Designing Performance Assessments for School Leader Readiness Lessons from PAL and Beyond

In face of increased scrutiny on the preparation of educational leaders, this book provides a much-needed resource, exploring the role and use of authentic performance assessment for evaluating leader readiness and performance. Framed by theory and research on school leader performance assessment, Designing Performance Assessments for School Leader Readiness provides an in-depth description of one fully tested performance assessment called the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PAL). The authors explore how to assess four components of leadership proficiency -- developing a plan for an area of school improvement, creating a professional learning culture among school staff, supporting individual teacher development, and engaging families and community in improving student learning. This book provides real examples and practical guidance on designing and managing performance assessment for aspiring educational leaders, and how the PAL can be used in regional, state and local contexts.

1. Overview of Authentic Performance Assessment 2. Leadership Needs, Preparation, and Assessment: Policy and Practice 3. Practices for Assessing the Readiness and Proficiency of Education Leaders 4. The Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders: Background and Components 5. Performance Assessment Scoring and Evaluation 6. The Design Considerations of a Leadership Performance Assessment 7. Measurement Considerations for Performance Assessment 8. The Benefits of Performance Assessment for Leadership Candidates, Preparation 9. A Multiplicity of Uses for Leadership Performance Assessment 10. The Transformative Nature of Authentic Assessment for School Leaders

Margaret Terry Orr is Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy at Fordham University. Liz Hollingworth is Professor of Educational Leadership and the Director of the Center for Evaluation and Assessment at the University of Iowa.