PAL Pilot Test: Faculty Guidance

Leadership preparation programs can take steps to provide information and support to their participating candidates as they complete the PAL pilot.

The first step is for the program faculty to become familiar with the PAL pilot assessment tasks through the following:

• Access the PAL pilot section of the program website for information and resources.
• Review all PAL pilot information and materials, including the current PAL Pilot Candidate Assessment Handbooks.

The second step is to share information with candidates who are participating in the PAL pilot:

• Host orientation sessions for candidates to become familiar with the PAL pilot assessment task expectations and requirements.
• Review the timeline for pilot registration and submission of the PAL pilot tasks.

Program faculty and others offering support should stress to candidates that fabricating evidence, duplicating the work of others, not citing sources of information, or plagiarizing work will disqualify their submission and possibly their licensure opportunity. Since candidates will use or adapt existing district or school resources (e.g., school mission statement, teacher observation form) developed by others, they must cite the source of adapted materials appropriately. As well, candidates will be working with others to complete the tasks and must explain in the submissions their own role and the role of others in doing the work and producing artifacts, documents, and commentary.

In addition, in the event that a candidate is collaborating with any other individual in any aspect of the PAL pilot, the candidate must describe any and all points of collaboration with any other individual(s), including the rationale or purpose of the collaboration, and clearly state their role in the collaboration and the role(s) of their collaborators. Candidates who collaborate cannot turn in identical artifacts and/or commentaries even when collaboration is present. Each submission should reflect individual thought and reflection on each task.

Strategies for Support

The most critical support that program faculty can provide is to foster candidates' knowledge and understanding of the PAL tasks. Preparation program faculty should help candidates examine the specific task requirements of the pilot and discuss how they will demonstrate their performance as aligned to the tasks' expectations. An ideal way to clarify what the PAL pilot requires and to prepare candidates to successfully complete their task is to discuss the rubrics listed with the task (see the PAL Pilot Candidate Assessment Handbooks).

Acceptable forms of support that programs can offer include the following:

• Provide explanations of terminology and concepts covered by the PAL pilot.
• Examine the language, structure, and progression of the PAL rubrics (see Appendix A).
• Assign formative tasks during coursework, such as leading a professional learning group of teachers and analyzing school and district data.
• Use rubric constructs or rubric language to debrief observations made by field supervisors as part of the internship supervision process.
• Arrange technical and logistical support for uploading documents into the electronic platform.

Acceptable Types of Feedback

Once candidates draft artifacts and commentaries for their PAL pilot portfolio, which will be formally submitted for official pilot scoring, faculty must limit their direction and feedback to candidates. The table below indicates specific types of direction and feedback that are acceptable and unacceptable for program faculty to provide candidates on their PAL pilot submissions.

Support for Candidates in Performing and Reporting Shared or Collaborative Work

Task completion requires candidates to work with others in both planning and implementation. In some cases, two or more candidates may be working together to complete their performance assessments. To support candidates as they undertake this shared or collaborative work while producing their own PAL pilot task submission, program faculty and staff should guide them to:

• Develop collaborative leadership skills and capacities by seeking input from others, forming work groups, facilitating professional learning or inquiry groups, and working with others to implement strategies.
• Assume leadership responsibilities as part of completing the task. The aim of candidates is not to report on the work of others but to demonstrate their own leadership skills in undertaking the work.
• Explain how shared or collaborative work is undertaken and the roles and responsibilities of others as well as those of the candidates.
• Stress that they are to prepare their own work products, with appropriate attribution for aspects of the work products that were developed with others.

Collaboration and Required Disclosure

Candidates can collaborate with others; however, each candidate must submit original work products, including written artifacts and commentary. That means that each candidate's submission must be written by the candidate in his or her own words. Candidates also agree through the registration process for the pilot not to share their submitted documents with potential PAL candidates, meaning they cannot be shared with preparation programs. Each work product should clearly demonstrate individual thought and reflection and should not be identical to another candidate's submission, even when the work was done collaboratively. As required in the Rules of Pilot Assessment Participation 2.B.1, candidates should be sure to identify any and all points of collaboration with any other individual(s), include the rationale or purpose of the collaboration, and clearly state their role in the collaboration and the role(s) of their collaborators. Each candidate must provide appropriate attribution(s), so that scorers are able to differentiate the candidate's original work from the work of others. Failure to disclose collaboration as required in this section may result in disqualification of the candidate's submissions, and the imposition of sanctions on his or her educator license(s).

Promoting Ethical Assessment Practices

Program faculty can help prevent candidates from cheating, engaging in fraudulent practices, and plagiarizing by explaining how these illegal or inappropriate practices apply to the PAL pilot assessments and sharing the PAL Pilot Test Rules of Assessment Participation (available on the Pilot Policies page). Program faculty should also do the following with their candidates:

• Demonstrate the appropriate means of citing the work of others, including unpublished material and online resources and data.
• Share the program's and its institution's policies and consequences for cheating, fraud, and plagiarism.
• Review the Rules of Pilot Assessment Participation and potential consequences for cheating, fraud, and plagiarism.

Administrative Review

• As stated in both (1) the PAL Pilot Test Rules of Assessment Participation and (2) the scoring- and reporting-related pilot policies, it is imperative that candidates submit original work that does not mirror previously submitted work by other candidates. Pilot submissions are identified for Administrative Review if screening indicates a match of identical or similar language with other sources. Failure to submit original work will result in, at a minimum, voiding of the pilot submission but may also include a waiting period before a candidate is able to submit additional tasks, and/or a letter of reprimand in the candidate's ELAR file and other licensure consequences.
• Candidates are able to collaborate with peers on completing the pilot task. Please see the Collaboration and Required Disclosure section above to review how candidates should frame their work when submitting for scoring.

Before uploading a PAL pilot task, candidates must review the Submission Requirements on the Pilot Policies page to ensure that:

• All evidence necessary for scoring the submitted task has been provided.
• All materials meet the technical specifications as outlined in the task Evidence Charts on the Pilot Assessment Materials page.

All PAL pilot tasks that are successfully submitted in the Pearson electronic portfolio platform will go to scorers for scoring. A fully scorable task is one that can be reviewed by scorers and have scores assigned to every indicator and rubric.

If a candidate submission does not meet the Submission Requirements, a condition code may be applied during the scoring process instead of a numerical score. If a condition code is applied to any indicator, the Task will be unscorable. See below for more information on Condition Codes.

Note that any material that is intended to be part of a PAL submission must be uploaded to the electronic portfolio platform prior to the final submission of the PAL pilot task.

Scorers will not be able to access hyperlinks to documents or webpages contained in submitted artifacts and documents. Hyperlinks are acceptable only as references in citations and will not be used by scorers to reference information outside of a submission.

In addition to these specific Submission Requirements, candidates must also review and comply with all other requirements contained in the PAL Pilot Candidate Assessment Handbooks as well as candidate pilot registration, assessment, and score-reporting policies posted on the PAL program website.

Candidates will have the opportunity to review and confirm all materials before submitting for scoring.

Submission Requirements and Condition Codes

In order for a PAL pilot task submission to be scored, it must meet these Submission Requirements. If a task submission does not meet these requirements, and a submission or portion of a submission is deemed unscorable, the candidate will not receive a score report for the PAL pilot. Where applicable, examples of reasons why a particular condition code may be assigned are provided as an illustration for candidates. Please note, however, that these are examples only and not a complete list of reasons.

Condition Code B may be assigned to uploads throughout Tasks 1–2 if the candidate's work does not address a priority academic area related to student academic performance.

Condition Code C may be assigned to uploads throughout Tasks 1–2 if:

• All required files/documents are not uploaded.
• Blank or incomplete artifacts are submitted.
• Incorrect files are provided.
• Inaccessible files are uploaded (files could not be opened for technical reasons).
• Missing artifacts or referenced artifacts are not submitted.
• Hyperlinks to external files are provided in lieu of required uploads. Note: Hyperlinks are acceptable only as references in your citations but will not be used by scorers to access information outside of your submission.
• Confidentiality and Anonymity Form has not been completed or is missing.

Condition Code E may be assigned to uploads in Task 2 if a candidate's work does not describe a working group.

Condition Code F may be assigned to uploads in Task 2 if a candidate's work does not include evidence that (for Task 2) a PLC was formed for the purposes of professional learning in the priority academic area.

Preparation program faculty and internship supervisors are strongly encouraged to share information with relevant entities and individuals about the PAL pilot assessment tasks and the nature of the work that candidates must complete in a school setting. To facilitate this communication, a model letter for school and district leaders (particularly supervising practitioners) is presented below. It includes an overview of the PAL pilot assessments, a summary of the field-based requirements for each task, ways that supervising practitioners can support candidates, and a summary of each pilot task. These materials can be adapted for program use.

Sample Introductory Letter to a Supervising Practitioner

How School-Based Supervisors Can Support Pilot Task Completion by Candidates

Task 1: Leadership through a Vision for High Student Achievement

This task allows leadership candidates to demonstrate their ability to develop an equitable and inclusive vision of high-quality student learning and a plan for improving student outcomes in a priority academic area for identified student focal group(s).

To complete Task 1, candidates must do the following:

• Collect, disaggregate, and analyze three to five years of quantitative student performance data (e.g., MCAS data, end-of-course assessments, standards-based assessments). Candidates should focus their analysis on identifying a priority academic area with disparate outcomes for different groups of students.
• Based on their analysis, identify the priority academic area where barriers to student learning exist and define the student focal group(s) for the task.
• Collect additional data related to assessment, curriculum, instruction, and school culture (e.g., school improvement plan, school programs and services, educators' years of experience/teaching assignments) to further define barriers impeding the learning and growth of all students in the priority academic area. Consider how these data may be indicative of biases in assessment methods and instruments, curricular resources, and instructional practices.
• Document existing school programs, services, and practices relevant to the student focal group's performance in the priority academic area; assess their effectiveness; identify gaps in equitable access to these programs, services, and practices; and describe opportunities for their improvement.
• Collect and analyze qualitative data (e.g., surveys, focus groups, school observations) to better understand the root causes affecting outcomes in the priority academic area for the student focal group(s). Include input from a variety of school community members (e.g., students, parents/guardians, educators, school/district leaders) to ensure that the data collection reflects multiple perspectives.
• Synthesize their analysis of the collected quantitative and qualitative data and develop a plan with specific goals and actions honoring students' strengths and addressing barriers to student learning, including historically systemic racial inequities. Include a vision statement (how the plan will improve educator effectiveness and support improved outcomes in the priority academic area for the student focal group), an evidence-based justification (how the plan reflects a close analysis of the collected data), and a theory of action (how the plan clarifies and addresses root causes of inequity present in the school context and culture).
• Intentionally seek out viewpoints from all communities represented in the school about how their plan furthers learning in the priority academic area for the student focal group(s) and engage participants in meaningful contributions.
• Synthesize the feedback received from all stakeholders and make revisions to their plan that address barriers to student learning and achievement in the identifiedpriority academic area.
• Write a commentary that: (1) summarizes and constructively critiques the leadership skills and practices you used or developed in completing this task and (2) reflects on how systemic biases, structural inequities, and opportunity gaps affect your school/district, as well as the role of school leaders in confronting these barriers to support and sustain high-quality instruction and improved outcomes for all students.

To help a candidate complete Task 1 successfully, a supervising practitioner needs to do the following:

• Provide access to available data on student performance and school context and culture, and documentation on relevant programs, services, and practices.
• Support identification of a priority academic area, student focal group(s), and staff to provide input and guidance.
• Grant the candidate permission to collect additional information from students, staff, and families through interviews, observations, or surveys.
• Provide guidance in developing appropriate action strategies.
• Give feedback on the proposed plan's focus, strategies, and operational elements.

We ask that you, as your candidate's supervising practitioner, support this candidate in undertaking all phases of this pilot task and provide direction on the steps required to gather available data and collect new information.

The candidate's work to complete this task should be beneficial to your school's improvement work by providing in-depth inquiry, analysis, research, and focus to a priority area for the identified student focal group(s). The quality, relevance, and utility of the analysis and proposed strategies are key to how the candidate demonstrates skill proficiency.

Task 2: Instructional Leadership for a Professional Learning Culture

This task requires that leadership candidates work with a small group of educators in their school who reflect multiple perspectives to engage as a team in structured learning activities to address a focus area within a priority academic area of interest. As part of this task, candidates work with the group to define the focus area and pilot a new curriculum, instructional approach, assessment procedure, or student engagement strategy. Using structured team-building and group-process activities, candidates prepare and support the group's learning and then assess their own learning through group feedback on their leadership skills and practices.

To complete Task 2, candidates must do the following:

• Identify a student priority academic area for improvement in educator practice and begin to organize a group of educators for collective learning.
• Document relevant school context information, including student demographics, student academic performance data, and school and district goals and vision, as well as norms or practices within the school culture that may lead to inequities in the student priority academic area.
• Consider the nature of the current school culture for educator groups and group-based professional learning, the policies and structures (such as meeting time, space, and resources) that support professional learning, and how these factors would shape your group work. Describe any existing types of educator groups, their membership, and how they are used in the school.
• Identify and invite educators who reflect multiple perspectives to be members of a professional learning group related to the student priority academic area and provide a rationale for their inclusion. If assigned a group, explain how the group is to be engaged specifically around the student priority academic area.
• Work with this group to identify an area of focus within the student priority academic area for group learning and improving practice and to develop shared group norms and inclusive practices that value all members of the educator group.
• Engage in individual and group reflection activities to develop understanding of the identities, including intersectional identities; assumptions; and systemic biases that can affect school cultures, educator practice, and student learning.
• Collect evidence of the group members' roles in selecting the specific focus within the student priority academic area and of their learning activities, including information about the evidence-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, and engagement practices that group members explore and try out.
• Support individual educators with ongoing feedback as they try out new practices or take steps to improve existing instructional practices and share their experiences with the group.
• Collect evidence on new or improved educator practices that group members implement (individually or collectively) and analyze their initial impact on access to learning and student outcomes (e.g., student engagement, student work samples, student feedback).
• Analyze their leadership practice in supporting the group's professional learning. Collect feedback from group members on their perceived effectiveness as a group, individual and group learning, improvement of practice, and their evaluation of your facilitation and support.

To help a candidate complete Task 2, a supervising practitioner needs to do the following:

• Provide access to relevant information on the school context, goals, and policies, particularly as related to professional learning.
• Provide an overview of the educator teams and groups already organized in the school.
• Support selection of a priority academic area for improvement.
• Support identification or recruitment of a group of educators to engage in group learning.
• Enable meeting times for the group.
• Support collection of information through interviews, observations, or surveys on the implementation of team learning activity and the new or improved practices that the educators try out.
• Provide feedback on the strategies and other work of the candidate and the group.

We ask that you, as your candidate's supervising practitioner, support the candidate in undertaking all phases of this work and provide direction on the steps required to gather available data and collect new information as needed, if formal school or district permission is required. The candidate's activities to complete this task should be beneficial to your school's improvement work by supporting educators to improve their practice in relation to a priority academic area. The quality, relevance, and utility of the team's learning and new or improved strategies are key to how the candidate demonstrates skill proficiency.