the district, we have come into trouble this year with the number of students in our district taking a modified or alternative test. This problem is Federal AYP stage 3 for our district. We have had to work very hard in moving students from a modified test to a regular test, and students taking an alternative test to a modified test. This has not been met with exuberation or elation, as you can well imagine. We have successfully moved these students – but whether they are successful or not on the test, only time will tell.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #13	Supervision of Co-curricular Education	April 2013	10 hours	Work collaboratively with one teacher in the planning and supervising of a cocurricular activity. Critique the learning experience using the indicators	I worked collaboratively with our Inclusion Support Specialists this year in helping our general ed teachers who would have them in class as supports, to differentiate instruction. Many times, at the high school level, the curriculum is taught in a lecture format, which, for most students with learning disabilities, is not effective. Many of the lecture format teachers had been doing this type of instruction for many years, and were very resistant to change. As Support Specialists, we worked with these particular teachers in finding ways that students could show what they had learned and to help the teacher know what it was that they still needed help with. We offered ideas such as when giving a lesson, some students are learning the curriculum, some are learning to copy from the board, and some may just be learning to sit quietly without interrupting – but they were all learning something. Another idea was being able to get teacher copies of notes in exchange for producing some sort of notes that they had taken themselves; or giving responses to questions orally instead of in written form. Through this process, we/I have learned about some of our really great teachers who use podcasting and video casting as a way of engaging their students and giving the responsibility of learning back to the student.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #14	Staff Development/Adult Learning	April 2013	15 hours	Collaborate with an experienced staff developer in one staff development activity (include planning, implementing, instructing, and evaluating).	I have been a staff development presenter in my district for the last nine years. I started presenting in this district before actually coming to work in the district. Every year I provide professional development for paraprofessionals and teachers, and have presented on various subjects such as motivating students, differentiated instruction, behavior issues and solutions, inclusion, the work relationship between classroom teacher and paraprofessional, just to name a few. I will continue this year with conducting professional development in the district.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #15	Change Process	April 2013	3  hours	Meet with current leader involved in implementing a district/school change. Find out why the change was made and what steps were taken to make the change. Following this meeting, survey several people affected by the change to assess the support or nonsupport for the change.	This was an interesting activity. While I was able to understand the change the steps taken, it was harder for me to understand the support and nonsupport of the people I talked to. I think understanding the change had an influence on my ability to understand people’s stance on the change. Of course, I know from past experience that many people don’t like changes. It can be extremely hard, especially if a person is comfortable in what they have done for a long time. One of the things I have learned from this is that through time, patience, and discussion the school changes become accepted and most of the time end up improving things. That is the goal of school change: improvement. I think it takes several different qualities to implement a change smoothly; even though it may be a smooth change, there will always be bumps in the road.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #16	Student Discipline	April 2013	2 hours	Review discipline referrals for a specific period and compile the data with regard to grade level, punishment, and gender.	Looking at different times, grade level, etc. was a little shocking for me. I really didn’t have any previous experience with this except for actually filling out a discipline referral. What was really surprising to me were the grade levels with the highest number of referrals. I learned a lot from this activity and I also learned how wrong I was in my opinions before finding out what the facts were. If I ever end up in an administrative role, then this activity will be helpful because I will be aware of months and grade levels that I will have the biggest challenges with. It would prepare me to maybe do some things ahead of time with those teachers or students to try to prevent the numbers from being so high.  I think it would be interesting to compare my campus report to reports from other campuses in my district to see if there were any trends.
SBEC Domain Competency 02 #17	Student Services	April 2013	1 hour	Interview a school nurse to discuss the major requirements, concerns, and goals for the school health program. Address issues such as AIDS, abuse, and any other current issues.	Documentation, reports, records, and maintaining healthy relationships with parents are all done on a daily basis. Every child that she sees creates a paper trail, even if they only need a band-aid. Reports must be sent weekly to the CDC so epidemics can be monitored. There are multiple issues in our school right now including an outbreak of head lice and flu. To combat these issues, newsletters are sent home to parents, teachers teach students lessons on ways to stay healthy, and the faculty/staff encourages the students to wash their hands often. The nurse also must train our staff on things like CPR and allergic reactions. This was a great learning experience because it alerted me to the multiple job responsibilities required as well as the stress that the nurse must be under. As an administrator, it is important to realize what is required of the job so that you can try to support them in any way possible.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #18	General Office Administration/Technology	April 2013	2 hours	Review the job descriptions and evaluation forms for the key office personnel at the district/school. Following this review, meet with these persons (individually or as a group) to discuss their major duties, concerns, and recommendations for the actual work required and its relation to the job description and evaluation form	Through this activity, it was clear to me that our secretary does far more than the job description given. I think this goes without saying for most secretaries who truly care about what they do. I have performed a secretarial job and observed our school secretaries in the past, so I felt like I had a good idea of the requirements. Upon further investigation, I was able to confirm that my previous knowledge was correct. I don’t feel like a great deal of learning came from this activity due to my past experience. My approach was to obtain the job description, then ask the secretary what their duties looked like on a daily basis. I was able to compare the two. Although daily duties were similar to the description, I found that they do more than what the description says. I think the interactions that I have with the secretary impacts my future learning by having respect for the job that secretaries perform. I know that many people rely on them as an aid to get their jobs done. They are a valuable part of the team that keeps things running smoothly
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #19	School Operations/Policies	April 2013	1 hour	Meet with the district/school attendance officer. Discuss the rules, procedures, and ramifications of attendance on law, finance, and general school/district operations.	I interviewed our district PIEMS clerk who had over 5+ years of dealing with attendance. She explained that attendance must be taken everyday at 10am. This is because each student present represents a dollar amount. For instance, the State of Texas pays districts roughly $20 per day, per student to educate. However, if students require services, such as LEP, Special Education, GT and Bilingual needs, the cost of each student rises dramatically. If the student is not present, then it looks bad on the school (who would have to reimburse the State for the absence of that student.) She went on to explain how that if a child that is out of district is attending our school (with permission), then the other district will have to pay our district the cost of that particular student. Finally, she went on to explain how each campus is required to have a “snapshot” two times a year. This snapshot helps with the funding of the school, and also gives a sense of accountability come standardized test time.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #20	Facility and Maintenance Administration/Safety and Security	April 2013	1 hour	Meet with the director of maintenance and/or head custodian to review job responsibilities and schedules of staff. Shadow/observe one custodian and/or maintenance person for a period of time (include needs, concerns, and overall assessment of work performed).	As an administrator, it is imperative that you have a working knowledge of all of your facilities and trust your maintenance, custodial and administrative staff to take care of the day-to-day issues.  If you can trust to notify you of any assistance they need, this will help maintain the facility.  Safety of the students and staff is imperative, and any issues that affect these groups needs to be addressed immediately.  In addition, development and planning of a crisis management program and practice of safe and secure procedures are mandatory.  These drills are practiced routinely every month to ensure the safety of the school and all students.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #21 –	Student Transportation	April 2013	2 hours	With permission of the director, observe one bus driver during either a morning or afternoon bus route.	I was able to observe what bus drivers today do to prepare the bus for their routes, the paperwork that the drivers must have, remembering their routes, looking out for drivers and pedestrians, and counting students that ride the bus. More importantly I got to see the poverty which most of our students are living. I already knew many of our students come from very impoverished homes, but words cannot describe some of the things I witnessed. I now have even more respect than I already had for those whom we entrust our students to for transportation. I will never forget this experience as it has left an imprint on my heart and the utmost respect for our drivers.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #22	Food Services	April 2013	1 hour	Interview the district/school food services manager to discuss the current requirements, concerns, and issues of the program	I found the school food service program provides breakfast and a well balanced lunch in the cafeteria.  The cafeteria staff plans the meals each week trying to meet the dietary needs of the students.  The primary concern is that many students who need a well balanced meal often do not eat the food.  The staff is working to make the food more appealing to encourage students to eat their meals.  The staff is also responsible for ordering the correct amount of food, staying within budget, and ensuring the facilities are up to code and clean for hygienic purposes.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #23	Personnel Procedures	April 2013	3 hours	With the permission of administration, participate in an interview for a professional position	I sat in on three interviews for a third Life Skills teacher on our campus (we had 2-needed a third). I was surprised to see how differently each of the three different candidates carried themselves in the interview. One of the candidates kept talking about herself and her family and offered very little in terms of what she could bring to the table as a teacher. The second candidate chewed gum the entire interview, and seemed uncomfortable about the students she would be asked to teach. The third candidate was very confident, telling about her experiences as a substitute, as teacher in another state, and her experience with students with learning disabilities.
SBEC Domain Competency 03 #24	Supervision of the Budget	April 2013	1 hour	Complete a requisition for a service or supply item from a budgeted account. A copy of the requisition and a brief description of the path it follows for approval to be included.	This was not a new process for me, as a teacher, we have been completing requisitions for supplies from budgeted accounts for many years. I didn’t really learn anything new by completing this activity because I already do this twice a year in my current job. I also help other people in the process since it is all done on the computer. I love to help people who are unsure of the process. There are times I have questions, because I do not complete requisitions on a weekly basis. I am able to get help from the principal’s secretary. Sometimes the hardest part is looking for what you need and finding the best price before you complete the requisition. For me, that is the most time consuming part. I usually procrastinate until the deadline before making the requisition for supplies. I know in the future I will continue to perform this activity.
SBEC Domain Competency 04 #25	Community/Public Relations	April 2013	2 hours	Interview one or more persons involved in district/school public relations (include strategies for effective communication to and from the community and the issues of community politics).	I met with our Public Relations Specialist who informed  me that her department has many  creates many opportunities for public relations for our district, some of which include promoting items on our website and conducting once a year parent surveys that gives the district feedback about “how parents, community members, and business prefer their communication.” She also explained how our district seeks to partner with local community businesses for creating partnerships with the businesses and the school district. These partnerships create opportunities for community based learning, job opportunities, and teacher support (new teacher supplies and gift certificates, as an example).  Although the businesses usually have an idea of what they would like to d, there are also those who are willing to do what the district feels needs to be done. For example, our district has a program called the Denison Education Foundation in which once a year several grants are awarded through the foundation to teachers who want to invest in their classrooms.  The funds for these grants come from companies that our district has partnered with. This method works twofold: the teacher and school are happy because they have received the donation, and by donating funds to a school, the company stands out among other companies in the community by showing that they want to partner with the district to support its teachers and students.
SBEC Domain Competency 04 #26	Parent Involvement	April 2013	15 hours	Write a short proposal for increasing or improving parent involvement and attitude toward the school.	Throughout the 2012-2013 school year I was able attend several types of meetings or presentations that encourage and support parental involvement. Some of these meetings were focused on our special education student population, but others were aimed at the overall student population. One of the most successful meetings I was involved with was the Student Success Fair. For the fair, we invited the parents and students of those who were considered At-Risk for failure or being held back this school year. We invited local businesses and organizations (DARS, Texas Workforce Commission, Grayson County College, MHMR, etc.) to set up tables to give out information, provided onsite child care for parents and/or students with young children, free hotdogs and sodas, door prizes, and many other ways to attract parents and students. On the two nights that this event was held, our cafeteria/commons was packed with parents and students. Not only did the families have a wonderful time interacting with other families, but for many of our parents, this was the first time we had to sit down with them and their student to discuss their academic plan. As a school, we have found that many parents enjoy coming to these events. Every event that we have planned this year has been a success.
SBEC Domain Competency 04 #27	Climate for Cultural Diversity	April 2013	1 hour	Examine and evaluate the school library with regard to resources that address the heritage and values of culturally diverse populations.	I interviewed our Librarian to see the selection of books that was available to our school in our library. I was a surprised to see how much of selection we had for Spanish books. Many of the bilingual students may not be used to (or comfortable with) reading books in English. By having students read books in their native language, it is at least getting them interested in reading.
SBEC Domain Competency 04 #28	Community/Business Involvement and Partnerships	April 2013	2 hours	Compile a list of social agencies that are available to help and support the students, faculty and administration.	I interviewed our school counselors at the high school, middle school and one of the elementary campuses to find out about community involvement and partnerships. Each counselor indicated that our community has several community/business partnerships that provide for those in need. For example, if a family needs food and/or clothing, there are several agencies and churches that where they can receive assistance. If a family needs shelter, we have places like the homeless shelter that can provide assistance. For students or families that have been abused, there are agencies in the area that our counselors can refer them to (unfortunately, in our area, referrals are high in this area). There are also agencies that can help with counseling and psychiatric evaluations for those who need them.
SBEC Domain Competency 05 #29	Position Goals and Requirements	April 2013	2 hours	Obtain a copy of the job description and evaluation instrument used for the position of study. Analyze the correlation between the requirements listed in the job description and the performance standards of the evaluation	This activity caused me to learn more about the job of the principal. Every person has some previous experience with principals whether it is a student, parent, or teacher. Before this I thought I knew a lot about what a principal was responsible for and I never wanted that responsibility. Upon further investigation, I learned that principals are required to do far more than I imagined or even thought about. This new learning does not change my ideas about not wanting to be a principal. In my opinion, the burden and decisions that a principal make are too much for me to carry. The domains that are evaluated in the appraisal were a close match to the job description available. It was very clear to see the correlations. I will use this information in the future if I ever pursue a career as a principal.
SBEC Domain Competency 05 #30	Philosophy of Education	April 2013	1 hour	Find a retired educator or elderly community member, and conduct an interview, focusing on the oral history of the community and school system.	I interviewed a retired teacher of 20+ years who had grown up, graduated from, and eventually worked for our district (she still substitutes in our district regularly). She has lived in the community for about 35 years. When asking her about the history and expansion of our district she had stated that it really took off fast, and continually seems to grow bigger. She was excited over the recent bond election that has enabled this district to build a brand new, modern high school, and allowed for the renovation of the current high school to become the new middle school, the renovations and consolidations of our elementary campuses, and the building of the new intermediate high school. She also likes the fact that many teachers in this district are actually graduates from this district, and many stay for the duration of their career. As for the future of our district, she sees our district as a “premier district” based on the fact that the school district maintains a high standard for students and teachers alike.
SBEC Domain Competency 05 #31	Ethics	April 2013	1 hour	Provide evidence which demonstrates that you actually do what you tell others to do (example: if you ask others to monitor and adjust their performances, show how you do this).	I believe in honesty to the point of being transparent to those around me. There are times as a leader when you know information, yet you cannot share what you know because it’s not your place to tell or share. You also have to show people that you care about both your customers and/or your staff. These principals contribute to increased learning and school improvement because they are desirable characteristics of a leader. People want to work harder if they have a leader who displays these characteristics. If the leader is dishonest, doesn’t show appreciation, and tells everyone’s secrets, then the staff won’t appreciate them or do what the leader asks of them.
SBEC Domain Competency 05 #32	Interpersonal Relationships	April 2013	40 hours	Choose two to four interpersonal skills that you wish to develop throughout the school year (choices: avoids interrupting while others are speaking, accepts criticism, when leading meetings – encourages others to participate, shares responsibilities)	When I took the position of department chair for special education three years ago, I had already stepped outside of my comfort zone. I was quite happy dealing with my little corner of the world, and staying out of the way and “under the radar.” When I was asked to consider taking this position, I knew I would really have to change my approach to interpersonal relationships. The first year, I pretty much operated the way I always do – keeping my head down, nose to the grindstone, doing the work. I found that while the “doing of the work” was appreciated, what was needed more from me was the working with people aspect. I adjusted my approach and now am doing what I consider to be a more leadership style of approaching my job. I still “do the work,” but now, I make it my business to be seen in the hallways during passing periods; I visit classrooms on a daily basis (sit in on the lessons, visit with the students and teachers, unofficially observe); stop by the counseling center daily to offer my support and help as needed; am available during the lunch periods for support; and am basically just available as needed. I even wear a radio like the principals do in order to be contacted immediately as needed. This has most definitely changed the way in which students, teachers and administrators view me. What I found out is that by staying to myself and focusing on the work, I was seen as standoffish and uncaring. By being visible I have forged new and better relationships with students and teachers, and have built a trust factor with both. Being visible has changed others perceptions of me from manager to leader.
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #33	School Board Policy and Procedures/State and Federal Law	April 2013	1 hour	Attend as many school board meetings as possible. Include the agendas, followed by a list of outcomes/decisions pertaining to each agenda item and any recommendations.	This was my first experience in attending a school board meeting.  I had the opportunity to attend two of them for my Lamar Internship. Each meeting lasted for about an hour or so. I was given an itinerary for the evening when I entered, there were also questionnaire cards that were available for those who wanted to ask the school board members any questions or comments.  The majority of the time was spent on reports, old business, and past agendas. For any new business, an administrator or department chair would come up to the podium to inform the Superintendent and the school board know what they were requesting. In one meeting, there were two main proposals that stood out- proposals to the 2012-2013 calendar (drafted earlier in the year; needed to be approved by the school board), a proposal from the Energy Management Policy for ways that the district could cut 5% from their energy budget (his suggestion included installing a timing system for all of the lights at each campus to shut off at 8:00 p.m., and then turning back on around 11:00 p.m. so that the custodial staff could walk to their vehicles, then shutting off at 11:15). The last item of business was a “Closed Session.” The public (including myself) was asked to leave while Superintendent and the board members discussed classified material.
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #34	Federal Programs Administration	April 2013	1 hour	Attend one special education meeting involving initial placement or annual review.	Because I am a professional special education teacher, I attend ARD meetings throughout the year. My experience has only been at the secondary grade level until this year, when I sat in on elementary ARD meetings. Each school handles ARD meetings very differently, with the most effective way being done at the elementary campus (and the LEGAL way).
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #35	Issue and Conflict Resolution	April 2013	2 hours	Choose a current issue at your district/school. Find at least 2 persons on either side of the issue. Meet with the chosen persons to ascertain goals for each side. Ensure that each side understands the goals of the other side. Develop a list of concerns that each side has about the opposing side. Devise a resolution that helps both sides achieve their goals and addresses all concerns.	One of the issues at the elementary campus this year was a program called “English Learning Development” or ELD. This program required every classroom to designate a block of time each day to go over the fundamentals of the English language. Many teachers felt this was redundant and that the lessons were dry. At this campus, the first grade teachers had to complete one to two hours of ELD every day, and it was difficult to keep their attention for very long. However, a fifth grade teacher said that the hour and a half she spends teaching ELD everyday has made a tremendous impact in the way that the students write sentences. She went on to explain that although it was a major adjustment to get used to, students finally began to improve their scores on tests and writing samples.
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #36	Current Issue Affecting Teaching and Learning	April 2013	1 hour	Compile a list of current issues that affect teaching and learning. Use research literature and perspectives from administrators, teachers, students, and parents in compiling the list. Assess the degree of importance and urgency for each issue	I think this is an important activity. I know I am constantly thinking about issues that affect teaching and learning. Late at night, early in the morning, in “down” times, I am wondering how I can solve those problems that I face all the time. This activity helped me to put down my thoughts on paper and actually research how other people have tackled them, if what they did worked, and what would they suggest for the future. I can see a great benefit rather than going through the whole process by yourself and failing. You save time by not going through the trial and error, and there is no reinventing the wheel. If someone found something that worked for them and it could solve your problem, then it’s golden! This also allows for other peoples input on level of importance. Everyone has different reasons for why or why not things are important. This is effective for the future because it is a process I already use somewhat, but this one is even better (in my opinion).
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #37	Professional Affiliations and Resources	April 2013	1 hour	Visit the website of the NASSP and compile a list of all services and information available to the principal. Consider joining the relevant association, and begin reading periodicals and keeping up with the advances and concerns of principals across the nation.	NAESP Resources include: -Blogs -Online bookstore -Various publications -Various ways to help improve campus -Advocacy resources NASSP Resources include: -Webinars -Access to registration for upcoming conferences -Various resources that cater to various levels of principals (ie: the beginner principal, Assistant Principals, etc.)
SBEC Domain Competency 06 #38	Professional Library	April 2013	1 hour	Compile a list of books, publications, training manuals, and district or state publications used or recommended for the position of study.	This activity was easy for me to complete as I went through my classes. In order to complete assignments I had to access various materials. I was able to keep a list of all the materials used as well as books that were recommended by others. I didn’t necessarily set out to complete this activity one day; rather as I came across items that I thought would be useful for this I simply added them. I learned that educational leaders have to always be reading materials on various topics, everything from policies to how to be an effective leader. In the future, I will continue updating my list and adding to it as it is an ongoing activity. I would also recommend that any person in a career look into doing this activity as it would benefit anyone who chose to do this. It makes me wonder how many people actually engage in this type activity if it is not required.