Candidates enrolled in the principal preparation program will demonstrate knowledge and skills on comprehensive examinations referenced to the standards set forth by SBEC for principal preparation.

Candidates will demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills on the principal preparation program comprehensive examination which addresses the Texas principal Competencies as determined by SBEC and course content.

The comprehensive examination and rubric were developed by principal preparation program faculty. The examination includes content from several courses (EDAD 5332- Administration and Organization of Public Schools, EDAD 6371-Role of the Principal, EDAD 5372-Public School Law, EDAD 6378-Building Capacity for Teaching and Learning, EDAD 6379-Program Evaluation for School Improvement, EDAD 5386- Special Populations and Special Programs). Students take a multiple-choice test based on school-based leadership scenarios. Students who score between 70% and 79% receive a low passing grade, and candidates who score 80% and above receive a high passing grade. 

100% of candidates will earn a high passing score or low passing score on the comprehensive examination during the first administration. We are especially eager to determine whether our interventions improved student learning in the areas that emerged as weaker last year:  school law, organization and administration of public schools, the role of the principal, and campus business management

During 2011-2012 school year, two comprehensive examinations were administered.  One hundred percent of the students scored a 2 or a 3 on the comprehensive exam. Analysis of the examinations, allowed the program area faculty to identify areas in need of improvement. Although 100% of the students passed the comprehensive exams...
1. students need to better understand the level of thinking needed to be successful on the test; 
2. the curriculum that is delivered to the students needs improvement in the areas of School Law,  role of the principal, and campus business management. 

Comprehensive examinations will be multiple-choice exams.   Faculty will assess the exam and the alignment to the curriculum and to instruction.  A task force will begin looking at every aspect of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. A program area handbook and study guide will be given to new students as they enter the program. To address students' need to understand the level of thinking necessary for success on the comprehensive exam, the study guide and review sessions will be in place. Already, the faculty have created revised lists of topics for the Law, Special Populations, and Role of the principal courses. Moving forward, we are working with all the courses to update the curriculum and instruction. We are also putting a plan in place to have more interaction and assistance for our part time faculty so they know what students need to know and to demonstrate appropriate levels of knowledge.

Certain knowledge and skills are requisite for becoming an effective public school principal.

Candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skills associated with being an effective principal as conceptualized in the Texas Administrative Code and SBEC.

As required by the Texas Education Code, 21.048, successful performance on educator certification examinations is required for the issuance of a Texas educator certificate. The TExES Principal test is criterion referenced. It is designed to measure the knowledge and skills delineated in the Principal test framework, which is based on the 9 Principal standards that are listed in the Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part VII, Chapter 241.

The TExES Principal test is a selected-response, or multiple-choice, test designed to measure the requisite knowledge and skills that a beginning Texas principal must possess. This test includes both individual and stand-alone items that are arranged in clustered decision sets based on real-world situations faced by school principals and assistant principals in elementary, middle, or high school settings.

Committees of Texas educators and interested citizens guide the development of the TExES tests by participating in each stage of the test development process. These working committees are comprised of Texas educators from public and charter schools, faculty from educator preparation programs, education service enter staff, representatives from professional educator organizations, content experts, the business community, and parents. The committees are balanced in terms of position, affiliation, years of experience, ethnicity, gender, and geographical diversity. The committee membership is rotated during the development process so that numerous Texas stakeholders may be actively involved.

70% of candidates will pass the TExES Principal test within one year of their graduation from the principal preparation program. We will be monitoring student scores identified last year as areas needing improvement: school and community relations and instructional leadership.

As of April 24, 2012, 72.5% of first time TExES principal exam takers successfully complete the exam.  That means approximately 28% failed.  We barely met our criterion. Domain I is School and Community Relations; Domain II is Instructional Leadership; and Domain III is Administrative Leadership. Of those who failed the failed the exam, the weakest domain was School and community relations, followed by Administrative Leadership.  The strongest domain among those who did not pass was Instructional Leadership. 

We focused on the courses in which Domains I, II, and III are most appropriately taught and learned (i.e., EDAD 5332, EDAD 6371, EDAD 5386, EDAD 6394). We will work on alignment of the curriculum in these courses and the TExES exam.  During 2011-2012, full time professors worked with part time faculty to provide students with the appropriate curriculum and instruction necessary for mastery of the knowledge and skill base required of future campus administrators. Students participate in a TExES review session during their internship.  Starting in the Fall of 2012, students will be required to take practice exams at the end of 6, 8, and 12 hours.  It is our plan to identify students in need of additional help earlier in the program.  

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