Topic 12: Roles and Competencies of School Heads

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this Chapter, you should be able to discuss the competencies
expected of school heads as contained in competency frameworks for Philippines
and for Southeast Asia.
Introduction
As stipulated in Chapter 1, Section 5, E of RA 9155 the school head is an
administrative and an instructional leader. Because the main function of school is
students learning, the school head must spend more time as an instructional
leader. As an instructional leader, he/she supervises instruction by observing
teachers while they teach, conducting post-observation conferences with
individual teachers, mentoring and coaching them, ensuring that teachers have the
needed resources for teaching. While physical improvement and the concerns of
administrative leadership help improve schools, the more important concern is
improvement of instruction as this has a direct Bearing on learning. More often
than not, however, school heads spend more time soliciting funds for a flagpole, a
stage, a classroom, path walk, waiting shed, etc. leaving fund sourcing no time
left for instructional supervision.
Abstraction - Let's Conceptualize
Competencies for School Heads: The NCBSSH
In the list of competencies expected of school heads, there are competencies for
both instructional leadership and administrative leadership. Let's take a look at the
competencies expected of school heads as contained in the National Competency-
Based Standards for School Heads (NCBSSH) issued in DepEd Order 32, s. 2010
on April 16, 2010.
Figure 2. The National Competency-Based Standards for school heads
(Inclosure to DepEd Order No. 32, s 2010)
Domains and Competency Standards
Domains Competency Standards
Domain 1 1.A. Developing and communicating
Vision, mission, Goals and objectives.
School Leadership
(VMGO)
1.B. Data-based strategic planning
1.C. Problem Solving
1.D. Building High Performance Teams
1.E. Coordinating with others
1.F. Leading and managing change
Domain 2 2.A. Assessment for learning
Instructional Leadership 2.B. Developing programs &/or
Adapting Existing Programs
2.C. Implementing programs for
 Instructional Improvement
2.D. Instructional Supervision
Domain 3 3.A.Setting high social and academic
expectations
Creating a Student Centered Learning
Climate 3.B. Creating school environments
focused on the needs of the learner
Domain 4 4.A. Creating a Professional Learning
Community
HR Management and Professional
Development 4.B. Recruitment & Hiring
4.C. Managing Performance of
Teachers and Staff
Domain 5 5.A. Parental Involvement.
Parent involvement and Community 5.B. External Community Partnership
partnership.
Domain 6 6.A. Managing School Operations
School management and operation 6.B.Fiscal Management
6.C. Use of Technology in the
Management Operations
Domain 7 7.A. Professionalism
Personal and professional attributes and 7B. Communication
Interpersonal Effectiveness.
7.C. Interpersonal Sensitivity
7.D. Fairness, Honesty and Integrity.

Study Figure 2 side by side with the Table 7 on domains strands. Notice that there
are competencies expected of school heads as instructional leaders and as
administrative leaders. Focused on instructional leadership are Domain 2, which
is instructional leadership itself and Domain 3, creating a student-centered
learning climate which is part of instructional leadership. Related to
administrative leadership are Domain 1, school leadership; Domain 6, school
management and operations; and Domain 4, human resource management and
professional development; Domain 5, parent involvement and community
partnership. Domain 7, personal and professional attributes and interpersonal
effectiveness can relate to both instructional leadership and administrative
leadership since this has something to do a teacher's person-hood which cannot
detach from what a teacher says and does.
Study Figure 3 and the table 8 below:
Table 9. Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads
Domain: Stakeholders Engagement (SE)
1. (SE) Promoting shared 1.1. Build trust and lead
responsibility for school improvement. teams/communities for school
improvement
1.2. Empower the community to work
for enhancement of school
improvement
2. (SE) Managing education alliances 2.1. Communicate effectively with
and networks different stakeholders
2.2. Facilitate school community
partnerships and activities
2.3Promote consensus-building
2.4 Manage conflict and practice
negotiation skills.
3. (SE) Sustaining collaborative 3.1.Support community-based
relationship with stakeholders programs and projects
 3.2. Communicate school performance
report to stakeholders
4. Managing school resources and 1.1 Manage financial resources
systems.
1.2. Manage Learning Environments
1.3. Manage systems and procedure
5. (ML) Managing Staff Performance 2.1 Manage school personnel
requirements
2.2 Support professional development
of staff
2.3.Recognize staff performance
6. (ML) Managing sustainable school 3.1. Demonstrate program and project
programs and projects management skills
3.2 Promote school based programs
and projects that support sustainable
development.

Domain: Instructional Leadership (IL)

1. (IL) Leading curriculum 1.1. Manage curriculum
implementing and improvement implementation
1.2 Promote sensitivity of diversity
and differentiated instruction
2. (IL) Creating a learner centered 2.1 Promote learner centered activities
environment.
2.2 Promote a healthy, safe, and
inclusive learning environment
2.3. Promote a culture of peace an
respect for diversity
3. (IL) Supervising and evaluating 3.1. Apply appropriate models for
teacher’s performance supervision and evaluation
3.2. Nurture teacher leaders
4. (IL) Delivering planned learning 4.1 Promote team-based approaches to
outcomes instructional leadership
4.2. Manage assessments to improve
 teaching and learning
Domain: Personal Excellence (PE)
1. (PE) Managing personal 1.1. Lead by example
effectiveness
1.2. Demonstrate transparency and
accountability
1.3. Practice a balanced healthy
lifestyle
1.4. Take pride in one’s profession
1.5 Deliver results
2. (PE) Acting on challenges and 2.1. Manage priorities
possibilities
2.2. Exhibit decisiveness in addressing
challenges.
2.3 Exhibit and enterprising attitude
3. (PE) Pursuing continuous 3.1 Take responsibility for lifelong
professional development learning
3.2 Advocate ASEAN values and
perspectives

Domain: Stakeholders Engagement (SE)

1. (SE) Promoting shared 1.1. Build trust and lead
responsibility for school improvement teams/communities for school
improvement
1.2. Empower the community to work
for enhancement of school
performance
2. (SE) Managing education alliance 2.1. Communicate effectively with
and networks different stakeholders
2.2. Facilitates school community
partnerships and activities
2.3. Promote consensus-building
2.4 Manage conflict and practice and
negotiation skills
3.(SE) Sustaining collaborative 3.1 Support community-based
relationships with stakeholders. programs and projects
3.2. Communicates school
performance report to stakeholders
4. (ML) Managing school resources 1.1 Manage financial reports
and systems
1.2. Manage learning environments
1.3. Manage systems and procedures
5. (ML) Managing staff performance 2.1. Manage school personnel
performance
2.2. Support professional development
of staff
2.3 Recognize staff performance
6. (ML) Managing sustainable school 3.1 Demonstrates program and project
programs and projects management skills
3.2 Promote school-based programs
and projects that’ support sustainable
development

Domains and Competencies for School Heads in Southeast Asia

Instructional Leadership
Like the NCBSSH for Philippines, the competency framework for Southeast
Asian school heads also include domains for instructional leadership and
administrative leadership. The domain on Instructional Leadership encompasses 4
Competencies: 1) leading Curriculum implementation and improvement; 2)
creating a learner- centered environment: 3) supervising and evaluating teachers'
performance; and 4) delivering planned learning outcomes

Administrative Leadership

This includes strategic thinking and innovation (Domain1), stakeholders'

engagement (Domain 4) and managerial leadership (Domain 5). For the enabling
competencies for each domain, refer to the Table above
Personal excellence, another Domain (Domain 3), relates to both instructional and
administrative leadership. Whatever personal improvement school heads have on
their personal effectiveness by pursuing continuous professional development
redounds to improved administrative and instructional leadership.
School Head and the Community

Like a refrain in a song, the idea that the school and community are partners in the
education of the child has been said repeatedly in this book. Rightly so, to be
faithful to the descriptive title or this course, The Teacher and the Community,
School Culture and Organizational Leadership. In fact, in this book, a separate
Chapter was devoted to school and community partnership to emphasize this
significant role of teachers and school heads in relation to communities. In the
NCBSSH, several strands and indicators point to this school and community
partnership. The strands are as follows:

involves internal and external stakeholders in formulating and achieving school

vision, mission, goals and objectives (Domain 1 A) explains the school vision to
the general public (Domain 1A)
 Explains the school vision to the general public (Domain 1A)
 aligns the School Improvement Plan/Annual Improvement Plan with
national, regional and local education policies and thrusts (Domain 1 B)
 communicates effectively SIP/AIP to internal and external stakeholders
(Domain 1B)
 involves stakeholders in meetings and deliberations for decision making
(Domain 1D)
 provides feedback and updates to stakeholders on the status of progress
and completion of programs and projects
 creates and manages a school process to ensure student progress1s
conveyed to students and parents/guardians, regularly (Domain 2 C)
 recognizes high performing learners and teachers and supportive parentS
and other stakeholders (Domain 3 A)
 prepares financial reports and submits/communicates the same to higher
education authorities and other education partners (Domain 6 B)
 maintains harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations with
superiors, colleagues, subordinates, learners, parents and other
stakeholders (Domain 7 A)
 listens to stakeholders needs and concerns and responds appropriately in
consideration of the political, social, legal and cultural context

In the Southeast Asian Competency Framework, the following Competencies

strengthen school and Community partnership. 1) promoting shared responsibility
for School improvement; 2) managing education alliances and networks and 3
sustaining collaborative relationships with stakeholders.

TAKEAWAYS
 A school head is an administrative leader and an instructional leader.
 School heads tend to spend less time for instructional leadership compared
to time devoted to administrative leadership. An effective school head
gives emphasis on school leadership since good teaching and effective
teachers are the most important factors in improved school performance.
 The National Competency-Based Standards for School Heads (NCBSSH)
and the Southeast Asian Competency Framework for School Heads list the
competencies expected of effective school heads.