Jessica Marquez

Competency Reflections
Internship II-2014
TExES Course Objectives/Learner Outcomes
Competency 001: The principal knows how to shape campus culture by facilitating the
development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is
shared and supported by the school community.
Competency one is the umbrella that covers a vast amount of principal responsibilities to
effectively shape the campus culture. It would be impossible to achieve this alone, therefore the
key is to facilitate the development, articulation and implementation and stewardship of a vision
with others. Most importantly, for this to be done successfully, it is essential to share this vision
and be supported by the school community, which includes students, staff, parents/caregivers,
and community members. Even though I have not had experience as an administrator shaping
the campus culture as a whole, I have had the opportunity to shape our Bilingual Program
setting high expectations by promoting learning and ensuring that parents are an integral part of
their childs campus. In addition, as a team leader, I collaboratively work with my team to
ensure the development and continued improvement in the program while establishing positive
collegial relationships, developing plans, objectives, and strategies to support our campus
vision.

Competency 002: The principal knows how to communicate and collaborate with all
members of the school community, respond to diverse interests and needs, and mobilize
resources to promote student success.

Im a Bilingual Teacher in our campus that has help build and shape our Pre-Kindergarten
Program since the start in 2008. In order for its success, I have been able to accomplish this
throughout the years by communicating, involving, and accepting both administrative
contributions and welcoming parental contributions as well. For example, promoting parental
support in my Action Research Project, Effectiveness of Parental Homework Support on Pre-
Kindergarten Student Achievement, has been a success where according to the data, there was
a significant progress in students who receive parental support at home. This was a rewarding
experience to create an opportunity for parents to be engaged in the education of their child.
In addition, the Internship I and II has enabled me to be more open-minded and realize that my
tasks/requirements could not be accomplished alone. This internship enabled me various
opportunities to understand and be involved in projects with colleagues, for example, creating
action plans to enhance student behavior after analyzing data. In addition, working with the
Dual Language Specialist of our school district to determine from a variety of resources what
would be effective to implement in Bilingual classrooms to ultimately develop and
collaboratively plan and manage the resources to request monetary funds in a form of a grant.
Competency 003: The principal knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical
and legal manner.

I admire my campus principals, in that they set high expectations with integrity, fairness, and
ethically, looking out to the best interest of our students while valuing teachers. They have been
a great example over the years, effectively responding to emerging issues. Ive learned ways to
respond to situations, building consensus and managing conflict altogether in the highest
standard of conduct. Campus administrators are looked upon and trusted to be fair and
consistent where it can be a very demanding, but Ive learned that gathering, analyzing and
getting input can be effective to be fair in responding to different situations consistently. Having
Jessica Marquez
Competency Reflections
Internship II-2014
goals and planning ahead of time, as Ive observed, helps in carrying out tasks and
responsibilities to operate efficiently that aids in carrying it out collaboratively in an ethical and
legal manner. As a Bilingual Teacher, it is required to attend meetings to be up to date on legal
responsibilities to successfully carry out the Bilingual Program; otherwise one will be out of
compliance. Im grateful to be a contributor to serving our Limited English Proficient students to
improve their learning opportunities and help them succeed.
Competency 004: The principal knows how to facilitate the design and implementation of
curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment of
curriculum, instruction, resources, and assessment; and promote the use of varied
assessments to measure student performance.

The action research project that was part of the graduate course requirement allowed me to
grown in this competency, enhancing teaching and learning for all students in my classroom.
Conducting a pre-test to determine the current level students were on academically enabled me
to develop a plan and facilitate a design that would enable the teacher enhance academic
achievement in students. Facilitating the design and implementing an assessment enabled me to
grow and expand my teaching experience through collaboration with parents and other teachers.
Even though it might be a task that requires time and preparation, I learned that perseverance
and willingness can ultimately help achieve campus goals.
Competency 005: The principal knows how to advocate, nurture, and sustain an
instructional program and a campus culture that are conducive to student learning and
staff professional growth.

As a campus administrator, it is essential to be actively involved and monitor any program and
its effectiveness. This cannot be done alone, therefore collaboratively receiving and facilitating
with colleagues is vital to successfully advocate, nurture, and sustain instructional programs.
Gathering information during team meetings, Professional Learning Communities, etc. will
allow the campus administrator to constantly assess and determine the effectiveness of
instructional programs in order to ensure student achievement. It is important to value and
welcome teacher input but ultimately, the principal can utilize this information to make informed
decisions.
Competency 006: The principal knows how to implement a staff evaluation and
development system to improve the performance of all staff members, select and
implement appropriate models for supervision and staff development, and apply the legal
requirements for personnel management.

During my internship Principalship course, I had the opportunity to receive Instructional
Leadership Development (ILD) training in what to look for when evaluating teachers in the
classroom. It is important for principals to visit classrooms and constantly give feedback. While
every teacher can improve in something, offering positive feedback is also important. As campus
administrators, it is important to support and help teachers build on in their learning and expose
them to best instructional practices. Once again, principals staying current and informed can
help communicate to teachers what it is theyre expected to do and perform in the classroom.
Competency 007: The principal knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and
problem-solving skills to ensure an effective learning environment.

Jessica Marquez
Competency Reflections
Internship II-2014

When a principal decides to run a school, it is important to understand that he/she will not be
doing it alone. Even though she is responsible of decisions made, an important thing to
remember is that in order to be a successful decision maker, he/she needs to collaborate with
teachers in meetings, obtaining information from interested stakeholders and constantly be
analyzing data. Building relationships and allowing others to give their input can ultimately be a
vital tool to ensure that one understands and meeting the needs of the campus as a whole.

Competency 008: The principal knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and
management in relation to campus budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial
management, and technology use.

Even though I dont have very much experience in how our campus budget is handled, one of my
strengths is handling team money and budgeting for our classroom parties, as well as keeping
logs and records of money given to me by our students. Even though this doesnt consist of large
sums of money, I am loyal in allocating and managing any sums of money. In regards to
technology use, I am a supporter and have seen the benefits in student achievement, while at the
same time, keeping in mind that its vital to advance, stay current, and attend technology
trainings. Campus administrators can also stay current and apply different technological
techniques that teachers can utilize in class, such as podcasts, for example, to present new
information in faculty meetings.

Competency 009: The principal knows how to apply principles of leadership and
management to the campus physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and
effective learning environment.

Student safety is top priority, being that students depend on our care and support. This is
important because if students dont feel safe, learning cannot occur. I was given opportunities to
be principal for the day and as team leader, it has given me the responsibility to ensure the
safety and security of all students on our campus. It requires one to work as a team while at the
same time, foreseeing and anticipating situations that may require guidance and attention to
ensure a safe and effective environment.