SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSMENT
Great leaders are not only creative, they are analytical…” (Sternberg, 2006, ¶9).
I. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Principles/Approaches
In regard to school administrator accountability and assessment, the researcher recounts a
number of principles/approaches learned that will the researcher in work on future similar issues.
Sternberg (2006) contends that many well schooled administrators do not succeed, not because
they cannot think analytically, albeit, but because they do not. As an administrator, Sternberg asks
himself the three following questions the researcher plans to routinely ask in the future:
1. What is the best possible outcome of the course of action?
2. What is the worst possible outcome?
3. What is the most likely outcome of the course of action? (Sternberg, 2006, ¶11)
If/when the best possible outcome does not turn out as good as hoped, then why bother to
go that way? Sternberg (2006) questions himself. If/when the worst possible outcome would be
too awful, Sternberg (2006) ponders, then why bother to risk it? And if/when the expected
outcome does not turn out so great, would some other course of action proffer a better expected
outcome?, Sternberg (2006, ¶11) contemplates.
Assessing potential outcomes of/for concerns/issues, the researcher contends, while
concurrently evaluating whether particular ideas are actually good and/or appropriate ideas for the
circumstances proves pertinent in accountability (Sternberg, 2006). Effective school
administrators, as the quote introducing this study segment indicates, not only display their
creative skills, they project analytical thinking in their decision making practices.
To complement work on future issues relating to school administrator accountability and
assessment principles/approaches, the researcher plans to “
School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Information
The sentence start: “A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the
success of all students by…” portrays the new information the researcher acquired to change
understanding relating to the school administrator accountability and assessment. This lead
contributed to the researcher better understanding the broad range of responsibilities the school
School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Generalization
The researcher retrieved one generalization regarding the school administrator
accountability and assessment from the 1960s a slogan from the environmental movement which
proclaimed: “Think globally, act locally…. Whether it's the current accountability movement or
the influence of No Child Left Behind, schools can never be separated from the political climate or
the trends in our country” (DePasquale, 2005, ¶ 24). As DePasquale purports, the skills one needs
to serve as a school leader replicate the same skills one needs for the political world. These skills
include, but may not be limited to the following five components:
Dedication. (DePasquale, 2005, ¶24)
IV. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Questions
Questions which could contribute to enhance the understanding relating to school
administrator accountability and assessment include considerations regarding the value of
networking. As administrators must be able to network, one theme for future research could
embrace results of cooperative work connecting the community with the school. One question
which could birth a bevy of profitable answers could ask: Why is it vital for the school to work
with the business community? Another worthy question: What future community leadership roles
do students currently fill in the school setting?
V. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Perspective
Consideration of what contributes to the making of a good leadership came to mine as the
researcher examined the issue of school administrator accountability and assessment. Sternberg
(2006) stresses that good leadership primarily constitutes a decision: “A decision to think
creatively, analytically, practically and wisely (¶4). At the start of this study, as well as in previous
life positions, the researcher’s vision was not as clear as it is to become.
VI. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Implementation
As an educational leader, the researcher could utilize the newly acquired knowledge
relating to the school administrator accountability and assessment by developing fresh
ideas/solutions for new challenges. Sternberg (2006) warned that when one tries to transport
something that may have worked before to the new setting, without adapting it to the new setting,
the transported plan may very well fail.
VII. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Experiences
One experience the researcher contends as proved helpful in examining school administrator
accountability and assessment transpired while the researcher participated in a team project.
Initially, the researcher chose not to share vital information with team members.
Wise leaders, Sternberg (2006) points out, not only utilize their analytical, and creative
skills for a common good, they invest their emotional/social/practical skills in efforts that will
benefit others as well as themselves. “They look out not only for their preferred group of
stakeholders, or the stakeholders most like themselves, but for all stakeholders” (Sternberg, 2006,
¶18). Instead of only considering the here and now, as good leaders also balance their own
interests with the best interests of others, as well as considering the school’s interests, their long-
term thinking yields positive results in time. The researcher learned to look out for the best interest
of the team.
VIII. School Administrator Accountability and Assessment Opinions
Leaders need to not only understand themselves, but also others, and assess the ways they
interact with others (Sternberg, 2006). According to Sternberg, “Great leaders come up with
creative visions, analyze whether their ideas are good, execute their ideas well, convince others of
their value, and ensure that their ideas are for the common good” (Sternberg, 2006, ¶ 21). One
does not merely do these things because he/she is “a priori, a great leader,” Sternberg (¶ 21)
proposes. One becomes a great leader by doing these things, Sternberg insists. The researcher,
nevertheless, disagrees with one primary point. Sternberg claims that any administrator who puts
his/her mind to become a great leader can do it.
The researcher challenges this contention and proposes that much more, as the literature
reveals is required to become a great leader than merely doing particular things and putting one’s
mind to it. But then again, knowing the answer to the exact components contributing to the
making of a great leader would likely lead into an extensive study. If one wants a quicker answer,
albeit, he/she could simply as a great leader. After all, as Sternberg (2006) asserts: “Great leaders
are not only creative, they are analytical…” (¶ 9). Those great leaders who possess the ability to
think analytically, may not only choose to do so, they make a point to….
DePasquale, Dianne. (2005). Teaching leadership 101: fledgling administrators need a healthy
dose of real-world views, headlines and bestsellers. School Administrator. American
Association of School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from HighBeam
Florida educational leadership standards understanding and implementing Florida’s new
principal leadership standards. (2005). Florida Department of Education. Retrieved March
31, 2009 from http://22.214.171.124/custom?
Interstate school leaders licensure consortium standards for school leaders.(1996). Council of
Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center. Retrieved March 31,
2009 from http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/isllcstd.pdf
Sternberg, Robert J. (2006). Creative leadership: it's a decision: most administrators are
analytical and practical. Administrators who are great leaders are also creative and wise,
and develop those skills by using them. Leadership. Association of California School
Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from HighBeam Research: