Micro-credentials

The Meeting All Academic Needs micro-credential involves the following from the practitioner: ability to collaboratively facilitate and provide structures and processes which ensure implementation of a comprehensive, rigorous, and aligned curriculum; the practitioner demonstrates the ability to establish a collaborative, trusting environment and high-quality, rigorous curriculum focused on individual student growth, achievement, and continuous improvement; and the practitioner demonstrates the ability to facilitate and collaboratively implement a plan that aligns assessment and instruction with the curriculum, while also monitoring continuous student improvement.

Providing Effective Instruction is one of three micro-credentials in the Instruction stack. Each micro-credential (Promoting Instructional Trust and Collaboration, Providing Effective Instruction, and Ensuring Alignment for Learning) represents a unique, strategic approach to help principals to assist teachers improve instructional practice. The role of an effective principal is to ensure that all teachers use those instructional practices that maximize learning for all students. They do this by building awareness and the capacity of all teachers to use evidence-based instructional practices. Therefore, principals must possess the skills to provide meaningful, actionable feedback to prompt continuous improvement of a teacher’s ability to deliver high-quality instruction (MLDS, 2020). The Instruction stack encompasses all necessary skill sets and abilities to demonstrate competency needed by an educational leader for recognizing and developing excellent instruction.

Managing Data Literacy Systems is one of three micro-credentials in the Data Literacy stack. Each data literacy micro-credential (Fostering a Data Literacy Culture, Managing Data Literacy Systems, Leading Data Literacy) represents a unique data literacy leadership skill set.

Leading Data Literacy is one of three micro-credentials in the Data Literacy stack. Each data literacy micro-credential (Fostering a Data Literacy Culture, Managing Data Literacy Systems, Leading Data Literacy) represents a unique data literacy leadership skill set.

Fostering a Data Literacy Culture is one of three micro-credentials in the Data Literacy stack. Each data literacy micro-credential (Fostering a Data Literacy Culture, Managing Data Literacy Systems, Leading Data Literacy) represents a unique data literacy leadership skill set.

Valuing and Celebrating Traditions is the second of three micro-credentials in the Traditions and Celebrations stack. Each leadership traditions and celebration micro-credential (Leading and Promoting Tolerance, Valuing and Celebrating Traditions, and Driving a Culture of Service) represents a unique, strategic leadership skill set.

Driving a Culture of Service is one of three micro-credentials in the Traditions and Celebrations stack. Each leadership traditions and celebration micro-credential (Leading and Promoting Tolerance, Valuing and Celebrating Traditions/Culture, and Driving a Culture of Service) represents a unique, strategic leadership skill set.

Leading and Promoting Tolerance is one of three micro-credentials in the Traditions and Celebrations stack. Each leadership traditions and celebration micro-credential (Leading and Promoting Tolerance, Valuing and Celebrating Traditions/Culture, and Driving a Culture of Service) represents a unique, strategic leadership skill set.

Personal Skills engage the practitioner in self-development to enhance communication abilities in conducting self-evaluations of oral (NASSP, 2014, p. 81) and written communication skills, soliciting feedback, reflecting on enhancing and exemplifying communication for school, district staff and stakeholder groups (p. 97).  Strong personal skills are clear, direct, constructive and compelling.

“Communication Structures focuses on structures that allow parents, staff members, and students to communicate with each other” (NASSP, 2018, p. 98).  The communication is facilitated and modeled by the educational leader and involves strategic, evidence-based outcomes, collecting stakeholder feedback, monitoring, and next steps.

Communication Advocacy initiates communications with stakeholders that “ensure everyone in the school community is aware of all the positive work happening in the school so each stakeholder can advocate and build support” for current and future needs (NASSP, 2018, p. 96).  The communication advocacy is facilitated and modeled by the educational leader and involves strategic, evidence-based outcomes, collecting stakeholder feedback, monitoring, and next steps.

Communication Standards initiates very specific, collaborative conversations with stakeholders for “participants to establish ideals that help institute a communicative school culture” (NASSP, 2019, p. 94). The communication is facilitated and modeled by the educational leader and involves strategic, evidence-based outcomes, collection of stakeholder feedback, monitoring stakeholders’ communications, and next steps.

Practitioner (superintendent, assistant superintendent, business manager and support staff assigned to the Levy) will engage in the entire Tax Levy Process in collegial and collaborative processes. The individual who receives the Tax Levy Process micro-credential will understand and develop a plan of action; and create a levy which includes the analysis, practical application, Board of Education presentation, and the required tax extension paperwork.

Collaborative Leadership Coaching involves collegial, partnership coaching in which the coach and educational leader are focused on jointly working together to raise and improve the level of educational leadership skills.

Directive Leadership Coaching initiates very specific and directive conversations with the educational leader to develop necessary or critical actions or behaviors.

Reflective Leadership Coaching involves collegial, coaching conversations in which the practitioner leads the educational leader through a process cycle of reflecting and analyzing his or her leadership practices, decision-making, problem-solving, and planning skills.