The development of competencies required for school principals in Quebec: Adequacy between competency standard and practice

Abstract

School principals deal with a variety of increasingly complex responsibilities (Trudeau, 2013). They must therefore develop and hone professional competencies that will enable them to effectively perform their pedagogical, organizational, relational, or administrative duties (Barber, Whelan Clark., 2010; Bisaillon et al., 2009; Darling-Hammond, Meyerson, LaPointe, Orr, 2010; Pont, Nusche, Moorman, 2008). In light of the many societal changes and resulting pressure on schools, many countries have developed competency standards for school principals to redefine the competencies required to successfully fulfill this role (UNESCO, 2006). Quebec has followed suit in this movement with the publication of its first competency standard for school principals in 2008. This document is used during the initial training for future school principals to develop competencies useful for this function. What competencies are needed by school leaders in relation to the challenges they face in their work? What are these challenges? Interviews with school principals (N = 13) allowed us to highlight challenges that arise in their day-to-day activities which allowed us to identify the professional and cross-curricular (behavioural) competencies that they implement to do their job.

Teacher Supervision in the Context of Linguistic Diversity in OECD Countries

“…Our findings thus concur with those of other studies highlighting the importance of considering the dimension of diversity in the competency standards of school leaders (Lambert & Bouchamma, 2019). Our results also show that student linguistic diversity is not a hindrance to teacher professional development;…”

“…For example, in their study of several meta-analyses, Pont, Nusche, and Moorman (2008) Although the relevance of pedagogical leadership has been widely acknowledged in the literature, the pre-service training of principals on this aspect is relatively recent and the required competencies in these training profiles are either incomplete or require updating, as has been observed in Québec's education leadership profiles. Specifically, in the competency standards for school leaders in Alberta, Australia, and the United States, diversity management is addressed, yet it is absent in the Québec profiles (Bouchamma & Lambert, 2019;OECD, 2018). The present study therefore explores two key concepts, namely, teacher supervision practices and students' linguistic diversity.…”

“…Their leadership directly influences the general effectiveness of the school, the teachers' motivation and commitment, the working conditions, the delegation of power within the organization, and the school's culture (Bouchamma, 2011;Collerette, Pelletier, & Turcotte, 2013;Hallinger & Heck, 1998;Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005;Pont, Nusche, & Moorman, 2008;Robinson, 2007;Spanneut, 2010). And yet, despite the emergence of inclusive education in several countries, the principal's leadership remains far from understood in contexts of diversity (Bouchamma, 2008(Bouchamma, , 2011Lambert & Bouchamma, 2019). The study of Branch, Hanushek and Rivkin (2012) noted the low presence of quantitative studies in the field of leadership, despite its effect on academic success.…”

Principals as Human Capital Managers: A Literature Review

“…While every school and principal are different, some common duties fall to all principals and their schools. Lambert and Bouchamma (2019), in their study of competency standards for principals in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, found several core competencies necessary for all successful principals. These include making decisions, continued professional learning, empathy toward staff, students, and the community, instructional leadership, and the ability to manage material and financial resources (Lambert & Bouchamma, 2019, p. 59).…”

Principal evaluation in the United States: A national review of state statutes and regulations

“…By 2014, 36 states had adopted laws requiring principals to receive regular evaluations of their performance (Superville, 2014). However, with notable increases in expectations for principals, specifically, in instructional and equity-oriented leadership (Farley et al, 2019), attention to the role expectations of principals as well as the evaluation of such expectations has continued in the United States and across the globe (e.g., Díaz-Delgado & Garcia-Martinez, 2019;Fuller et al, 2015;Lambert & Bouchamma, 2019;Larochelle-Audetet al, 2019;Liu et al, 2017;Rivero et al, 2019;Williams, 2015).…”