PERAN KEPALA SEKOLAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN KOMPETENSI PESERTA DIDIK MELALUI PENGELOLAAN PROGRAM SMK PUSAT KEUNGGULAN (PK) DI SMK NEGERI 1 KOTA PROBOLINGGO

THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPLE IN IMPROVING STUDENT COMPETENCE THROUGH MANAGEMENT OF PUSAT KEUNGGULAN (PK) VOCATIONAL SCHOOL PROGRAM AT SMK NEGERI 1 PROBOLINGGO

Sebagian besar pengangguran di Indonesia didominasi oleh lulusan dari Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK). Penyebab banyaknya lulusan SMK yang mengganggur dikarenakan peserta didik masih kurang menguasai keterampilan yang harus diterapkan di dunia kerja. Berkaitan dengan ketrampilan pada peserta didik sekolah harus memiiliki strategi dengan tujuan meningkatkan kompetensi peserta didik agar dapat terserap di dunia kerja. SMK Negeri 1 Kota Probolinggo menerapkan program SMK Pusat Keunggulan (PK) sebagai suatu bentuk upaya peningkatan kompetensi peserta didiknya. Pengelolaan program SMK PK tentu tidak terlepas dari peran kepala sekolah sebagai pemimpin sehingga peneliti mengambil judul penelitian Peran Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Kompetensi Peserta Didik Melalui Pengelolaan Program SMK Pusat Keunggulan (PK) di SMK Negeri 1 Kota Probolinggo.

                Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana peran kepala sekolah dalam merencanakan, melaksanakan dan mengevaluasi program SMK PK. Peneliti telah melaksanakan penelitian secara kualitatif dengan menggunakan teknik wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Wawancara telah dilakukan dengan Kepala Sekolah, Ketua Jurusan Manajemen Perkantorandan Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak, Waka Kurikulum, Waka Sarana dan Prasarana serta Guru Manajemen Perkantoran dan Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak. Observasi dilaukan pada gedung pusat keunggulan serta studi dokumentasi pada kegiatan PK yang telah dilaksanakan oleh sekolah. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa dalam pengelolaan Program SMK PK melewati beberapa tahapan yakni pendaftaran Sekolah Pusat keunggulan dan seleksi secara administratif serta wawancara untuk menentukan kelayakan sekolah dalam menerapkan program SMK PK. Lalu kepala sekolah berperan dalam setiap tahapan yakni mulai pada proses perencanaan, pelaksanaan dan evaluasi program serta adanya peningkatan kompetensi baik secara pengetahuan dan keterampilan peserta didik setelah diterapkannya program SMK PK di SMK Negeri 1 Kota Probolinggo.

Kata Kunci : Peran Kepala Sekolah, SMK PK, Kompetensi Peserta Didik SMK

Most of the unemployed in Indonesia are dominated by graduates from Vocational High Schools (SMK). The reason for the large number of unemployed vocational school graduates is because students still do not master the skills that must be applied in the world of work. With regard to the skills of school students, they must have a strategy with the aim of increasing the competence of students so that they can be absorbed in the world of work. SMK Negeri 1 Probolinggo City implements the SMK Center of Excellence (PK) program as a form of effort to increase the competence of its students. The management of the PK SMK program is of course inseparable from the role of the school principal as a leader, so the researchers took the research title The Role of the Principal in Improving Student Competence Through the Management of the SMK Center of Excellence (PK) Program at SMK Negeri 1 Probolinggo City.

                This study aims to determine the role of the school principal in planning, implementing and evaluating the PK SMK program. Researchers have carried out qualitative research using interview techniques, observation and documentation. Interviews were conducted with the Principal, Head of the Department of Office Management and Software Engineering, Deputy Head of Curriculum, Deputy Head of Facilities and Infrastructure and Teacher of Office Management and Software Engineering. Observations were made at the center of excellence building as well as documentation studies on PK activities that had been carried out by the school. The results of this study indicate that in the management of the PK SMK Program, there are several stages, namely the registration of the Central School of Excellence and administrative selection as well as interviews to determine the feasibility of schools in implementing the PK PK program. Then the principal plays a role in every stage, starting from the process of planning, implementing and evaluating the program as well as increasing competence both in terms of knowledge and skills of students after the implementation of the PK SMK program at SMK Negeri 1 Probolinggo City.

Keywords: The Role of the Principal, SMK PK, Competence of SMK Students