What Is PAL

Overview

Now, more than ever, school leaders must be effective as instructional leaders who can develop their teachers and schools to improve student learning. Massachusetts expects school leaders to have the ability to create a school with equitable achievement goals and expectations, respectful and trusting relationships among the adults and the students, and effective programs and practices—a place where all students can attain academic knowledge and skills, understand and value self, understand and value others, and engage with the world so that they can be curious and creative, shape their path, feel connected, and be empowered.¹

Such expectations have consequences for how leaders are prepared, selected, and supported. Aligning and strengthening assessments for initial leadership licensure to both state leadership standards and principal evaluation reforms will improve school leader development and effectiveness.

Submission Deadlines and Reporting Dates

Review the PAL submission deadlines and score report dates.

Leadership Assessment

The Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) is designed as a performance assessment in which candidates can demonstrate and apply their leadership knowledge and skills by setting the direction for improving equity in student learning, creating a professional learning culture among staff, assessing and supporting individual educator instructional practices, and engaging families and community in improving student learning. The purposes of the PAL system are to:

PAL consists of four performance assessment tasks that reflect the authentic work of school leaders. The tasks have been developed in collaboration with Massachusetts educational leaders, pathway faculty and state officials and are intended to be completed as part of a preparation pathway.

Each task is to be divided into the four components of leadership action that reflect the cycle of leadership inquiry and learning. Times to pause and reflect are integrated into the cycle of leadership inquiry and learning.

A graphic consisting of a circle divided into 4 wedges.
The wedges are labeled Assess, Investigate, Prepare, Act. There are two curved arrows in the center. Next to each wedge, there is a rectangle. Each rectangle reads Pause and Reflect.

Licensure Requirements

The PAL tasks are aligned to the revised Professional Standards for Administrative Leadership, which were approved by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in December 2011 and updated in 2021 to incorporate anti-racist leadership competencies. Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval regulations (603 CMR 7.00) were amended and approved by the Board on February 28, 2023. PAL is also aligned with the performance assessment requirements of the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC), as spelled out in their National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards .

¹Massachusets Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Educational Vision