Skills required to effectively implement the Public School Accountability Act: Perceptions of elementary school principals in southern California

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the most important required skills to effectively implement the Public School Accountability Act in California as perceived by elementary school principals. The study also sought to see if there is a difference between the perceptions of experienced and less-experienced principals and that of principals from economically and noneconomically disadvantaged schools.; Methodology. This was a descriptive and ex post facto study. The sample population was randomly drawn from 2,214 elementary school principals in Southern California. A six-point Likert scale skill survey was mailed to 327 principals with a 70 percent return rate. Quantitative analysis was used in the form of percentages and the Mann Whitney U Test.; Findings. This study found that elementary principals perceived skills in visionary leadership as very important for effective implementation of Public School Accountability Act. The study further identified the following important skills: (1) empowering staff members and students to reach high levels of performance; (2) creating, communicating a school vision and aligning financial, human, and material resources with the vision; (3) student assessment, gathering, analyzing, and using data to inform decision making; (4) improving school climate and staff morale; (5) demonstrating an understanding of curricular alignment to ensure improved performance; (6) designing, evaluating, and refining curricular and remediation programs; (7) selecting staff development that are consistent with the school's academic goals; and (8) establishing a student monitoring and reporting system based on disaggregated data. This study also found that there was no significant difference between the perceptions of experienced and less-experienced principals and that of principals from economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged schools.; Conclusion. Principals were aware of the dynamic trends that unfold each day with the requirement of accountability. Principals need to have the skills to create and sustain shared vision and values of high standards and expectations for students with focus on schoolwide goals. Relevant preparation and ongoing professional development are essential to help school leaders do their job well. They need to have skills in planning curriculum and professional developments that focus on standard-based instruction. They also need to be proficient in student assessment, analysis and disaggregation of data to make informed instructional decisions. State and policymakers should create policy environments that motivate and support instructional coherence. Frequent changes in accountability policies lead to confusion, mistrust and loss of qualified school leaders.; Recommendations. Further research should study superintendents of schools and aspiring principals to determine if there are different perceptions at different levels.