Assignment Prompt & Instructions
Please see attachment. Complete as a grad student and middle school science teacher
**files (1)**
– ## SLillyIndividualAssignmentAssignment1.docx
**## SLillyIndividualAssignmentAssignment1.docx**
**"Know Your Policy" HR Policy Analysis**
As a school principal, you will make personnel decisions that are governed by
**law, state requirements, local board policy, and district procedures**. This assignment is designed to move beyond simply reading or summarizing policy. You will learn how to
**locate, interpret, compare, and apply** the policies and requirements that guide your decisions as an HR leader. The goal is to develop a practical skill you will use throughout your leadership career:
**"Can I make this personnel decision and what governs my decision?"** You will also create a
**one-page HR Policy Quick Reference Guide** that you can keep and use as a future principal.
**Part I: Know your Policy**
**Step 1:** Locate Your District's Personnel Policies (normally 7000 if in NC).
**Do not use a generic district's policy unless you have no access to a local policy manual.** The purpose of this assignment is for you to become comfortable navigating the policy system you will encounter as a practicing principal. Include:
· Name of your school district
· Policy number
· Policy title
· Date of the policy or most recent revision, if available
· Link or location where you found the policy
Step 2: Identify the Relevant Sections. Review all personnel policies and identify the sections that address
**personnel and/or employee evaluation**. Explain:
· What does the policy require?
· Who is responsible?
· What procedures must be followed?
· What documentation is required?
· What timelines or deadlines are identified?
· What authority does the principal have?
You do
**not** need to summarize the entire policy. Focus on the portions that directly affect a principal's HR responsibilities.
**Step 3:** Compare Local Policy with State Requirements
Compare your local policy with applicable:
·
[**NC State Board of Education requirements**](https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/PolicyListing.aspx?S=10399&ptid=muNUlKiR2jsXcslsh28JpBkiw==)(click link)
·
**NCDPI guidance**
·
**Applicable teacher evaluation requirements**
·
**Evaluation timelines**
Identify where the requirements are aligned and where you find differences, additional requirements, or areas that require clarification. Consider: Does the local policy tell the principal everything they need to know, or does the principal need to look beyond the local policy?
**Step 4:** What Surprised You? Identify
**at least two things** you learned that surprised you, challenged an assumption you previously held, or were different from what you expected. Explain
**why** each was significant. Avoid simply stating, "I was surprised by the timeline." Instead, explain what you previously believed, what you discovered, and why the difference matters for a principal.
**Step 5:** What Could a Principal Get Wrong? Identify
**at least two potential mistakes** a principal could make by misunderstanding or failing to follow the policy or evaluation requirements.
For each, explain:
· What could the principal do incorrectly?
· Why would it be a problem?
· What policy, law, or requirement provides guidance?
· How could the principal prevent the mistake?
**Step 6:** Three Things You Need to Remember
Identify
**three specific things you need to remember as a future principal**. These should be practical takeaways that you could actually use in your leadership practice.
For example:
· A specific evaluation deadline
· A required documentation step
· When to consult HR
· A requirement related to due process
· A specific employee right
· A policy that limits or defines principal authority
Avoid broad statements such as "Follow the law." Instead, identify something specific enough that you could put it on a principal's desk and use it.
**Part II: HR Policy Quick Reference Guide**
Now turn what you learned into something you can actually use.
Create a
**one-page HR Policy Quick Reference Guide for Principals** using a digital design tool such as:
· Canva
· Adobe Express
· Microsoft PowerPoint
· Google Slides
· Another comparable digital design platform
**Your guide should include practical information about teacher evaluation, including:**
**What must happen?**
· Required evaluation activities
· Observations
· Conferences
· Feedback
· Documentation
**When must it happen?**
· Important evaluation dates
· Deadlines
· Required timelines
**Who is responsible?**
· Principal
· Teacher
· Evaluator
· District/HR, when applicable
**What documentation is required?**
· Forms
· Evidence
· Evaluation records
· Required documentation
**What happens if the timeline or process is not followed?**
· Potential consequences
· Need for consultation
· Corrective steps, when applicable
**Your Quick Reference Guide must also include:**
· Your district's name
· Policy Numbers
· At least
**3 key state/NCDPI requirements**
· At least
**3 important evaluation timelines or deadlines**
· At least
**3 documentation requirements**
·
**When to contact district HR**
· A brief
**"Remember" section** with your three most important takeaways
**Important**
Your Quick Reference Guide should not be a copy and paste of Policy 7300. The purpose is to translate complex policy into a clear, practical leadership tool that a principal could reference quickly during the school year. Think: "If I were a first-year principal and had 30 seconds to check what I need to do, would this guide help me?"
**Part III: Final Reflection**
Conclude the assignment with a 1–2 page reflection addressing: "What did you learn about HR policy and evaluation that you did not previously understand, and how will this knowledge influence your leadership practice?"
Your reflection should address:
· What you learned
· What challenged or changed your thinking
· Why policy knowledge matters for principals
· How this assignment changed your understanding of teacher evaluation
· How you will use this knowledge in your future leadership practice
**## SLillyIndividualAssignmentAssignment1.docx**
**"Know Your Policy" HR Policy Analysis**
As a school principal, you will make personnel decisions that are governed by
**law, state requirements, local board policy, and district procedures**. This assignment is designed to move beyond simply reading or summarizing policy. You will learn how to
**locate, interpret, compare, and apply** the policies and requirements that guide your decisions as an HR leader. The goal is to develop a practical skill you will use throughout your leadership career:
**"Can I make this personnel decision and what governs my decision?"** You will also create a
**one-page HR Policy Quick Reference Guide** that you can keep and use as a future principal.
**Part I: Know your Policy**
**Step 1:** Locate Your District's Personnel Policies (normally 7000 if in NC).
**Do not use a generic district's policy unless you have no access to a local policy manual.** The purpose of this assignment is for you to become comfortable navigating the policy system you will encounter as a practicing principal. Include:
· Name of your school district
· Policy number
· Policy title
· Date of the policy or most recent revision, if available
· Link or location where you found the policy
Step 2: Identify the Relevant Sections. Review all personnel policies and identify the sections that address
**personnel and/or employee evaluation**. Explain:
· What does the policy require?
· Who is responsible?
· What procedures must be followed?
· What documentation is required?
· What timelines or deadlines are identified?
· What authority does the principal have?
You do
**not** need to summarize the entire policy. Focus on the portions that directly affect a principal's HR responsibilities.
**Step 3:** Compare Local Policy with State Requirements
Compare your local policy with applicable:
·
[**NC State Board of Education requirements**](https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/PolicyListing.aspx?S=10399&ptid=muNUlKiR2jsXcslsh28JpBkiw==)(click link)
·
**NCDPI guidance**
·
**Applicable teacher evaluation requirements**
·
**Evaluation timelines**
Identify where the requirements are aligned and where you find differences, additional requirements, or areas that require clarification. Consider: Does the local policy tell the principal everything they need to know, or does the principal need to look beyond the local policy?
**Step 4:** What Surprised You? Identify
**at least two things** you learned that surprised you, challenged an assumption you previously held, or were different from what you expected. Explain
**why** each was significant. Avoid simply stating, "I was surprised by the timeline." Instead, explain what you previously believed, what you discovered, and why the difference matters for a principal.
**Step 5:** What Could a Principal Get Wrong? Identify
**at least two potential mistakes** a principal could make by misunderstanding or failing to follow the policy or evaluation requirements.
For each, explain:
· What could the principal do incorrectly?
· Why would it be a problem?
· What policy, law, or requirement provides guidance?
· How could the principal prevent the mistake?
**Step 6:** Three Things You Need to Remember
Identify
**three specific things you need to remember as a future principal**. These should be practical takeaways that you could actually use in your leadership practice.
For example:
· A specific evaluation deadline
· A required documentation step
· When to consult HR
· A requirement related to due process
· A specific employee right
· A policy that limits or defines principal authority
Avoid broad statements such as "Follow the law." Instead, identify something specific enough that you could put it on a principal's desk and use it.
**Part II: HR Policy Quick Reference Guide**
Now turn what you learned into something you can actually use.
Create a
**one-page HR Policy Quick Reference Guide for Principals** using a digital design tool such as:
· Canva
· Adobe Express
· Microsoft PowerPoint
· Google Slides
· Another comparable digital design platform
**Your guide should include practical information about teacher evaluation, including:**
**What must happen?**
· Required evaluation activities
· Observations
· Conferences
· Feedback
· Documentation
**When must it happen?**
· Important evaluation dates
· Deadlines
· Required timelines
**Who is responsible?**
· Principal
· Teacher
· Evaluator
· District/HR, when applicable
**What documentation is required?**
· Forms
· Evidence
· Evaluation records
· Required documentation
**What happens if the timeline or process is not followed?**
· Potential consequences
· Need for consultation
· Corrective steps, when applicable
**Your Quick Reference Guide must also include:**
· Your district's name
· Policy Numbers
· At least
**3 key state/NCDPI requirements**
· At least
**3 important evaluation timelines or deadlines**
· At least
**3 documentation requirements**
·
**When to contact district HR**
· A brief
**"Remember" section** with your three most important takeaways
**Important**
Your Quick Reference Guide should not be a copy and paste of Policy 7300. The purpose is to translate complex policy into a clear, practical leadership tool that a principal could reference quickly during the school year. Think: "If I were a first-year principal and had 30 seconds to check what I need to do, would this guide help me?"
**Part III: Final Reflection**
Conclude the assignment with a 1–2 page reflection addressing: "What did you learn about HR policy and evaluation that you did not previously understand, and how will this knowledge influence your leadership practice?"
Your reflection should address:
· What you learned
· What challenged or changed your thinking
· Why policy knowledge matters for principals
· How this assignment changed your understanding of teacher evaluation
· How you will use this knowledge in your future leadership practice