The Principal as

Student Advocate
A Guide for Doing What’s
Best for All Students

M. Scott Norton
Larry K. Kelly
Anna R. Battle

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First published 2012 by Eye On Education

Published 2013 by Routledge

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Copyright © 2012 Taylor & Francis

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Norton, M. Scott.
The principal as student advocate : a guide for doing what’s best for all
students/by M. Scott Norton, Larry K. Kelly, and Anna Battle.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59667-189-8
1. Motivation in education.
2. School principals.
I. Kelly, Larry K., 1936–
II. Battle, Anna.
III. Title.
LB1065.N57 2011
371.2’012—dc22 2011013927

Cover Designer: Knoll Gilbert

ISBN: 978-1-596-67189-8 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-317-92606-1 (ebk)

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This page intentionally left blank
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Figure 1.2 Traits & Behaviors of the Principal Student Advocate . . . . . .18
Figure 2.4 (Name of School) Self-Reflection Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Figure 2.6 Principal’s Building Blocks for an Inclusive School . . . . . . . . .36
Figure 2.7 (Name of School) Statements of Fundamental Beliefs. . . . . . .37
Figure 2.10 Student Behavioral Concern Referral. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Figure 2.11 Student Exit Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Figure 3.1 Student Services Commonly Available
on School Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Figure 4.1 Organizational Characteristics Self-Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Figure 4.2 Assessment of a Safe Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Figure 5.1 Selected Student Disabilities and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Highlights (for sharing, review, and further study) . . . . . . . . . .online only

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 Table of Contents

Free Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
About the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

1 The School Principal as Student Advocate: What It Means. . . . . . . . . . . 1

Story of Clair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Our Purposes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Assessment of Your Student Advocacy Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
SAT Answers and Scoring Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
An Explanation of the Answers to the SAT Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Summary of Traits and Behaviors of the Principal Student
Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
What Student Advocacy Is Not. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Simulating Your Next Job Interview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
A Look Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Application Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2 Student Advocacy and the Inclusive School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

A Time for Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Story of Cheryl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Determining Why Schools Exist: A First Step Toward Beginning
an Inclusive School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Defining an Inclusive School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The Successful Principal and the Inclusive School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Effective Leadership of an Inclusive School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
The Importance of Vision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Tool of Mental Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Importance of Passion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A Culture of Inclusiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
The Courage to Be an Advocate for All Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
A Case of Courage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Application Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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viii ◆ Table of Contents

3 The Principal as an Advocate for Student Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

A Principal’s Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
First Impressions Make a Big Difference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Shared Skills (Cross Training). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Story of Juaneka: Making an Impression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Attendance Coordinator: A Role Much Greater Than Mere
Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Relevant Courses Support Student Achievement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Relationships That Support Giftedness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Failure Is Not an Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Family Focus for Advocating for Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Story of Mrs. Simpson: Advocacy Requires Both Time and
Effort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Interventions Fostering Student Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Story of Mr. Karsten: The Results of Advocacy Are Not
Always Immediate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Guidance Services: Advocating for Student Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Story of Miss Howard: Stepping Into the Shoes of Students
in Need. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Rigor for All. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Story of Mr. Brown: Creating Opportunities for All Students. . . . . . 63
Expect the Unexpected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Community Social Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Story of Mrs. Hampton: Things Do Not Always Go Smoothly. . . . . 65
Special Education and Students with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Story of Terrance: Advocacy Accentuates the Positive. . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Application Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

4 Creating an Environment for Teaching and Learning:

The Student Advocate’s Primary Challenge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating an Environment for Teaching and Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Organizing Chaos: The First Day of School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
School Effectiveness: Creating a Desired Environment for
Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
A Safe School Environment: A High Priority for the Principal . . . . . 73
A Safe School Environment: Creating a Family Atmosphere. . . . . . . 75
Constructing an Orderly School Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Characteristics of an Organized School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
The Principal’s Role in Creating an Orderly Environment. . . . . . . . . 79

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 Table of Contents ◆ ix

Collaboration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Creating Opportunities Through Faculty Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . 82
Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in a Safe, Orderly Environment . . . . 82
Questions the Student Advocate Must Answer in
Disciplinary Cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Scenario 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Scenario 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Recommending Long-Term Suspension or Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Due Process for Students in Disciplinary Hearings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Advocate Role of the School Principal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Application Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

5 Principal Student Advocacy and the Student with Disabilities. . . . . . 93

Let’s Set the Stage, with You in the Lead Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
True or False?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Check Your Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
How Far We Have Come as Advocates for Students with
Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
The Many Special-Education Programs and Activities in Schools . . . . . 96
Planning, Organizing, Implementing, and Evaluating Procedures. . . . . 98
1. Search and Find Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
2. Screening Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
3. Review-Team Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
4. Implementation of the IEP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Advocating for Special-Needs Students Through Policy
Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973—Section 504. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. . . . . . . . 101
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Enacted
in 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
How the School Principal Serves as Student Advocate in Special-
Education Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Advocates Support Special Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Advocates Practice Continuous Self-Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Advocates Practice Collaboration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
How to Recognize a Principal Special Education Advocate. . . . . . . . . . 104
The Effective Principal Student Advocate and Competency-Based
Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Select Special-Education Competencies of School Principals . . . . . 105

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x ◆ Table of Contents

Snapshots of Student Advocacy in Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

The Student Advocacy Traits Post-Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Application Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

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 About the Authors

Dr. M. Scott Norton is a former public school teacher, curriculum coordina-

tor, associate superintendent, and superintendent of schools. He served as
professor and vice-chairman of the Department of Educational Administra-
tion at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and as professor and chairman of
the Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies at Arizona
State University, where he presently is professor emeritus.
Dr. Norton is author and coauthor of college textbooks in the areas of
human resources administration, the school superintendency, executive lead-
ership and administrative management, and resource allocation. He has pub-
lished articles in professional journals relating to teacher retention, teacher
workload, organizational climate, employee assistance programs, the school
principalship, competency performance, retaining quality school principals,
and human resources administration.
He has received several national and state awards honoring his services
and contributions to the field of educational administration. The American
School Personnel Administrators Association, Arizona School Administra-
tors, Inc., Arizona Educational Research Organization, and the University
Council for Educational Administration are among the organizations that
have recognized Dr. Norton for distinguished service to the field of educa-
tional administration.
He has held the positions of executive director of the Nebraska Associa-
tion of School Administrators, president of the Arizona School Administra-
tors Higher Education Division, Arizona School Administrators Board of
Directors, treasurer of the University Council for Educational Administra-
tion, UCEA staff associate, regional representative for the National Associa-
tion of Secondary School Principals, and other state and national offices.

Dr. Larry K. Kelly has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal

and principal, assistant superintendent, director of curriculum, and direc-
tor of staff development in public schools. Other administrative experience
includes the position of director of staff development for the Arizona School
Administrators Association. In this role he directed the Arizona Administra-
tive Assessment Center sponsored by the National Association of Secondary
School Principals.
Dr. Kelly served as an adjunct professor for several years in the Department
of Educational Administration and Supervision, Arizona State University,

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xii ◆ About the Authors

and continues to serve as a hearing officer for teacher and student cases in the
Phoenix, Arizona area. In addition, he has served for thirty-five years as an
NCA/CITA Accreditation team member and chair in Germany, Italy, Turkey,
Japan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Kelly has authored or coauthored professional publications in the
areas of resource allocation, the development of leadership through the
school improvement process, and student self-scheduling.
He received the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award in 1996, and
in 2007 he was inducted into the Mary Lou Fulton Education Hall of Fame
at Arizona State University for his professional contributions to education in
the state.

Dr. Anna R. Battle has served as a secondary school principal for eight years
and as an assistant principal for five years. She teaches administration, lead-
ership, and principalship courses for universities in Phoenix, Arizona. A col-
legiate athlete at Arizona State University and then a teacher of high-school
students for twelve years and a coach for myriad school sports, Dr. Battle
now teaches teachers and administrators effective strategies to improve aca-
demic performance of students in secondary schools.
Dr. Battle completed a bachelor of arts in the area of special education,
K–12, a master of education in the area of secondary education, reading spe-
cialist and a doctorate of education in administration and supervision from
Arizona State University. She has completed a Superintendent Certification at
the University of Phoenix. Dr. Battle was honored by the National AdvancED
Council for her leadership as a secondary school principal in 2010. She was
named Arizona NASSP Principal of the Year in 2011.
Her professional affiliations include membership in these organizations:
National Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers (Discipline), National
Association of Secondary School Principals, and Arizona School Adminis-
trators Association (East Valley representative) and Arizona State Council
(member for AdvancED/North Central Association).
Presently she serves as principal of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix,
Arizona. Desert Vista High School has received considerable recognition
as the best college-prep high school in Arizona. U.S. News and World Report
honored Desert Valley High School as one of the top schools in the nation.
She recently authored Trust and Leadership in (2010), which stresses the impor-
tance in schools of relationships among teachers, administrators, students,
and parents.

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 Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the many practicing school principals,

assistant principals, other administrators, and teachers who participated in
the interview sessions so crucial for the writing of this book. The majority of
case studies, snapshots of student advocacy, and examples of best practices
are based on the knowledge and experience of these educators. These par-
ticipants contributed in a major way to bringing relevancy to the contentions
and applications offered here.
Educational leaders collaborate with other important professionals with
specific areas of expertise that support and enhance principals’ abilities to
advocate for students: special-education personnel, itinerant staff, guidance
counselors, school psychologists, student-services staff, teachers on assign-
ment, security staff, and those in community service agencies. We wish to
acknowledge all of those who assist administrators in providing the best
student advocacy practices in our schools.
We wish to express appreciation to all Eye On Education staff personnel
for their contributions that were instrumental in the completion of the book.

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 Preface

This book is intended primarily for the actively serving school principal.
Thus, it focuses on the principal’s leadership role and the many responsibili-
ties that come with the office, including several kinds of programs and activi-
ties that are specific to the administration of schools. However, teachers, other
school administrators, and those who have aspirations of becoming a school
principal may also find the information in this book of special interest.
In response to the many experiences encountered in the role, the school
principal with some history of service most likely has given serious thought
to his or her administrative philosophy and to the nature of the principal’s
professional relationships with faculty and students. In many instances, his
or her formal education will not have included preparation in certain areas
or provided adequate opportunity to consider the human, moral, and ethi-
cal dimensions that are always an aspect of the leader’s decision-making
responsibilities.
The practicing school principal comes to understand the paramount
importance of serving as a decision maker and striving to carry out the moral
responsibility of helping every student reach his or her full potential. This
book provides the principal with practical ideas relative to answering the fol-
lowing questions: Am I truly doing what is in the best interests of each indi-
vidual student? Am I truly an advocate when it comes to student rights? On
what occasions, if any, have I stood tall against a policy or regulation that was
not in the best interests of a student? What less dramatic, everyday behaviors
exemplify student advocacy? What do I really believe and practice concern-
ing such matters as student retention, student discipline, special student
needs, and student inclusion in regular school classrooms and in extracur-
ricular activities? What changes in my personal behavior might facilitate the
accomplishment of my goals?
This book intends to challenge the practicing school principal to assess his
or her present traits and behaviors relative to student advocacy, and to that
end provides exercises for self-assessment. We provide a clear definition of
student advocacy and of the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs most commonly
possessed by school administrators who truly are student advocates. We pro-
pose best practices relative to programs and activities that foster the interests
of all students.
What is meant by student advocacy and what behaviors must be dis-
played and what strategies implemented to achieve it? What is an inclusive

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xvi ◆ Preface

school? Student personnel services and special needs programs relate closely
to student advocacy. How does student advocacy apply to all students? How
is advocacy viewed as it applies to discipline? Why is the principal’s advo-
cacy so important in serving students with special needs? These are among
the questions at the heart of this book.
We endeavor to provide the practitioner with tools and techniques that
enable him or her to build a school culture that focuses on student advocacy.
How the principal, as student advocate, might best work to build consen-
sus among all school personnel is emphasized throughout. The principal
is reminded of the importance of both the curricular and the co-curricular
programs that are so vital to the needs, interests, and total development of
each student. Such provisions include core academic offerings, the fine arts,
athletics, technical programs, clubs, recreational activities, and programs that
meet the special needs of students with disabilities.
Implicit in the book is a “calling” to help all students reach their full
potential. We submit that as the school principal becomes increasingly effec-
tive in advocating for students, he or she is helping all students be more suc-
cessful, both inside and outside the classroom.

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 1

The School Principal

as Student Advocate:
What It Means

S t o r y o f C l a i r

Clair was an eleventh-grade student whose academic record was satisfactory in every
subject. However, after completing the grade, Clair did not return to school the following
fall for his final year and graduation. He was away from school for one entire year. When
later asked why he didn’t return to school, he simply said, “I was somewhat bored and just
lost interest.”
An assistant principal, who also served as an athletic coach, contacted Clair personally
and encouraged him to return to school and graduate. The administrator indicated that
he was available to help him arrange his class schedule and that the school needed him
to participate in its football program. His encouragement was enough to motivate Clair to
return to school, and his follow-up support helped Clair to graduate one year later. Clair
was then drafted into the military service for two years, after which he entered the univer-
sity and completed a bachelor of science degree in engineering. This enabled him to gain
employment at the Sperry-Rand Corporation (later Honeywell International) in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Initially, Clair was involved in resolving production problems for the autopilots on the
B-52 bomber and the DC-8 commercial aircraft. Subsequently, he designed new autopilot
components for the B-52 and the Boeing 727. Later he worked on spacecraft, managing
the development of attitude controls for space vehicles. He also directed several NASA and
USAF design programs, including the Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Gamma Ray Observa-
tory, and the mission to Mars. Clair received three patents for gyroscopes, including one
that was used on Galileo.

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2 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

We cannot say what Clair’s future might have been if one caring administra-
tive student advocate had not taken the time and effort to support him at a
crucial moment in his life. It is quite likely, however, that had he remained a
high school drop-out, Clair’s engineering contributions would have been lost
to society and his personal self-respect and satisfaction diminished.
Clair’s story dates from several decades ago, but it is similar to stories of
student success in today’s schools, thanks to the caring attitudes of principals
who demonstrate the principles of a student advocacy on a daily basis.

Our Purposes
This book has several purposes. One is illustrated by the foregoing story:
to improve the educational opportunities of all students, regardless of their
present situation or academic standing. Efforts to ameliorate or resolve the
problems of children and youth that inhibit them from pursuing educational
opportunities can prevent drop-outs and mitigate behavioral problems. This
goal entails the practice of advocating for and promoting every student’s
right to learn, with a clear intent to tie this learning to his or her real interests.
We accept the fact that you and other school principals do like students
and want to see them succeed. But we ask you to consider these questions:
Are you truly a student advocate? How does your administrative behavior
demonstrate that you do, in fact, possess the traits of a practicing student
advocate? Are you willing to assess your personal thinking and behavior
relative to the many traits that principal student advocates possess? If so, we
hope you will take the SAT (Student Advocacy Traits) assessment that fol-
lows. Read the directions carefully. In order for you to accurately determine
your SAT status, you will need to respond to each of the fifteen situations
from your personal perspective, and not according to what you think your
supervisor would be looking for, what response would look good on an inter-
view questionnaire, or what the rules require of you in your present role. You
are the only one who will see the results, so be certain that they reflect what
you truly believe and how you would behave relative to the matter at hand.

Assessment of Your Student Advocacy Traits (SAT)

Directions: For each of the following scenarios, check the response that is
closest to your personal disposition. In each case, check the one action that best
represents the behavior that you most likely would pursue. Don’t be overly

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 The School Principal as a Student Advocate ◆ 3

concerned that the situation might lie outside your current administrative
responsibilities, rather focus on the matter at hand in view of your own beliefs.
(Note: The validity of this assessment depends largely on whether or not your
responses truly reflect you as a person—your thinking and your behavior.)

1. A second-grade student is reading below grade level and at the end

of the school year has a reading achievement score of 1.2, a mathematics
achievement score of 1.5, and an English proficiency achievement score of 1.4.
Which of the actions below are you most likely to recommend?
a. Promote the student to grade 3 with his or her peers, but with
a recommendation that the student be given additional help by
taking appropriate summer school instruction.
b. Recommend attendance at summer school and then retesting to
determine whether to pass or fail the student.
c. Retain the student in grade 2 in an attempt to improve achieve-
ment scores.
2. A Boy-Scout knife is found in a third-grade student’s desk. The stu-
dent’s teacher informs you that the student admitted bringing the knife to
school. This is the student’s first serious rules violation. Which of the actions
below are you most likely to take?
a. Suspend the student from school for the period stipulated in the
school’s student handbook; rules are rules.
b. Meet with the student to determine why he brought the knife
to school and then determine an activity for the student that
would serve as a way to learn about the dangers of having
things like knives in the hands of students.
c. Dismiss the case, since this is the pupil’s first serious disciplin-
ary infraction.
3. A student at the departmentalized middle school of which you are
principal is sent to your office for continuing failure to complete homework
assignments for her English class. The teacher counts homework assignments
toward 33 percent of the student’s course grade. The school’s handbook
states that each teacher can assign one-half hour of homework each day. What
action are you most likely to take?
a. Determine why the student is not completing the homework
assignments for the English class and assess the situation for
other subjects that the student is taking.
b. Arrange a meeting with the student and her parents to clarify
the school’s rules concerning homework and stress that the
student is likely to fail if the assignments are not completed as
required.

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4 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

c. Set up an after-school study session with the student, in which

she is to receive help in completing the daily assignments.
4. Consider the last time that you wrote or participated in the writing
of an individualized educational plan (IEP) for a student. Which of the fol-
lowing is closest to your motivation for designing the plan?
a. The primary motivation was to please the child’s parents and
gain their approval.
b. The primary motivation was to satisfy my supervisor or special-
education officials.
c. The primary motivation was to adhere to district/school policy.
d. The primary motivation was to adjust the workload of those
who were working with the student and to adjust budget
allocations.
e. None of the above. My fundamental motivation was to
 .
5. A student in an English class is receiving marginal grades due pri-
marily to low test scores. The student does well on multiple-choice and true/
false questions, but fails the essay sections of the tests. Which one of the fol-
lowing actions is closest to what you would do as school principal?
a. Be an advocate of the teacher’s methods, not get involved in
matters of this kind, let the teacher do his or her job.
b. Recommend that the teacher design special tests for this student
that include only multiple-choice and true/false questions.
c. Underscore the fact that the student apparently knows the
material but does not seem able to get his or her ideas down on
paper. Ask about the possibility of giving the essay section of
the test orally to the student.
d. Give serious consideration to giving additional instruction to
the student in written English and essay writing.
6. Merton is a ninth-grade student in a middle school of grades 7–9. All
of his basic skills test scores are in the lower quartile for his grade. Merton is
a quiet student who seldom participates in class discussions, and teachers
tend not to call on him for verbal responses. Merton’s only subject of personal
interest seems to be art. He also enjoys participation in athletics but has been
ineligible due to poor grades. One teacher commented to you that Merton is
just waiting until the end of the school year, when he can drop from school
and get a job, so as to obtain some spending money. Which action below is
closest to the action you would take in this situation at this time?
a. Plan a meeting with Merton’s current teachers, physical edu-
cation faculty, and the appropriate fine-arts personnel in the
school. Gain the ideas and recommendations of these persons

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 The School Principal as a Student Advocate ◆ 5

relative to how the school program can capitalize on Merton’s

special interests and talents in art and physical education. Ask
Merton about his interest in pursuing the recommendations set
forth by faculty personnel and solicit ideas from him relative to
his personal interests at this time.
b. Ask Merton to come to your office after school. Be prepared
to tell him about students whom you have known who have
dropped from school before graduating and the many problems
that they have faced in life thereafter. Point out clearly that his
record reveals a similar destiny unless he wakes up and gets to
work.
c. Do nothing in this case but support the teacher in any way pos-
sible. Be sure that she knows that you understand the problem
facing her and that she and others in the school have done
about all that they can to help Merton.
d. Refer Merton to the coordinator of work-study programs in the
school district. This course could serve to provide Merton with
a work skill with which he could earn some money and satisfy
this apparent need.
7. You are walking the school halls when you notice one of the sopho-
more students standing by his locker crying. You approach him and ask,
“What is the matter?” The student explains that his best friend was caught
shoplifting in a downtown electronics shop and is being held by the police in
the county juvenile detention center. Which behavior below is closest to the
action that you would take at this time?
a. Let the boy know that this is what happens to those who do not
obey society’s rules of good behavior. Let him know his friend
committed a crime and that this event should be a good lesson
for both him and his friend.
b. Find out more about the boy’s friend. Is he a student in the
school? Are his parents aware of the violator’s situation? Has
the matter been reported to the appropriate office of the school
district? What is his behavioral record in school?
c. Compliment the student for his caring attitude toward his
friend. Refrain from belittling the friend or lecturing the student
for associating with juvenile delinquents.
8. As school principal, you are called upon from time to time to sub-
stitute for an absent teacher who will not return for one week. As an English
major, you often fill in for teachers in this subject area. On this occasion,
the regular tenth-grade English teacher has assigned an essay for the class;
students can write on one of two topics. One student approaches you in the

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6 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

classroom and states that he is not interested in either one of the two topics
suggested by the teacher and asks if he might write on another topic of spe-
cial interest to him, that of the economic factors facing the nation’s businesses
at the present time. As the teacher in charge of the class at this time, which
action below comes closest to your disposition on this matter?
a. Explain that the student’s request would be unfair to other stu-
dents in the class.
b. Point out that you are only a substitute and that the regular
teacher has been fair in giving two options for topics to write
about. Thus, he will be expected to comply with the regular
teacher’s assignment.
c. Listen to the student’s ideas relative to his topic of interest and
provide any suggestions that you might have concerning his
pursuit of the topic that he has in mind.
d. Remind the student that there are many responsibilities in life
that might not be of immediate personal interest. Tell him that
pursuing areas of noninterest might lead to new avenues of
interest for him.
9. The superintendent of schools asks you to come to his office to dis-
cuss a matter relating to a minority teacher in your school. At the meeting in
the superintendent’s office, he states that he is receiving complaints about the
teacher from some parents, one of whom is a member of the school board.
The superintendent asks that you give special supervision to this teacher
and do whatever is needed to improve her teaching methods and address
problems relating to her distinct Southern diction and pronunciation. Over
the next few weeks, you work to establish rapport with the teacher and help
her with lesson planning and appropriate teaching methods. The use of tape
recordings to point out her rapid speech has proven effective in improving
her communication skills. Improvement has been shown. In fact, you are of
the opinion that the teacher is performing “above average” and will continue
to improve. Students in her classes performed well on the last state achieve-
ment tests. A later call from the superintendent asks you to meet with him
and the personnel director to discuss the teacher’s situation. The superin-
tendent opens the meeting with the statement that parent complaints have
lessened but are still being received. He notes that the school-board member
has asked about an executive session of the board on this personnel matter.
The superintendent states that you should inform the teacher that she will not
be asked to return next year and that she simply does not meet the profes-
sional requirements expected of permanent teachers in the school district. He
notes that the teacher has the right to request a hearing on the matter. Which

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 The School Principal as a Student Advocate ◆ 7

of the following actions are closest to what you would do at this time at the
meeting?
a. Remain silent unless the superintendent asks for your thoughts
on the matter.
b. Agree with the superintendent that his decision seems best in
view of the parents’ apparent continuing concerns.
c. Make it clear that you do not support the decision of non-
renewal of the teacher and that you would have to appear in
her support at any hearing that might be scheduled.
d. Make it clear that if a hearing was to be held regarding this
matter you would have to mention the fact of the teacher’s
improvement during the last several weeks.
e. Tell the superintendent that you believe that such an announce-
ment should come formally from the district office.
10. You are in attendance at a monthly “CCC” (communication, coop-
eration, and collaboration) meeting that is attended by representatives of
the school board, the parents’ organization, the school superintendent, and
representative administrative and teacher personnel. A school-board mem-
ber chairs the meeting. The major topic of discussion is the present policy on
student retention in grade, which leaves student promotion decisions to the
principal and staff of each school in the district. However, due to the state’s
current testing requirements and the fact that a few schools in the state have
been “taken over” by the state for unsatisfactory progress, school boards have
begun to view present practices as “social promotion” and are recommend-
ing that “it’s time to get tough on student promotion.” After an opening dis-
cussion of the matter, the chair of the CCC committee asks for recommenda-
tions. One school-board representative states, “Any student in the elementary
grades who is achieving below his or her grade level in reading, mathematics,
and science should be retained in the same grade the following year.” Several
persons in attendance agree with this suggestion. The chair asks if there is
further discussion relative to the school-board member’s recommendation.
Which of the following actions is closest to what you would do at this point?
a. Since I view this as a school-board matter, I would say nothing
at this time.
b. Since I mainly agree with the recommendation, I would stand
and state this fact.
c. Since I am fully aware and knowledgeable of the research on
student retention in grade, I would stand and briefly relate the
research in terms of the negative impact of retention on the wel-
fare of grade-school pupils.

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8 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

d. Since I am not aware of any previous opportunity for all admin-

istrators and faculty or their representatives to discuss the mat-
ter of student retention, I would stand and ask that the sugges-
tion be tabled until the administration and all concerned have
had more time to study the matter.
e. Since I oppose the recommendation philosophically, I would
state the reasons for my opposition.
11. Which result or opportunity below do you believe would bring you
the most enjoyment and satisfaction as a school principal?
a. Being truly able to be an agent for change in the school.
b. Witnessing a student’s significant growth academically.
c. Being recognized as the principal of a high-performance school.
d. Being named the “school principal of the year” by the state
administrators’ association.
e. Having one of your creative ideas concerning reading instruc-
tion adopted by the school district’s curriculum committee.
12. Which of the following brief descriptions comes closest to your per-
sonal idea of what an ideal school would possess or look like?
a. A school in which the goals set forth in its mission statement
were truly a priority for all school personnel.
b. A school in which the human and monetary resources were suf-
ficient to support the mission of the school.
c. A school whose mission statement makes it clear that the school
administrators are the decision-making authority relative to
matters of curriculum and instruction.
d. A school whose mission statement makes it clear that curricu-
lum and instructional decisions always are focused on the best
interests and needs of its students.
13. When students say that they want their school principal to be fair,
what do you think they mean?
a. They want all students to be treated the same regarding disci-
plinary actions; the same “punishment” for the same violation.
b. They want that decisions relative to discipline give them the
benefit of the doubt.
c. In disciplinary matters, they want the principal to hear their
side of the story and to get the facts before acting.
d. In disciplinary matters, they really are asking for a lesser “pun-
ishment” than they know is due in their case.

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 The School Principal as a Student Advocate ◆ 9

14. School principals often say that they became administrators because
they always enjoyed their leadership roles in high school and college and
wanted to make enough money to raise their family. Which thought or com-
ment below comes closest to how you feel about such a rationale for becom-
ing a school principal?
a. The focus on leadership and security is close to my feelings in
many ways.
b. The statement is close to my thinking that the principalship
does have many important responsibilities that require the indi-
vidual’s leadership.
c. The comment lacks a focus on educational purpose.
d. The comment lacks a focus on students as the primary consider-
ation for school principals.
15. A student comes to your office and tells you that she feels sorry for
the new teacher, Miss Smith, because kids are taking advantage of her kind-
ness and lack of experience. The student says that some kids are making fun
of her appearance and her inability to maintain order in the classroom. Which
action below comes closest to your immediate response/behavior at this time?
a. Tell the student that all first-year teachers experience similar prob-
lems and that the teacher will soon learn to handle these matters.
b. Respond positively to the student’s feelings for the teacher and
caring for her in this situation.
c. Thank the student for reporting this problem and indicate that
you will follow-up appropriately on the matter.
d. Set up a meeting immediately after school with Miss Smith
and review the procedures for keeping order in the classroom.
Remind her that she is the authority in the classroom and must
be able to exercise this authority or learning cannot take place.
e. Go to the teacher’s classroom and observe the situation.

SAT Answers and Scoring Directions

The answers 1a, 2b, 3a, 4e, 5c, 6a, 7c, 8c, 9c, 10e, 11b, 12d, 13c, 14d, and 15b
are most closely related to actions/behaviors of student advocates. Count the
number of your correct entries and multiply this number by 6.6. This is your
Student Advocacy Traits (SAT) score. (Example: 11 correct × 6.6 = 72.6. The
score is 72.6, at the “Understanding” level in Figure 1.1 (page 10).

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10 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

F i g u re 1.1 Student Advocacy Traits (SAT) Ratings

SAT Score SAT Level Level Defined/Evidence

100–90 Instructional Extensive evidence of the school

principal’s grasp, at the total conceptual
level, of student advocacy, and thus of
the knowledge, skills, and ability to teach
others about its practice.

89–80 Application Noteworthy evidence of the principal’s

understanding of student advocacy and
the ability to apply the concept in everyday
practice.

79–70 Understanding Substantial evidence of the principal’s

understanding of the concept of student
advocacy and the ability to apply the
concept in everyday practice.

69–60 Familiarity Noticeable evidence of the school

principal’s knowledge of student advocacy
and its utilization in everyday practice.

59–50 Initial Some evidence of the principal’s

knowledge, skill, and ability to apply the
concept of student advocacy in practice.

49–Below Entry Limited evidence of the principal’s

knowledge and understanding of the
utilization of the student advocacy concept
in practice.

An Explanation of the Answers

to the SAT Assessment
Let’s take a look at the answers to the SAT assessment and the reasons that
the selected responses come closest to demonstrating the several traits or
behaviors of a principal student advocate. The traits and behaviors of princi-
pal student advocates are illustrated in each of the preferred responses.

Response to Scenario 1: Response “a,” promote the student to grade three,

advocates best for the student, since it is in his or her best interests. Both

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 The School Principal as a Student Advocate ◆ 11

empirical and research evidence have made it clear that students achieve
more the following year when they are promoted with their peers, as opposed
to being retained in grade. The principal student advocate is a leader who has
a research posture centered on the best educational practices in such critical
areas as student retention, student motivation, and the special needs of stu-
dents. Response “c” cannot be supported in light of research findings concern-
ing student achievement after retention, particularly as concerns the potential
for the student to drop out from school altogether. (Failure in grade is among
the primary contributors to student drop-outs. Failing twice is virtually a sure
indicator that a student will be a drop out from school at some point.)

Response to Scenario 2: Response “b,” meet with the student to determine

why he brought the knife to school and then determine an activity for the
student that would serve as a way to learn the dangers of having things
like knives in the hands of students, best represents an advocate’s response.
Response “b” is a nonpunitive measure that encourages good behavior. Stu-
dent advocates listen to the student and focus on ways to use a violation as
a learning opportunity. The problem-solving approach to discipline offers a
way to learn from mistakes and develops new attitudes and encourages per-
sonal responsibility for one’s behavior. Responses “a” and “c” do not provide
for positive student learning. Neither is in the best interests of the student.

Response to Scenario 3: Response “a,” determine why the student is not

completing the homework assignments for the English class and assess the
situation for other subjects that the student is taking, reveals a caring attitude
on the part of the principal advocate and gives consideration to the complex-
ity of the dynamics that affect the performance and success of the learner.
Attending to the reasons for not doing the work allows the principal advocate
to place him- or herself in the shoes of the student and to examine possible
causal factors from the student’s point of view. Neither response “b” nor “c”
represents a solution to the probable causes underlying the problem.

Response to Scenario 4: Response “e,” none of the above, provided you an

opportunity to offer a student-advocate answer. The primary purpose of an
IEP is to program an educational pursuit that represents the special needs
and interests of the student. This encompasses the student’s academic, social,
and physical needs. Response “e” supports student success. The other entries
focus on the interests of other parties.

Response to Scenario 5: Response “c,” underscore the fact that the student
apparently knows the material but does not seem able to get his or her ideas

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12 ◆ The Principal as Student Advocate

down on paper, is an advocate’s response. Asking about the possibility of giv-

ing the essay section of the test orally to the student reveals an understanding
of the variables in learning styles and individualization. It centers directly on
a solution for the underlying problem. As pointed out by Lavoie (2008), there
is no one approach that is absolutely effective with every student: “If the
child can’t learn the way we teach, we need to teach the way he learns” (p. 7).
Response “c” is also sensitive to the teacher’s position, in asking about a pos-
sible solution rather than forcing an opinion on the matter. Response “a” is
inappropriate because instruction is indeed an important responsibility of
the school principal. Response “b” is less than satisfactory, since it eliminates
opportunities for student self-expression. Response “d” would be a more
long-range strategy, one that might be implemented in conjunction with the
actions taken relative to response “c.”

Response to Scenario 6: Response “a,” plan a meeting with Merton’s current

teachers, physical education faculty, and appropriate arts personnel in the
school, is the best advocate’s response, since it has the potential of creating
an environment for Merton in which he can focus on his personal interests
and strengths and possibly preventing his dropping out of school. Is Mer-
ton or any other single student worth all this special attention? The student
advocate looks out for and respects all students. The advocate tries to attain
the best educational opportunities for each individual; such intentions are
founded on respect for the student.

Response to Scenario 7: Response “c,” compliment the student for his caring
attitude toward his friend and refrain from belittling the friend or lecturing
the student for associating with juvenile delinquents, shows the deepest
appreciation of the individuality of the student. The student advocate is able
to see things from the student’s viewpoint, always keeping his or her best
interests in mind. One trait of the student advocate is the ability to put oneself
in the shoes of the other, trying to understand and appreciate the other’s feel-
ings and position. Responses “a” and “b” miss the point of student advocacy.
The need in Scenario 7 is to deal with the student’s feelings and the acknowl-
edge his caring attitude.

Response to Scenario 8: Response “c,” listen to the student’s ideas relative

to his topic of interest and provide any suggestions that you might have
concerning his pursuit of the topic that he has in mind, is the response of a
student advocate. It shows an understanding of the importance of creating
an environment in which students can focus on their personal interests and
strengths. The principal student advocate understands that there is no one

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