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I am currently working toward earning my certification in educational administration. Upon completing my certification, I plan to take on the role of an elementary assistant principal, with the ultimate goal of eventually becoming an elementary campus principal. I am specifically interested in serving a campus with a high population of economically disadvantaged and/or at-risk students.

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Step 2, Option 1: Interview with a Current Professional in the Field

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Step 2, Option 1: Interview with a Current Professional in the Field

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To learn more about the role of a principal in regard to legal and ethical principles, I elected to interview a supervisor of principles. The supervisor's current title is Director of Future Ready Instruction.
The interview was eye-opening in two ways. First, it provided me with insight into a few legal issues that principals currently face of which I was not previously aware. However, throughout our interview, I also learned that many of the legal and ethical concerns of principals are exactly what would be expected based on current "hot topics" of conversation in educational communities.
Among the legal and ethical topics you might expect a principal to face, Director A (personal communication, January 17, 2019) confirmed that our principals must stay current on laws surrounding Section 504, special education, and FERPA. Additionally, she acknowledged that many professionals stay up-to-date on current legal and ethical issues in the same way that I stay current on educational issues, which is through reading relevant publications and learning from others in the field (Director A, personal communication, January 17, 2019). Director A (personal communication, January 17, 2019) explained that, by subscribing to listserves, regularly visiting reputable educational websites, and maintaining subscriptions to journals related to the field of education, both she and campus principals are able to stay up-to-date on important changes in the field of education.
One of the surprising revelations that came from the interview was the ethical concern with developing a dress code. Director A (personal communication, January 17, 2019) explained that leaders in the district must work together to ensure the dress code is one that promotes a focus on learning, while also remaining sensitive the wide variety of cultures in the district.
When asked to identify an important court case related to the work of an educational leader, Director A (personal communication, January 17, 2019) noted that Brown vs. the Board of Education continues to have an impact on how school districts operate. She explained that campus and district leaders have an ongoing responsibility to address the issue of providing equitable access to educational resources to all students (Director A, personal communication, January 17, 2019).
Finally, when asked about issues related to employee rights, Director A (personal communication, January 17, 2019) revealed that she has seen more than one educational setting in which the faculty and staff do not take appropriate steps to value the diversity within the employees. She explained that, just as a principal must lead staff in appreciating the diversity of the student population, so must a leader help them value the diversity within their peers (Director A, personal communication, January 17, 2019).
Ultimately, I learned from my interview that, while many topics of concern for principals may be exactly what you would expect, staying current and aware of issues related to laws and ethics surrounding education is an ongoing task. Additionally, the necessary understanding of how to apply legal and ethical principals requires a leader who is willing to see the nuances within the issues and respond appropriately within their leadership.

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Step 2, Option 2: National Education Association

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Step 2, Option 2: National Education Association

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The National Education Association (NEA) highlights a variety of topics related to legal and ethical concerns for educational administrators. Two that stood out to me were the links related to developing partnerships with the greater community and closing achievement gaps. I was interested in learning about each of these both due to my interest in working on a high needs campus and as a result of the information I learned during my interview with the Director of Future Ready Instruction related to current issues facing principals.
As a future campus leader, I understand that one of my responsibilities will be to develop strong relationships between the campus and the community. I hoped to find more articles through NEA detailing steps current principals are taking to make this happen, but I did not find as much as I had hoped. However, I did locate information related to a grant opportunity for engaging local communities in supporting students, which could be useful information in the future (National Education Association [NEA], 2019-b).
On the section of the website related to closing achievement gaps, I found many useful links related to both identifying and taking steps to close achievement gaps. This included a link to a handbook with information on working with students of poverty, which is a link I will definitely save for future use (NEA, 2019-a).

References

National Education Association. (2019-a). Achievement gaps. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/AchievementGaps.html
National Education Association. (2019-b). Community advocacy and partnership engagement. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/MinorityCommunityOrganizingandPartnerships.html#GrantsInAction

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Step 2, Option 2: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

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Step 2, Option 2: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

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On the website for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the topics section provides information on many of the legal and ethical issues currently facing educational administrators. In an effort to broaden my understanding of such issues, I elected to look more closely at two issues that were unrelated to those I explored on the website for the National Education Association (NEA). On ASCD's website, I reviewed the literature they had available related to English Language Learners and School Safety.
While exploring the literature available related to school safety, I was expecting to find articles related to maintaining a safe physical facility. However, I instead found a mixture of information related to helping students recover from trauma and to creating a school culture that nurtures all learners (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development [ASCD], 2019-b). Based on my own experience in schools, I know that finding appropriate ways to address bullying is a point of concern for teachers, campus leaders, and district leaders. I found several articles and books on the ASCD website that provided information on that exact topic.
The section of ASCD's website with links related to English Language Learners  (ELLs) broadened my thoughts on the needs of ELLs in the school system. I come from an elementary background, and, therefore, have primarily been concerned with supporting vocabulary and language development, in addition to creating a culturally inclusive classroom environment. In addition to these topics, ASCD also provided links to literature related to supporting ELLs on an educational path toward college, as well as information related to supporting the provision of health care for ELLs (ASCD, 2019-a).

References

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2019-a).  English language learners (ELLs). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/english-language-learners-resources.aspx
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2019-b). School safety. Retrieved from  http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/school-safety-resources.aspx

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For this padlet, I have elected to further explore the legal and ethical issue of closing achievement gaps. As a future campus leader, I will be obligated both legally and ethically to ensure that all of my students have the opportunity to be successful as a result of the education they receive.

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Academic Resource Link (Leading for Low Income Students)

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Credible Website Link (ETS Study)

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Based on my own knowledge of education, my interview with the Director of Future Ready Instruction, and topics discussed on the National Education Association and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development websites, closing achievement gaps, providing equitable access to education, and providing the opportunity for positive educational outcomes for all students are important issues related to legal and ethical principles in education. It seems obvious that educational leaders have an ethical responsibility to provide equitable opportunities to all students. Additionally, legal and accountability requirements have been put in place through the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Texas Education Agency accountability system which require schools to focus on closing achievement gaps between subgroups of students (National Conference of State Legislation, 2019; Texas Education Agency, 2019). However, the steps a campus leader must take to do so effectively are still under debate.
Brown III, Bynum, and Beziat (2017) suggest that one step administrators may take to close achievement gaps is to adopt a leadership style that has proven effective in doing so. Though the results of their study were ultimately inconclusive due to a small sample size, Brown III, Bynum, and Beziat (2017) did have findings that indicated that principals who are successful in closing the gaps are likely to effectively utilize Professional Learning Communities, in addition to having worked to develop systems of trust between staff and campus leadership.
The Educational Testing Service (2016) looked at a different method of closing achievement gaps, which is closing gaps in resources between schools. The resources implicated were not only physical resources, but also the resource of appropriate numbers of high quality staff (Educational Testing Service [ETS], 2016). The research in the study indicated that providing greater resource allocations to high need schools did, in fact, lessen achievement gaps (ETS, 2016). However, recent changes in school funding have resulted in issues with providing greater resources to higher need schools and, in fact, such schools often receive fewer resources than their low-need counterparts (ETS, 2016). This indicates that the issue of equity extends beyond the reach of campus and district personnel to steps that must be taken at state and federal levels to address the ethical issue of closing achievement gaps.
In summation, the information I found related to closing achievement gaps indicates that it is a well-known area of concern for educational leaders. However, the steps that must be taken to do so are not always clear and are, at times, beyond the control of a single campus principal. Obviously, to be successful in my future role, I will need to continue to stay abreast of research on this topic in order to do what I can to improve the schools I serve.

References

Brown III, G., Bynum, Y., & Beziat, T. (2017). Leading for low income students: Results from a study on school leaders in low income elementary schools. Education, 138(1), 68–74. Retrieved from https://easydb.angelo.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=125376920&site=eds-live

Educational Testing Service. (2016, May 16). Study: To close the achievement gap, close the resource gap. Retrieved from https://news.ets.org/press-releases/study-to-close-the-achievement-gap-close-the-resource-gap/

National Conference of State Legislation (2019, January 11).  Closing early learning opportunity gaps under ESSA. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/equity-and-the-opportunity-gap.aspx

Texas Education Agency. (2019). State accountability. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/Student_Testing_and_Accountability/Accountability/State_Accountability/State_Accountability/