Model Standards for Principals and Their Supervisors Focus on Student Learning

The Wallace Foundation, 2015

What does it take to be an effective school principal—or an effective supervisor of a school principal?

Two recently released sets of model standards aim to help school district and state education officials nationwide answer that question.

Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 refreshes a set of voluntary school leadership standards first developed in 1996 (under the name “ISLLC standards”) and then revised seven years ago. The 2015 version contains 10 standards, up from six, and places a strong emphasis on students and student learning. The new standards are the work of nine leading organizations of field researchers and practitioners coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration.

Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards 2015, which is grounded in the Educational Leaders 2015 document, is believed to be the first-ever set of voluntary standards for the job of those who manage school principals. The document, created by a panel of educators for the Council of Chief State School Officers, lists and describes eight standards that, together, would shift the traditional focus of the position away from ensuring that school principals comply with regulations and toward supporting principals and helping them improve as instructional leaders.

Both sets of standards are intended to serve as models for adoption or adaption by states or local districts. They were developed with the support of The Wallace Foundation.

Let us know your views on these publications or any of the other reports and other resources, all offered free of charge, in Wallace’s Knowledge Center: [email protected].

On behalf of The Wallace Foundation,

Lucas Held
Director of Communications