S.C. Code Regs. § § 43-167

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 43-167 - Principal Induction Program

A. Purpose

The purpose of the Principal Induction Program is to add one component of many strategies which are to be combined by the districts to meet the intent of the Education Accountability Act to improve teaching and learning so that students are equipped with a strong academic foundation. The Principal Induction Program will assist public school districts in providing support and professional development for first year principals.

The State Board of Education recognizes that a school district makes one of its most important personnel decisions when it appoints a principal. The Board also recognizes the value of formal induction programs that provide novice school principals with an academy that focuses on developing and refining the leadership skills necessary to help their faculties provide the most effective instructional programs possible. Therefore, the following regulations have been developed to facilitate the implementation of the South Carolina Principals Induction Program.

B. Definitions

1. The Principal Induction Program is a yearlong program (July to June) of support and professional development for new principals in which instructional leadership skills, use of effective schools research, and planning for curricular improvement through the analysis of test scores are central components of the curriculum.

2. A principal is the chief administrator or head building administrator of any public elementary or secondary school or specialized education unit as defined by the local school district, or the chief administrator of an occupational education center.

3. A Principal Induction Program mentor is an experienced, practicing building-level principal or director selected by the school district superintendent designee to provide support and assistance to new principals.

C. Participation

1. Beginning with the school year 1999-2000, any person appointed to serve for the first time as a building level principal, director of a specialized education unit, or occupational education center director must participate in the Principal Induction Program.

2. Principals appointed after the Principal Induction Program Summer Institute held for a week in July must participate in a make-up session in September and in Induction Program activities for the remainder of that school year.

D. Program Design and Content

The Principal Induction Program must consist of New Principals' Academy activities provided by the State Department of Education and school district orientation activities provided by the individual school districts as follows:

1. The combination of time for New Principals' Academy and district activities must not be less than twelve days: five days for the New Principals' Academy Summer Institute, three days for New Principals' Academy follow-up meetings, two days for district orientation activities, and two days for professional development related to the individual new principal's Professional Development Plan.

2. Districts developing their own program in lieu of the program offered by the Leadership Academy must secure approval of the program from the South Carolina Leadership Academy.

3. Each district must design a district orientation for new principals. Activities should include, but are not limited to, fiscal/budgetary policies and procedures, plant maintenance procedures, special education policies, student support services, outside agencies available in the district, curriculum requirements and resources, human resource policies and procedures, including ADEPT, and instruction on the Principal Evaluation Program criteria and standards.

4. The Leadership Academy must design a curriculum for the New Principals' Academy program. The New Principals' Academy curriculum should include, but is not limited to, planning, developing, and implementing a standards-driven system, instructional leadership skills, use of effective schools research, analysis of test scores for curricular improvement, school culture, school management, planning for school improvement, public relations, and/or planning for professional development.

5. Each new principal must be assigned a mentor principal from another nearby school district to provide support, information, and feedback. The mentor will assist the protege in developing, refining, and implementing the protege's Professional Development Plan based on the protege's individual needs and the needs of the school as specified in the School Improvement Report. Mentors will be reimbursed travel costs at the state rate.

6. The Leadership Academy will train mentors for their role, Mentor responsibilities include calling and visiting the assigned new principal and having the new principal visit the mentor's school.

7. Each new principal will receive an on-site visit during the fall and one during the spring from a member of the South Carolina Leadership Academy staff to provide coaching, technical assistance, and feedback related to school leadership.

8. New principals may earn three hours of recertification credit if course requirements for attendance and participation are met.

E. Fiscal and Technical Requirements

1. The State Department of Education will pay for all training costs related to the New Principals' Academy. The district will be responsible for costs related to the district orientation and for participants' travel costs.

2. Reimbursement for mentor travel expenses will be made in accordance with the established State Department of Education fiscal policies.

F. Reporting Requirements

1. Each district superintendent will notify the South Carolina Leadership Academy of the appointment of new principals within two weeks of the appointment by the local board of school trustees.

2. Principals appointed after the make-up session must participate in the remaining Principal Induction Program activities for that school year and/or the New Principals' Academy Summer Institute the following year.

3. Each district superintendent will submit the names of experienced principals to serve as mentors when requested to do so by the Leadership Academy.

4. Each district will conduct evaluations for the district orientation and use the results to modify the orientation on an annual basis.

G. Additional Leadership Academy Responsibilities

1. The Leadership Academy will maintain a database of mentors nominated by the district superintendents and will assign mentors for new principals based on school level and proximity.

2. The Leadership Academy will maintain a database of new principals for each school year to provide information about program activities for all new principals.

3. The Leadership Academy will conduct evaluations for each part of the New Principals' Academy and use the results to modify the program on an annual basis.

S.C. Code Regs. § 43-167

Added by State Register Volume 24, Issue No. 3, eff March 24, 2000.

Statutory Authority: 1976 Code Sections 59-5-60 and 59-24-80