Essay on The Nature and Scope of Supervision

Supervision is related to evaluation. Both are related to accountability, and all three are terms that identify concepts fundamental to administration.

Supervision is the responsibility of many staff members. For some, it is an element incidental to their principal function. For others, it is a major responsibility occupying most of their time. Teachers supervise students in their physical education classes.

Playground supervisors oversee the activities of an entire area. Supervisors of student teachers spend most of their time visiting them at their teaching sites and consulting with them about their work and their problems.

College presidents, academic deans, superintendents of schools, principals, and department chairpersons have supervisory responsibilities. Directors of physical education and department chairpersons have supervisory responsibilities.

Directors of physical education and athletics work with their staff members to improve the quality of education. Coaches, choir directors, news paper advisors, and dramatics teachers supervise their students while they are practicing, travelling, and performing.

Evaluation includes the placing of values on actions and accomplishments and the setting of priorities in terms of the time and resources that should be allotted to various responsibilities and duties.

For the administrator of physical education and athletics, evaluation would place special emphasis on determining the effectiveness of the program in the enhancement of the lives of students.

In the analysis, education must be measured in terms of the impact on the personality, the character, the maturity, the competence, and the self-realization of those who participate in the classes and other activities.

Evaluation consists of measuring achievement in terms of accomplishing the goals, aims, and objectives established when planning the program.

Because the objectives and goals include a number of kinds of development, many different skills, and various concomitant learnings, the methods of appraisal must also be diverse and comprehensive.

Because many of the outcomes are intangible in nature, the methods of evaluation must of necessity be both subjective and objective.