2012 UCEA Convention

Cognitive Validity Testing in the Development of CALL, the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning. Mark Blitz, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jason Salisbury, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is an online task-based assessment of distributed instructional leadership. In year two of a four-grant, CALL researchers piloted the survey in six schools in Wisconsin in order to test and refine the survey instrument. In conducting various cognitive walkthrough interviews following survey administration, the CALL researchers identified the challenges and opportunities in developing a task-based leadership assessment. Implications for educational leadership research and preparation are discussed.

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of VAL-ED. Elizabeth A Covay, University of Pennsylvania; Andrew Porter, University of Pennsylvania; Joseph Murphy, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University; Ellen Goldring, Peabody College Vanderbilt University; Xiu Cravens, Peabody College Vanderbilt University; Steve Elliott, Arizona State University
The objective of this paper is to report the results of an investigation of the psychometric properties of the VAL-ED assessment of principal instructional leadership. In the known group study, we ask superintendents to identify the top 20% and the bottom 20% of their principals. Using the results from an administration of the VAL-ED, we examine whether the VAL-ED is able to distinguish between these two groups. Two hundred and thirty schools have been recruited.

Principal Evaluation: A Description of Current Practices. Leighangela Brady, San Diego State University; Margaret Basom, San Diego State University
The complexity of the principal role makes it difficult to align evaluation processes to desired research based effective principal behaviors. This qualitative study sought to better describe the status of current elementary school principal evaluation procedures, and identify how elementary school principals perceive evaluation procedures support improvement of their leadership effectiveness. Study results support the need to revise and align current evaluation practices with established research on effective leadership behaviors.