The most important role of a central office supervisor is the role they play in instructional programming and teacher effectiveness (Burch and Danley, 1980). Central office supervisors such as School Support Officers, Assistant Superintendents and School Improvement Officers assist schools in maintaining focus and articulating instructional goals and methods (Grove, 2002). Central office supervisors begin with buy in from school administrators and teacher leaders (Grove, 2002) by articulating goals through training and development to ensure that delivery of instruction is effective (Burch and Danley, 1980). Instructional goals and methods are based on data such as test scores, special populations, and the diversity of the school. However, to ensure uniformity in instruction across the district in each grade level central office supervisors also select textbooks and other instructional material to support developed curriculum and provide training for teachers. Central office also ensures that it incentivizes teachers when requiring training on curriculum initiatives such as Reading Academy (HB3) and Math Academy by offering stipends (Grove, 2002). When central office staff “perform their jobs well, their efforts often go unnoticed or at least without credit” (Grove, 2002). On the other hand, “they are rarely held accountable for student success or failure. If anyone is held accountable, it is likely to be the school principal” (Burch and Danley, 1980).
References:
Burch, B and Danley, W. (1980, April 20). The Instructional Leadership Role of Central Office Supervisors. Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-instructional-leadership-role-of-central-office-supervisors
