(1)  The program requires that a candidate who completes a school principal, supervisor, and curriculum director educational leadership preparation program understands and demonstrates the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to: 

(a)  collaboratively lead, design, and implement a school mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, supports for each student's learning needs, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  collaboratively evaluate, develop, and communicate a school mission and vision designed to reflect the core set of values and priorities, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on the role and importance of school mission and vision;

(B)  processes for collaboratively developing a mission and vision;

(C)  processes for developing an actionable mission and vision attentive to the core set of values and priorities; and

(D)  the characteristics of well-written mission and vision statements;

(ii)  lead improvement processes that include data use, design, implementation, and evaluation, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on school improvement;

(B)  formal processes of iterative, evidence-informed improvement;

(C)  data collection, analysis, and use; and

(D)  implementation theory and research;

(b)  understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate and enact professional norms.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  reflect on, communicate about, cultivate, and model professional dispositions and norms, including fairness, integrity, transparency, trust, digital citizenship, collaboration, perseverance, reflection, and lifelong learning, that support the educational success and well-being of each student and adult, and have knowledge of:

(A)  professional norms, including integrity, competency, fairness, transparency, trust, supports for each student's learning needs, democracy, digital citizenship, diversity, inclusiveness, and the belief that each child can learn, which support student success and well-being;

(B)  practices that reflect professional norms;

(C)  approaches to cultivating professional norms in others; and

(D)  reflective practice;

(ii)  evaluate, communicate about, and advocate for ethical and legal decisions, and have knowledge of research on decision making; decision-making processes; and guidelines for ethical and legal decision making; and

(iii)  model ethical behavior in their personal conduct and relationships and to cultivate ethical behavior in others, and have knowledge of ethical practice and approaches to cultivating ethical behavior in others;

(c)  develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive school culture.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  use data to evaluate, design, cultivate, and advocate for a supportive and inclusive school culture, and have knowledge of:

(A)  dimensions of positive school culture (e.g., safe, healthy, caring, responsive, inclusive, and respectful);

(B)  research on inclusive school culture;

(C)  processes for evaluating school culture;

(D)  processes for effecting changes to school culture; and

(E)  engaging in advocacy for all students, including American Indians and tribes of Montana;

(ii)  evaluate, cultivate, and advocate for equitable access to educational resources, technologies, and opportunities that support the educational success and well-being of each student, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on the importance to student success of equitable use of educational resources and opportunities;

(B)  equitable allocation of educational resources, procedures, and opportunities (e.g., materials, technologies, media, teachers, social and behavioral supports, interventions, and adult relationships); and

(C)  broader social, cultural, and political context for the equitable access to and use of educational resources, procedures, and opportunities to develop the full educational potential and well-being of each person through our public schools;

(iii)  evaluate, cultivate, and advocate for equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive instruction and behavioral support practices among teachers and staff, and have knowledge of:

(A)  leadership strategies related to Montana Indian Education for All, including the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians;

(B)  culturally responsive instructional and behavior support practices that recognize the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and tribes in Montana;

(C)  characteristics and foundations of equitable educational practice, especially among teachers and staff;

(D)  research on implications for students of equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive practices; and

(E)  broader social, cultural, and political context and concerns, including those unique to American Indians and tribes of Montana;

(d)  evaluate, develop, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, and assessment.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  evaluate, develop, and implement high-quality, technologically rich curricula, programs, and other supports for academic and non-academic student programs, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on the leadership of academic and non-academic programs;

(B)  approaches to coordinating curricula, instructional technologies, and other supports with academic and non-academic systems;

(C)  evidence-based curricula, use of technology, and other supports for academic and non-academic programs; and

(D)  infrastructures for the ongoing support of academic and non-academic programs;

(ii)  evaluate, develop, and implement high-quality and equitable academic and non-academic instructional practices, resources, technologies, and services that support student learning, digital literacy, and the school's academic and non-academic systems, and have knowledge of:

(A)  evidence-based instructional practices for different student populations, including American Indians and tribes of Montana;

(B)  curricula, educational technologies, and other educational resources that support digital literacy among students and adults;

(C)  educational service providers; and

(D)  approaches to coordinating resources and services in support of the school's academic and non-academic services;

(iii)  evaluate, develop, and implement formal and informal culturally responsive and accessible assessments that support data-informed instructional improvement and student learning and well-being, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on effective assessment of student learning and well-being;

(B)  research on assessment practices that are culturally responsive and accessible for each student;

(C)  formative and summative measures of student learning and well-being; and

(D)  approaches to coordinating among assessments, instructional improvement, and educational service delivery;

(iv)  collaboratively evaluate, develop, and implement the school's curriculum, instruction, technology, data systems, and assessment practices in a coherent, equitable, and systematic manner, and have knowledge of:

(A)  appropriate and ethical use of data to monitor and continuously improve the school's curriculum, instruction technology, and assessment practices;

(B)  research on the coordination of academic and non-academic services and its impact on student learning and well-being;

(C)  approaches and strategies for building a coherent and equitable system of academic and non-academic services; and

(D)  approaches and strategies for supporting faculty collaboration;

(e)  engage families, community, and school personnel in order to strengthen student learning, support school improvement, and advocate for the needs of their school and community.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  collaboratively engage diverse families in strengthening student learning in and out of school, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on the role of families in supporting student learning in and out of school;

(B)  research on student and family diversity; and

(C)  strategies for understanding and cultivating relationships with families and engaging them in their children's education;

(ii)  collaboratively engage and cultivate relationships with diverse community members, partners, and other constituencies for the benefit of school improvement and student development, and have knowledge of:

(A)  school organizational cultures that promote community engagement, including American Indians and tribes of Montana;

(B)  research on how community members, partners, and other constituencies can support school improvement and student success;

(C)  collaboration methods to develop and sustain productive relationships with diverse community partners; and

(D)  practices for accessing and integrating external resources into the school;

(iii)  communicate through oral, written, and digital means with the larger organizational, community, and political context when advocating for the needs of their school and community, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on the importance and implications of social, cultural, economic, legal, and political contexts;

(B)  strategies for effective oral, written, and digital communication with members of the organization, community, and policy communities; and

(C)  educational policy and advocacy for all students, including American Indians and tribes of Montana;

(f)  improve management, communication, technology, school-level governance, and operation systems to develop and improve data-informed and equitable school resource plans and to apply laws, policies, and regulations.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  evaluate, develop, and implement systems that support each student's learning needs and promote the mission and vision of the school, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on school management, operations, use of technologies, communication, and governance systems;

(B)  principles of systems management and continuous improvement;

(C)  management theories on the effective use of school resources and structures (e.g., school time and schedules) to achieve equitable outcomes for diverse student populations;

(D)  processes for developing and implementing management, communication, technology, school-level governance, and operation systems; and

(E)  use of technology to enhance learning and program management;

(ii)  evaluate, develop, and advocate for a data-informed and equitable resourcing plan that supports school improvement and student development, and have knowledge of:

(A)  school-based budgeting;

(B)  strategies for acquiring resources;

(C)  processes for gathering, synthesizing, and evaluating data to develop and implement management, communication, school-level governance, and operation systems;

(D)  strategies for aligning and allocating resources according to school priorities and student needs;

(E)  methods and procedures for managing school resources; and

(F)  Montana school finance;

(iii)  reflectively evaluate, communicate about, and implement laws, rights, policies, and regulations to promote student and adult success and well-being, and have knowledge of:

(A)  laws, rights, policies, and regulations enacted by state, local, and federal authorities that affect schools, students, and adults, including Montana school law and special education law;

(B)  implications of laws, rights, policies, and regulations for diverse student populations, subgroups, and communities, including tribal laws and regulations;

(C)  research on emerging challenges such as privacy, social media, cyber-bullying, and safety; and

(D)  the role of collective bargaining agreements;

(g)  build the school's professional capacity, engage staff in the development of a collaborative professional culture, and improve systems of staff supervision, evaluation, support, and professional learning.  Successful candidates understand and demonstrate the capacity to:

(i)  collaboratively develop the school's professional capacity through engagement in recruiting, selecting, and hiring staff, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on teacher recruitment, hiring, and selection;

(B)  best practices for recruiting, selecting, and hiring school staff; and

(C)  strategic staffing based on student, school, and staff needs;

(ii)  develop and engage staff in a collaborative professional culture designed to promote school improvement, teacher retention, and the success and well-being of each student and adult in the school, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research-based strategies for developing a collaborative professional culture designed to support improvement, retention, learning, and well-being;

(B)  effective communication; and

(C)  the role of relationships, trust, and well-being in the development of a healthy and effective professional culture;

(iii)  personally engage in, as well as collaboratively engage school staff in, professional learning designed to promote reflection, cultural responsiveness, distributed leadership, digital literacy, school improvement, and student success, and have knowledge of:

(A)  research on teacher professional learning;

(B)  practices for supporting and developing school staff;

(C)  practices for cultivating and distributing leadership among staff;

(D)  providing professional learning that promotes reflection, cultural responsiveness, digital literacy, school improvement, and student success; and