Performance Assessment for Principal Licensure: Field Trial Results and Implications

• In Event: Evaluating Leadership Preparation Programs and Trends

Abstract

This paper presents the field trial outcomes of a system of performance-based assessments to evaluate candidates seeking principal licensure in one state.The field trial enabled evaluation of the four standards-based performance assessment tasks as a system and their results in a one-year statewide implementation. The results of this phase confirms the pilot study results on the relevance and feasibility of these school leader performance assessment tasks. An analysis of the results for 450 candidates show that the assessments differentiate candidates’ leadership knowledge and skills. The analyses show different score distributions for the four tasks and for candidates prepared by preparation programs and alternative pathways. The findings underscore the value of performance assessments and their utility in preparing and selecting school leaders.

Authors

• Margaret Terry Orr, Bank Street College of Education

• Raymond Lee Pecheone, Stanford University

• Jon D. Snyder, Stanford University

• Joseph F. Murphy, Vanderbilt University

• Liz Hollingworth, University of Iowa

• Barbara Q. Beaudin, Independent Consultant