Fla. Admin. Code R. 6A-5.080

Current through Reg. 50, No. 244; December 17, 2024

Section 6A-5.080 - The Florida Educational Leadership Standards

(1) Purpose and Structure of the Standards.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of these standards is to establish Florida's expectations for effective school administrators. These evidence-based standards form the foundation for school leadership preparation programs, educator certification requirements, professional learning for school administrators, and school administrator evaluation systems. In this rule, school administrators means those persons described in Section 1012.01(3)(c), F.S.

(b) Structure. There are eight (8) standards, each comprised of a title, description, and role-based descriptors that further clarify and define the work required to demonstrate mastery of the standard.

(2) The Florida Educational Leadership Standards.

(a) Standard 1. Professional and Ethical Norms. Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. All school administrators:

1. Hold self and others accountable to the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, pursuant to Rule 6A-10.081, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), and adhere to guidelines for student welfare pursuant to Section 1001.42(8), F.S., the rights of students and parents enumerated in Sections 1002.20 and 1014.04, F.S., and state, local school, and governing board policies;

2. Acknowledge that all persons are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, and provide leadership that is consistent with the principles of individual freedom outlined in Section 1003.42(3), F.S.;

3. Accept accountability for all students by identifying and recognizing barriers and their impact on the academic success of students and the well-being of the school, families, and local community; and

4. Act ethically and professionally in personal conduct, relationships with others, decision making, stewardship of the school's resources, and all other aspects of leadership set forth in this rule.

(b) Standard 2. Vision and Mission. Effective educational leaders collaborate with parents, students, and other stakeholders to develop, communicate, and enact a shared vision, mission, and core values to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Assist and support the alignment of the school vision and mission with district initiatives, State Board of Education priorities, and current educational policies.

b. Collaborate in the collection, analysis, and utilization of student academic data to help drive decisions that support effective and rigorous classroom instruction focused on the academic development of all students;

c. Collaborate, support, and model the development and implementation of a shared educational vision, mission, and core values within the school community to promote the academic success and well-being of all students;

d. Assist and support the development and implementation of systems to achieve the vision and mission of the school - reflecting and adjusting when applicable; and

e. Recognize individuals for contributions toward the school vision and mission.

2. School principals:

a. Collaborate with district and school leaders in the alignment of the school vision and mission with district initiatives, State Board of Education priorities, and current educational policies.

b. Collaborate with members of the school and community using academic data to develop and promote a vision focused on successful learning and the academic development of all students;

c. Collaborate to develop, implement, and model a shared educational vision, mission, and core values within the school community to promote the academic success and well-being of all students;

d. Strategically develop and implement systems to achieve the vision and mission of the school - reflecting and adjusting when applicable; and

e. Recognize individuals for contributions toward the school vision and mission.

(c) Standard 3. School Operations, Management, and Safety. Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to cultivate a safe school environment and promote the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Collaborate with the school principal to manage the school's fiscal resources in a responsible and ethical manner, engaging in effective budgeting, decision making, and accounting practices;

b. Collaborate with the school principal to manage scheduling and resources by assigning instructional personnel to roles and responsibilities that optimize their professional capacity to address all students' learning needs;

c. Organize time, tasks, and projects effectively to protect school personnel's work and learning, as well as their own, to optimize productivity and student learning;

d. Collaborate with school leaders to utilize data, technology, and communication systems to deliver actionable information to improve the quality and efficiency of operations and management to include safety, climate, and student learning;

e. Utilize best practices in conflict resolution, constructive conversations, and management for all stakeholders related to school needs and communicate outcomes with school leaders;

f. Inform the school community of current local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and best practices to promote the safety, success, and well-being of all students and adults;

g. Collaborate with the school principal to develop and maintain effective relationships with feeder and connecting schools for enrollment management and curricular and instructional articulation;

h. Develop and maintain effective relationships with the district office and governing board;

i. Collaborate with the school principal to create and maintain systems and structures that promote school security to ensure that students, school personnel, families, and community are safe;

j. Collaborate with the school principal to ensure compliance with the requirements for school safety, as outlined in Section 1001.54, F.S., Section 1006.09, F.S., and Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.;

k. Collaborate with the school principal to implement a continuous improvement model to evaluate specific concerns for safety and security within the school environment; and

l. Collaborate with the school principal to create and implement policies that address and reduce chronic absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions.

2. School principals:

a. Manage the school's fiscal resources in a responsible and ethical manner, engaging in effective budgeting, decision making, and accounting practices;

b. Manage scheduling and resources by assigning instructional personnel to roles and responsibilities that optimize their professional capacity to address all students' learning needs;

c. Organize time, tasks, and projects effectively to protect school personnel's work and learning, as well as their own, to optimize productivity and student learning;

d. Utilize data, technology, and communication systems to deliver actionable information to improve the quality and efficiency of operations and management to include safety, climate, and student learning;

e. Utilize and coach best practices in conflict resolution, constructive conversations, and management for all stakeholders related to school needs and communicate outcomes with school and district leaders;

f. Inform the school community of current local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and best practices to promote the safety, success, and well-being of all students and adults;

g. Develop and maintain effective relationships with feeder and connecting schools for enrollment management and curricular and instructional articulation;

h. Develop and maintain effective relationships with the district office and governing board;

i. Create and maintain systems and structures that promote school security to ensure that students, school personnel, families, and community are safe;

j. Ensure compliance with the requirements for school safety, as outlined in Section 1001.54, F.S., Section 1006.09, F.S., and Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.;

k. Utilize a continuous improvement model to evaluate specific concerns for safety and security within the school environment; and

l. Collaborate with district and school leaders to create and implement policies that address and reduce chronic absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions.

(d) Standard 4. Student Learning and Continuous School Improvement. Effective educational leaders enable continuous improvement to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Assist with the implementation and monitoring of systems and structures that enable instructional personnel to promote high expectations for the academic growth and well-being of all students;

b. Monitor and ensure the school's learning goals and classroom instruction are aligned to the state's student academic standards, and the district's adopted curricula and K-12 reading plan;

c. Collaborate with teachers and the school leadership team to create an evidence-based intervention, acceleration, and enrichment plan focused on learning;

d. Engage in data analysis to inform instructional planning and improve learning for all student subgroups and minimize or eliminate achievement gaps;

e. Utilize comprehensive progress monitoring systems to gather a variety of student performance data, identify areas that need improvement, and provide coaching to improve student learning;

f. Support and openly communicate the need for, process for, and outcomes of improvement efforts; and

g. Ensure and monitor the implementation of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices as described in Rule 6A-5.065, F.A.C., by all instructional personnel.

2. School principals:

a. Create and maintain a school climate and culture of high expectations and enable school personnel to support the academic growth and well-being of all students;

b. Ensure alignment of the school's learning goals and classroom instruction to the state's student academic standards, and the district's adopted curricula and K-12 reading plan;

c. Develop a structure that enables school personnel to work as a system and focus on providing evidence-based intervention, acceleration, and enrichment that meet student needs;

d. Promote the effective use of data analysis with school personnel for all student subgroups and provide coaching to improve student learning and minimize or eliminate achievement gaps;

e. Ensure all students demonstrate learning growth through a variety of ongoing progress monitoring data as evidenced by student performance and growth on local, statewide, and other applicable assessments as stipulated in Section 1008.22, F.S.;

f. Manage uncertainty, risk, competing initiatives, and the dynamics of change by providing support and encouragement, and openly communicating the need for, process for, and outcomes of improvement efforts; and

g. Ensure and monitor the implementation of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices as described in Rule 6A-5.065, F.A.C., by all instructional personnel.

(e) Standard 5. Learning Environment. Effective educational leaders cultivate a caring, rigorous, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Collaborate with the school principal to maintain a safe, respectful, and student-centered learning environment;

b. Facilitate a comprehensive system that establishes a culture of learning, which includes policies and procedures to address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner;

c. Deliver timely, actionable, and ongoing feedback about instructional practices driven by standards-aligned content to support and coach the development of instructional personnel's knowledge and skills; and

d. Support instructional personnel to recognize, understand, and respond to student needs to minimize or eliminate achievement gaps.

2. School principals:

a. Develop and maintain routines and procedures that foster a safe, respectful, and student-centered learning environment;

b. Cultivate and protect a comprehensive system that establishes a culture of learning, which includes policies and procedures to address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner;

d. Provide opportunities for instructional personnel to recognize, understand, and respond to student needs to minimize or eliminate achievement gaps.

(f) Standard 6. Recruitment and Professional Learning. Effective educational leaders build the collective and individual professional capacity of school personnel by creating support systems and offering professional learning to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Assist with hiring, developing, supporting, and retaining diverse, effective, and caring instructional personnel with the professional capacity to promote literacy achievement and the academic success of all students;

b. Attend to personal learning and effectiveness by engaging in need-based professional learning, modeling self-reflection practices, and seeking and being receptive to feedback;

c. Collaborate with the school principal to identify instructional personnel needs, including standards-aligned content, evidence-based pedagogy, use of instructional technology, and data analysis for instructional planning and improvement;

d. Collaborate with the school principal and content or grade-level leads to develop a school-wide professional learning plan based on the needs of instructional personnel and students, and revise elements of the plan as needed;

e. Collaborate with the school principal to develop school personnel's professional knowledge and skills by providing access to differentiated, need-based opportunities for growth, guided by understanding of professional and adult learning strategies;

f. Support the school principal in monitoring and evaluating professional learning linked to district- and school-level goals to foster continuous improvement;

g. Collaborate with the school principal to monitor and evaluate professional practice, and provide timely, actionable, and ongoing feedback to instructional personnel that fosters continuous improvement;

h. Collaborate with the school principal to utilize time and resources to establish and sustain a professional culture of collaboration and commitment to the shared educational vision, mission, and core values of the school with mutual accountability; and

i. Adhere to the professional learning standards adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-5.069, F.A.C., in planning and implementing professional learning, monitoring change in professional practice, and evaluating impact on student outcomes.

2. School principals:

a. Recruit, hire, develop, support, and retain diverse, effective, and caring instructional personnel with the professional capacity to promote literacy achievement and the academic success of all students;

b. Attend to personal learning and effectiveness by engaging in need-based professional learning, modeling self-reflection practices, and seeking and being receptive to feedback;

c. Identify instructional personnel needs, including standards-aligned content, evidence-based pedagogy, use of instructional technology, and data analysis for instructional planning and improvement;

d. Develop a school-wide professional learning plan based on the needs of instructional personnel and students, and revise elements of the plan as needed;

e. Develop school personnel's professional knowledge and skills by providing access to differentiated, need-based opportunities for growth, guided by understanding of professional and adult learning strategies;

f. Monitor and evaluate professional learning linked to district- and school-level goals to foster continuous improvement;

g. Monitor and evaluate professional practice, and provide timely, actionable, and ongoing feedback to assistant principals and instructional personnel that fosters continuous improvement;

h. Provide time and resources to establish and sustain a professional culture of collaboration and commitment to the shared educational vision, mission, and core values of the school with mutual accountability; and

(g) Standard 7. Building Leadership Expertise. Effective educational leaders cultivate, support, and develop other school leaders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.

1. Assistant principals:

a. Develop and support open, productive, caring, and trusting working relationships among school and teacher leaders to build professional capacity and improve instructional practice driven by standards-aligned content;

b. Collaborate with the school principal to cultivate a diverse group of emerging teacher leaders;

c. Develop capacity in teacher leaders and hold them accountable; and

d. Plan for and provide opportunities for mentoring new personnel.

2. School principals:

a. Develop and support open, productive, caring, and trusting working relationships among school leaders and other personnel to build professional capacity and improve instructional practice driven by standards-aligned content;

b. Cultivate current and potential school leaders and assist with the development of a pipeline of future leaders;

c. Develop capacity by delegating tasks to other school leaders and holding them accountable; and

d. Plan for and manage staff turnover and succession, providing opportunities for effective induction and mentoring of school personnel.

(h) Standard 8. Meaningful Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. Effective educational leaders utilize multiple means of reciprocal communication to build relationships and collaborate with parents, families, and other stakeholders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. All school administrators:

1. Understand, value, and employ the community's cultural, social, and intellectual context and resources;

2. Model and advocate for respectful communication practices between school leaders, parents, students, and other stakeholders;

3. Maintain high visibility and accessibility, and actively listen and respond to parents, students, and other stakeholders;

4. Recognize parents, students, and other stakeholders for contributions and engagement that enhance the school community; and

5. Utilize appropriate technologies and other forms of communication to partner with parents, students, and families on student expectations and academic performance.

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 6A-5.080

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.34, 1012.55(1), 1012.986(3) FS. Law Implemented 1012.55, 1012.986, 1012.34 FS.

New 5-24-05, Formerly RSA 6B-5.0012, Amended 12-20-11, Amended by Florida Register Volume 48, Number 218, November 8, 2022 effective 11/22/2022.

New 5-24-05, Formerly 6B-5.0012, Amended 12-20-11, 11-22-22.