SECTIONS 44681-44689 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 44681-44689

44681. The Legislature recognizes that the principal plays a
pivotal role in the life of a school. Research indicates that at
schools where pupil achievement is higher than might be expected,
principals provide strong leadership and support. Teachers at these
schools report that their principals facilitate innovation, support
teachers in efforts to promote new ideas, and assist staff to acquire
needed skills and materials. Other studies show that the principal
is the most effective agent for bringing about educational
improvement.
The Legislature further recognizes that although principal
leadership is essential to effective instruction, research shows that
many principals are neither prepared nor encouraged to be
educational leaders. According to principals and others,
administrator training does not always match responsibilities of the
job, and opportunities for continuing development are inadequate.
The Legislature, by the provisions of this article, intends to
provide site and central district administrators ongoing
opportunities to improve their management and leadership skills. The
Legislature intends that administrator support and development
activities funded by this article will result in direct improvements
in services to California public school pupils. The Legislature
further intends that current funding for duplicative educational
programs be redirected to fund the provisions of this article.
It is also the intention of the Legislature to enhance the
desirability of teaching as a profession by promoting a school
environment that facilitates a constructive working relationship
between teachers and administrators.

44682. (a) Any school district, county superintendent of schools,
or consortium of those entities shall be eligible for funds in order
to establish an administrator training and evaluation program, which
shall provide to school administrators support and development
activities designed to improve clinical supervision skills.
(b) In order to receive funding for an administrator training and
evaluation program, a school district, county superintendent, or
consortium shall:
(1) Develop a three-year plan for support and development
activities, based on a systematic assessment of unmet needs of pupils
and school personnel in the districts to be served.
(2) Operate the program in conjunction with the teacher education
and computer center which serves the school district or county office
of education or, in the case of a program operated by a consortium,
operate the program in conjunction with one or more teacher education
and computer centers which serves a school district or county office
of education in the consortium.

44683. (a) The three-year plan developed pursuant to paragraph (1)
of subdivision (b) of Section 44682 shall address, but need not be
limited to, objectives identified pursuant to Sections 44670.4,
52014, and 52015, and the capacity of site and central district
administrators to provide leadership necessary to do the following:
(1) Improve instructional, management, human development, and
counseling skills.
(2) Ensure that curricula, instruction, and materials are keyed to
the educational needs of each pupil, with particular emphasis on
pupils who have not achieved proficiency in basic reading, writing,
and computational skills, limited and non-English speaking pupils,
disadvantaged pupils, and pupils with exceptional abilities or needs.
(3) Develop curricula and instructional materials in a wide
variety of areas such as arts and humanities and physical, natural,
and social sciences.
(4) Promote, facilitate, and ensure active participation of the
school staff in the school decisionmaking process, and collaboration
among the school staff, and among the staff and members of the school
community, in the educational and administrative planning,
implementing, and evaluating of the school program.
(5) Improve the school and classroom environment, including
relationships between and among pupils, school personnel, and
community members, including parents.
(6) Make available followup activities to assist participating
individuals in using newly acquired skills on the job.
(b) Each three-year plan shall describe the following:
(1) General staff development objectives and steps necessary to
achieve the objectives in subdivision (a), including intended
outcomes.
(2) A proposed budget.
(3) Procedures for ongoing evaluation and modification of training
activities, including evaluation on a continuing basis by
participating administrators and outside personnel as necessary.
(c) Administrator training and evaluation programs shall be
designed and implemented under the direction of participating school
and district administrators, including the district administrators or
administrators responsible for supervision of curriculum and
instruction, and in cooperation with teacher training institutions.
The programs shall allow for diversity in development activities,
including, but not limited to, small groups, self-directed learning,
and systematic observation during visits to other schools.
The district administrator or administrators responsible for
curriculum and instruction, or other central district administrators
shall be included as active participants in one or more staff
development activities pursuant to this article whenever appropriate.
The amendments made to Section 44681 and to paragraph (4) of
subdivision (a) of this section by the Statutes of 1986 shall be
applicable only to three-year plans developed on or after January 1,
1987.

44684. Administrator training and evaluation programs shall set
aside specific times throughout the school year to conduct programs.
The times shall include, but not be limited to, periods when
participating administrators are released from their regular duties.

44685. Any school district governing board, upon petition by a
majority of the administrators designated to design an administrator
training and evaluation program, may request the State Board of
Education to grant a waiver of any provision of this article.

44686. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this article.

44687. The State Department of Education may provide technical
assistance, at the request of any entity involved in establishing and
implementing an administrator training and evaluation program. At
the request of the Legislature, the department shall assess the
effectiveness of the training provided by administrator training and
evaluation programs.

44688. (a) Federal and state funds appropriated or apportioned for
the purposes of this article shall not be used to supplant funds
currently expended by school districts for the purpose of
administering or conducting staff development programs.
(b) Priority in funding shall be given to applicants who provide
evidence of the following:
(1) Programs designed to strengthen clinical supervision skills of
site administrators.
(2) Specific substantial district support to implement proposed
administrator development activities.
(3) A high degree of collaborative planning of proposed activities
among school principals, and between principals and central district
administrators.
(4) A process to continue a high degree of collaboration among
school principals and between principals and central district
administrators in implementing, evaluating, and modifying development
activities funded by this article and other state education
programs.
(5) A direct relationship between proposed activities and specific
school improvement goals developed pursuant to an existing or new
process which involves principals, central district administrators,
teachers, other school personnel, secondary students, and parents.
(c) Lowest funding priority shall be given to programs designed
for the primary purpose of granting a degree or a credential to
participating staff.

44689. It is the intent of the Legislature that the administrator
training and evaluation programs be funded annually in each Budget
Act.