Administrator Role

Tiered Fidelity Inventory Item: 1.1 Team Composition

Maintaining a well-disciplined school is one of the primary roles of the building administrator. To achieve this the administrator must be a lead learner taking an active role fostering professional community where all teachers are encouraged and expected to learn. The most effective administers will struggle with teachers in their learning to build trust, credibility and knowledge (Fullan & Quinn, 2016).

As the principal goes, so goes the time, focus, resources, and attention to any given school improvement effort. To further define the role of the principal in the development and implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support, thirteen considerations are offered (Colvin & Sprick, 1999) (Colvin, 2007).

Maintain Standards for Best Practices

Principals are the “clearing-house” for practice selection and the final determiner of how the school will address school improvement needs. Principals must lead staff toward research-based practices and reject the myriad of practices and programs that may not be efficient or effective toward meeting school improvement goals. By serving as the “gatekeeper,” the principal can maintain high standards for quality services.

Publicly Provide Support

The words and actions of the principal are powerful. Once a commitment has been made to embark on schoolwide discipline efforts, it is essential that the principal inform staff that whatever is possible and reasonable will be done to work with them to accomplish the goals of the project. This provides credibility and will make it easier to tackle related activities. This public support may also mean that the school’s efforts are made visible, not only to faculty and staff, but to other district personnel, students, families, and the community.

Establish a PBIS Leadership Team

The principal gives staff a leadership role for PBIS by establishing a building-level team. Any successful school improvement must have the support of the staff. This is more likely to occur if they play an active role in the process from the beginning. The team should be representative of those who will be directly impacted by the changes. Therefore, members should include teachers, paraprofessionals, supervisors, and perhaps parents and students (secondary schools). Using a leadership team, allows for the vital staff perspective while still operating efficiently. It is essential that the principal be a member of the team to provide the time and financial resources needed. In doing so, it is important that the principal share the leadership with the entire team.

Support the PBIS Team Members

Team members assume a big responsibility and time commitment to provide leadership for PBIS. The administrator can show appreciation for their commitment by personally thanking them. In addition, the principal needs to be sensitive to members’ workload and limit their participation in other committees and school activities, and consider ways to compensate them for their time commitment (e.g., special parking place, hiring substitutes to allow for planning time, etc.). Time for meetings should be protected and planning activities facilitated through the provision of time and resources (e.g., secretarial time, materials, staff meeting time, etc.). Support for the team and the project translates as a clear commitment and validates the work.

Guide the Decision Making Process

Since discipline policies must be embraced and upheld by all, a process for gaining staff consensus is essential. An important leadership role the principal can provide is to teach and guide the team and entire staff through a process for making decisions. Several effective processes for determining consensus exist that ensure: 1) every staff member is heard, 2) that those who have concerns are invited to offer solutions, 3) the best decisions are made, and 4) decisions are more likely to be implemented consistently. Administration’s active role in the decision making process can help to avoid the many possible tensions surrounding discipline planning.

Take a Leadership Role in Problem Resolution

Even with a clear decision making process, in the complex process of rethinking schoolwide discipline, disagreements or problems are bound to arise among team members or between the team and the staff. The administrator has a clear role in assisting with problem resolution and stepping in and leading the group to discover a workable solution. This often includes reminding staff of the shared vision, encouraging effective communication, and supporting effective processes to guide decisions.

Support the Team Meetings

One of the most important things an administrator can do to support the team is to consistently attend the PBIS Leadership Team meetings. As a member of the team, their full participation is a priority. If an assistant principal serves on the team and regularly attends the PBIS Leadership Team meetings, the principal should also attend the meeting when possible to show support.

Provide Recognition for Faculty and Team and Their Work

The principal can support the team members by recognizing, privately and publicly, the effort of each team member as well as faculty who work on behalf of the initiative. Showing sincere appreciation through notes or personal comments of gratitude for their effort is often greatly appreciated. This recognition will help all to continue the sometimes-challenging work needed to plan and implement PBIS.

Serve As the Point Person for School-Related Groups

Another important role of the principal is to communicate importance of and progress on the goals of PBIS to other groups. The principal will communicate with school groups such as the parent-teacher organizations, district administrators, school board, student organizations, as well as community groups such as service or business organizations with an interest in the success of the school. Effective administrators look for ways to inform others of PBIS efforts.

Monitor Implementation Activities and Provide Feedback

Principals have a vital supervisory role in observing and monitoring implementation of agreed upon practices and procedures. Staff need feedback on new strategies in order to refine and sustain their use, and staff need to see tangible evidence of the principal’s interest and expectation regarding implementation. The principal should provide specific praise and recognition to staff implementing as designed as well as corrective feedback for those who have not followed through on new procedures. Private conversations may help individuals understand expectations and to identify any support they may need to be able to implement the PBIS practices. Staff need to know that their cooperation is expected, implementation will be monitored, and if problems exist, efforts will be made to find a solution.

Review Data and Provide Feedback Regularly

Data collection, synthesis, and review are essential to PBIS. The principal will need to assign an individual on the team who will be responsible for data monitoring. In addition, secretarial or support staff may need to enter and create data charts for regular review by the principal and Leadership Team. The data, once received, must be reviewed first with the team and also with the entire staff. Data provides feedback on efforts and serves to reinforce or guide needed adjustments in practices. The administrator takes an active interest in this process.

Ensure That Innovation is Sustained

The principal plays a crucial role in sustaining the PBIS initiative over time. Staff interest and attention to PBIS may wane if other initiatives are introduced or if staff feel that progress on addressing problem behavior is moving too slowly. The principal must be diligent to keep all staff focused on the PBIS purpose and goals and to guide deep work at an appropriate pace. A plan must also be created to keep new staff, students and families knowledgeable of the school’s efforts.

Make a Time Commitment

Changing a culture requires that educators: 1) take time, 2) do things well the first time, and 3) make decisions based on the process of change and the stages of implementation. The principal must understand that it takes time to fully implement the PBIS plan. Development and implementation of PBIS is not a sprint, it is a long distance run. The principal must be patient and persistent to continue the PBIS initiative by continuing to provide support, participation, and leadership.

As the principal goes, so goes the school.

Resource: Managing Complex Change