Reflections on Rubrics for Administrators

The response to the Rubrics for Administrators has been, well, underwhelming.

Let's face it. As much as we all should care a lot about what our bosses know and can do with technology, most of us don't, really. We just pray that they are neither technophiles nor technophobes. And we help them as we can.

Sorry, Dr. McLeod. I have faith that you WILL change this mindset sometime yet this century.

I spent a little time with the ISTE 2009 NETS-A Standards, working to align my CODE77 Rubrics for Administrators to them. The standards are divvied up into these major sections:

1. Visionary Leadership
2. Digital Age Learning Culture
3. Excellence in Professional Practice
4. Systemic Improvement
5. Digital Citizenship

Unfortunately, they are so grandiose, idealistic, abstract and full of "change-speak" that I personally find them pretty much useless. I suspect the most technically-challenged of principals could, given the least bit of ingenuity, come up with examples of how he or she meets all these standards.

3b: facilitate and participate in learning communities that stimulate, nurture and support administrators, faculty, and staff in the study and use of technology: Ya know when Bob and I went out for beers last Friday, he told me that if you hold down the shift key, you can select multiple files at one time. So then, is that a great learning community or what?

I know I've ripped on this before, but when any standards become conflated, overly-ambitious, self-important, they loose audience, meaning and usefulness. Let's get back to tools that have quantitative measures, observable behaviors, and some degree of practicality for those of us in the field who might actually want to use them.

Bringing this sorry experiment to a close. The completed 2010 CODE77 Rubrics for Administrators can be found here. The discussions are here:

I. Personal Productivity

II. Student Information System Use

III. Record Keeping and Budgeting 

IV. Data Use

V. Communications and Public Relations

VI. Online Research, and Professional Development, and Personal Learning Networks

VII. Teacher Technology Competencies

VIII. Student Technology Competencies

IX. Envisioning, Planning, and Leading

X.  Ethical Use, Student Safety and Policy Making

Moving on to more interesting, but perhaps not less important, stuff...

Comments

[Charlie A. Roy]

@ Doug
Perhaps in a decade or so your rubric will become the framework used to evaluate administrators in technical competency. Until then the 1/2 dozen school administrators in the country who get it - thank you.

[Todd Wandio]

Actually, Doug, our school division tends to lead technology from the top down. These rubrics may help the top be more connected to what the bottom really needs to focus on. It looks like a lot of hard work, putting together the rubrics document. Thanks for your continued posts. I had one administrator tell me last Monday that the blogoshpere was dying. I'm glad a few of us are keeping it alive, vibrant and meaningful.

[Fran Lo]

Thanks for your work, Doug. It may seem like it, but you are not laboring alone.

[Jen]

Thank you for the effort you put into the Rubrics for Administrators. I found them to be thought provoking, albeit somewhat abstract in areas. I do agree with the comment above that administrators should have to demonstrate a quality level of technical competency in order to be instructional leaders in a building or district. I became an Assistant Principal two years ago and I only had to complete 1 class in "Educational Technology" to obtain my degree (and this course required me to develop a website that would have been fabulous in 1999). All of my knowledge comes from my teaching experience, my own research and interest, and the amazing professional development that our district offers to both teachers and administrators (and yes, administrators do attend these sessions). Don't be discouraged! Your work is valuable and will be used by some administrators!

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks to all commenters for their kind words of support.

Jen, I'd love to know what parts of the rubrics you found abstract. This would help me improve them.

All the best,

Doug