Overview
Uses of This Instrument
The Predictive Profile
Dimensions Assessed
The Haberman Educational Foundation (HEF) is a not-for-profit (501C3) foundation
which provides training to principals, school boards, site-based parent/teacher
councils, teacher unions, and superintendents in how to interview principals to
identify those who will succeed with even the most challenging of schools.
This Questionnaire is made up of 104 questions of which you will be given two possible
answers. You must select the best possible answer and go to the next question. After
you have gone to the next question you will not be able to change your answer. At
the end of the Questionnaire you will be able to see how well you did in each of
the thirteen dimensions.
This questionnaire predicts which candidates will succeed as school principals serving
diverse children and youth in urban poverty in major urban school districts. It
analyzes respondents' answers to thirteen dimensions of urban school administration.
These dimensions were identified in our studies of star urban principals who led
effective schools in major urban districts or who turned failing schools into effective
ones.
The items represent star administrators' behaviors and predispositions to act. These
actions reflect an ideology regarding the respondents' beliefs about the nature
of effective schooling for diverse children and youth in urban poverty and the nature
of school leadership necessary to create such schools.
This questionnaire may be used with experienced individuals who are currently principals
or with neophytes who are aspiring principals. It is applicable to individuals who
have completed state certification requirements to become principals, or individuals
from other careers without formal training in teaching or school administration
who are seeking to pursue an alternative route to the principalship.
Those typically using this questionnaire are 1) urban school districts seeking to
hire new principals, 2) urban school districts seeking to identify effective leaders
for failing schools that serve diverse children and youth in poverty and 3) urban
school districts seeking to select individuals for training programs to become principals.
Researchers and doctoral students use the questionnaire as a pre and post test in
studies assessing the power of various training programs and other treatments intended
to change or develop urban administrators.
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Respondents' replies are analyzed in terms of the thirteen functions necessary for
effective leadership in urban schools. Respondents' answers are compared to those
of outstanding urban school principals. The respondent's profile provides ratings
of High, Acceptable and Low on each function. Low indicates a danger zone where
the responses red flag an area of weakness and likely failure by the respondent
in performing that function. In addition to the respondent's profile an overall
score comparing the respondent to all others who have taken the test is provided.
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Does the respondent understand the pervasive importance of race, ethnicity, class
and gender in the process of interacting with all the constituencies involved in
the school community, or does the respondent assume that these differences will
not affect his/her leadership? This dimension predicts the respondent's ability
to be perceived as fair and equitable in an urban school serving diverse children,
parents and community in poverty.
Does the respondent have a strong and persisting commitment to creating a common
set of goals and objectives for all school staff , or does s/he believe that it
is best for each staff member to decide school goals and best practice for him/herself?
This dimension predicts the likelihood that the respondent will create the effective
work teams and cooperative activities needed for the school to succeed, or simply
seek to make individuals happy by following their preferences.
Does the respondent appreciate that the leader's role involves dealing with
a complex set of interpersonal relationships, or does s/he see the leader as the
final authority in enforcing rules? This dimension predicts the respondent's potential
for creating a positive working climate, or having the school function as a depersonalized
bureaucracy.
Does the respondent place a high priority on the leader's role in improving teachers'
instructional effectiveness, or does s/he see the leader's role in controlling and
maintaining the building as his/her highest priority? This dimension predicts whether
the respondent will function as the school's leading educator, or as the overseer
of the school organization and the physical facility.
Does the respondent use data as the primary basis for setting school policies and
procedures or does s/he use school traditions, personal charisma or pleasing staff
as the basis for instituting school policies and practices? This dimension predicts
the ability of the respondent to increase the effectiveness of the school in achievement,
attendance, suspensions and in other critical areas where the data is readily available.
Questions 89-96.
Does the respondent focus on results as the fundamental criterion of success, or
does s/he believe that procedures followed can be used as the criterion of success?
This dimension predicts whether the respondent will maintain a focus on improved
learning as the ultimate value to be preserved, or whether the programs in his/her
school will be evaluated on the basis of procedures followed and how the programs
are implemented.
Does the respondent understand and accept the need for the school principal to bear
personal accountability for student learning and other measures of school success,
or does s/he believe it is the role of the principal to ensure that only others
are held accountable for various aspects of the school's program? This dimension
predicts the respondent's willingness to hold him/herself accountable for people
and processes which s/he cannot completely control.
Does the respondent understand the leader's role to be primarily one in which s/he
will be the responsible authority for performing major functions, or does s/he believe
that the leader's role is primarily one of delegating as much as possible to others
and overseeing their work? This dimension predicts not only the respondent's leadership
style but the degree to which s/he perceives the school leader as directly and personally
responsible.
Does the respondent understand that the effective urban school principal is the
leader of a community based, non-profit organization, does s/he see the role of
principal as limited to his/her role and status in the urban school district bureaucracy?
This dimension predicts the respondent's propensity to connect the school with the
resources needed to serve diverse children in urban poverty, or to be limited to
only the district's budget, personnel and resources.
Does the respondent perceive his/her role as primarily representing the needs of
the school upward to superiors, or does s/he interpret the role of the principal
as primarily representing the mandates and policies of the system downward to the
staff? This dimension predicts whether the respondent will protect and enhance effective
practices in his/her school or simply follow orders.
Does the respondent understand the need for parents, caregivers and community to
be involved in the life of the school as participants with voice, input and even
power, or does s/he see the value of these constituencies as essentially supporters
of the school program? This dimension predicts the likelihood that the respondent
will seek to involve parents and community as genuine partners, or limit them to
homework helpers and visitors.
Does the respondent understand the principal's role as an advocate of children,
parents and community, or does s/he see the "good" principal as one who only supports
teachers and staff in problem and conflict situations? This dimension predicts the
respondent's ability to implement the school's commitment to serve diverse students
and families in poverty and simultaneously represent the professional staff.
Does the respondent perceive the role of school leader to be primarily one of active
involvement in problem solving, or does s/he see the principal as the legal authority
making final decisions from options presented to him/her? This dimension predicts
whether the respondent will be a dynamic, creative leader, or whether s/he will
passively wait for problems and solutions to be presented to him/her.
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