ACADEMIA Letters

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR

PRINCIPALS’ TEST PASSERS IN DIVISION OF
BATANGAS CITY
LEA AQUINO
MARIFE FRANE

Schools need leaders who have a vision for improving quality learning outcomes, and who
are also effective at ongoing management tasks. The skills and capabilities of the school prin-
cipal influence the attainment of the school’s objectives. Teachers teach and work in schools
that are usually administered by managers, often known as principals or school heads. The
conditions of teachers’ working life are influenced by the leadership and management pro-
vided by principals, and it is widely assumed that school leadership directly influences the
effectiveness of teachers and the achievement outcomes of students. In many countries else-
where in the world, school leaders face challenges due to rising expectations for schools and
schooling in a century characterized by technological innovation, migration and globalization.
As countries aim to transform their educational systems to prepare all young people with the
knowledge and skills needed in this changing world, the roles of school leaders and related ex-
pectations have changed radically. They are no longer expected merely to be good managers;
effective school leadership is increasingly viewed as key to large-scale education reform and
to improved educational outcome.
For the last three years (2015-2017), there have been 27 test takers who passed the Na-
tional Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) in the Division of Batangas City
and are now given the item of principals in different schools in the Division. These newly-
passed principals installed in each of the schools all started limited experience as regards
school leadership and management. Nowadays that the trend on management is so challeng-
ing, considering the multi-faceted works of a school principal, these newly installed leaders

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
1
need to be trained well for them to effectively manage school operations. They should be given
quality technical assistance for them to plan, implement and evaluate necessary programs and
projects for school improvement.
This scenario prompted the authors, who are both instructional leaders to conduct action
research, which aims to assess the extent on which the newly installed school principals man-
ifest leadership and management competencies. The researchers believe that when their prac-
tices in terms of the seven domains of leadership are analyzed, specific intervention measures
may be proposed to provide quality assurance of technical assistance to the newly installed
Principals’ test passers and better outcomes can possibly be achieved.
An Action Research aimed to assess how proficient do the newly installed principals man-
ifest leadership and management competencies, along with the seven dimensions of principal
leadership with the end view of proposing a capacity development program was conducted
in 2020. This research assessed the quality of the practices of 27 principals who passed the
NQESH for the last three years from 2015 to 2017. The researchers used the National Com-
petency –Based Standards for School Heads Training and Development Needs Assessment
(NCBSSH-TDNA) which was a self-assessment tool in determining the level of the princi-
pals’ leadership and management competencies. It investigated on the School Heads’ leader-
ship and management competencies, along with the seven dimensions as school leadership,
instructional leadership, creating student-centered learning climate, human resource manage-
ment and professional development, parent involvement and community partnership, school
management and operations, and personal and professional attributes and intrapersonal effec-
tiveness.
After the questionnaires were retrieved and the responses were tallied and statistically
treated, results revealed that the principals are of high proficiency in terms of creating a
student-centered learning climate, school management and operations and personal and pro-
fessional attributes and interpersonal effectiveness. They consider themselves only proficient
in terms of school leadership, instructional leadership, human resource management, profes-
sional development and parental involvement and community partnership. As for the assess-
ment of the teachers on the performance of their school heads, they are all highly proficient
in all the seven dimensions of principal leadership.
Some of the issues and challenges met by school heads in leadership and management
were also identified in the said research. Such include the following:

1. Current culture existing in the school and being enjoyed by the school community is
hard to change and modified,

2. The teachers are working on their own phase; it is hard to induce commitment,

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
2
 3. Lack of time of school heads in engaging on instructional conversations with pupils
aiming for promoting deep learning,

4. Difficulty on evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and how to improve such for better
learning outcomes,

5. Resistance of school heads and teachers on conducting researches thinking that it is

time consuming and a difficult endeavour,

6. Hesitation of the school heads on giving detailed feedback regarding teachers’ way of
instruction because of the fear of offending and hurting their feelings,

7. Negligence on rewarding accomplishment and success of teachers that leads to loss of

interest in striving for more,

8. School heads are so consumed with administrative functions that they cannot focus on
instructional supervision,

9. Prioritizing on allocating funds in School’s MOOE, making the learners’ materials the
less priority over other needs of the school, and

10. Full support and commitment are hard to elicit from the parents and stakeholders; they
have so many concerns especially in earning a living for their family.

As an output of the study, a Proposed Capacity Development Program has been recom-
mended to The activities described in this management plan will clearly outline and sup-
port school heads’ efforts to streamline instructional programs, increase data based decision-
making and implement meaningful and consistent professional opportunities based on clearly
defined needs. Activities and strategies in each of the dimensions which were considered
as important variables in this research were identified in the conceptualized plan. Included in
the said plan are some projects like PROJECT SHARE (School Head Application of Renewed
Engagement) for School Leadership, PROJECT SCOUT (School Curriculum Offering Uni-
fied and Trusted) for Instructional Leadership, PROJECT SOLVE (Solution Offered to Let
Vision be Echoed for . Creating a Student-Centered Learning Climate PROJECT E-CARES
(Everybody Cares) for HR Management and Professional Development, PROJECT DRSC
(Developing Relationship and Sense of Community) for Parent Involvement and Community
Partnership, and PROJECT LEAD (Look, Empower And Dare) for Personal and Professional
Attributes and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
3
 It is expected that these proposed projects, if fully implemented by the Division of Batan-
gas City will enhance the quality of leadership and management as manifested by the newly
installed Principals’ test passers.

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
4
REFERENCES
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Pampanga

Frane, Marife D. (2019). Proposed Pedagogical Leadership Management Plan for Elemen-
tary School Heads in the Division of Batangas City. Unpublished Dissertation. Doctor of
Education Major in Educational Management. University of Batangas

Gajardo & Delos Rios (2013) Project Management Competence for School Principals: A
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Gentilucci, Denti & Guaglianone. (2013). New Principals’ Perspective of Their Multifaceted
Roles. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1013151.pdf.

Guiab, M.R., & Ganal, N.N. (2014). Demographic profile of public school heads and school
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Ilagan, Julita E. (2014). Leadership Performance of Public Elementary School Heads: Basis
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tional Management. Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology

DepEd Order No. 85 s. 2003 Guidelines on the Selection, Promotion and Designation of
School Heads

DepEd Order No. 39 s. 2007 Modified Qualification Standards for the Positions of Head
Teachers and Principals

DepEd Order No. 42 s. 2007 The Revised Guidelines on Selection, Promotion and Designa-
tion of School Heads

DepEd Order No. 1, s. 2003 Promulgating the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)
Of Republic Act No. 9155 Otherwise Known As The Governance Of Basic Education Act
of 2001

DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2010 National Adoption And Implementation of the National
Competency-Based Standards for School Heads

DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2009 Strict Compliance with Passing the Qualifying Examination
for Principalship for Appointment to Principal I Position

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
5
DepEd Order No. 97, s. 2011 Revised Guidelines on the Allocation and Reclassification of
School Head Positions

Primer (2003). The Governance of Basic Education Act (RA 9155), Congress of the Philip-
pines, Metro Manila.

DepED Memorandum No.80, s.2016. 2016 Principals’ Test

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: LEA AQUINO, lea.aquino@deped.gov.ph

Citation: Aquino, L., Frane, M. (2021). CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PRINCIPALS’ TEST
PASSERS IN DIVISION OF BATANGAS CITY. Academia Letters, Article 792.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL792.
6