Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) to be tested in 300 schools

topics: Assessment, Leadership, Policy and Organizations

Education Week January 16, 2008

A new measurement tool developed by Vanderbilt's Peabody College faculty members Joseph Murphy, Ellen Goldring, Steve Elliott, graduate student Xiu Cravens, and Penn State School of Education's Andy Porter will be tested with principals of 300 schools nationwide in January and February, 2008.

The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education, or VAL-ED, measures how well a principal ensures six core components of schools related to student achievement are in place:

1. High standards for student learning: Individual, team, and school goals for rigorous academic and social learning are set.

2. Rigorous curriculum: Ambitious academic content is provided to all students in core academic subjects.

3. Quality instruction: Effective instructional practices maximize academic and social learning.

4. Culture of learning and professional behavior: Communities of professional practice promote student academic and social learning. A healthy school environment makes student learning the central focus.

5. Connections to external communities: Schools forge linkages to families and other people and institutions in the community that advance academic and social learning.

6. Performance accountability: Leadership holds itself and others responsible for realizing high standards of student academic and social performance. The professional staff and the school's students exercise individual and collective responsibility

Source: Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education