Leadership in schools. What is required and expected of a principal

Transcription

1 Leadership in schools What is required and expected of a principal

2 Introduction The school management, and especially the principal, can be a highly positive influence on the learning environment and on pupils learning outcomes. However, this requires good leadership practice. In this document we will describe the requirements and expectations that can reasonably be set for a principal. They are based on the framework for school leadership as incorporated into the National Leadership Education for School Principals. This framework is the result of an extensive and thorough process involving key players and stakeholders in the education sector. There is broad consensus on the core issues surrounding school leadership in respect of the principal s role, management functions, management challenges and competence requirements. It is the school owner s responsibility, both formally and in practice, to ensure that schools employ competent leaders at all times. Nevertheless, the government may prescribe norms and standards for what we should expect and demand from school leaders. This document can be used by school owners and others as a basis for: Employment of school leaders Developing the competence of school leaders Evaluation of leaders, feedback and appraisals Agreements with leaders Career evaluations Introducing new employees

3 What is meant by leadership? Leadership means taking responsibility for achieving good results. School leaders are also responsible for achieving these results in a good way, for creating a good and stimulating working environment, and for ensuring that the activities for which the school leader is responsible are designed to achieve good results in the future. Principals therefore also have a social mandate in addition to their responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school. By definition, a school leader is responsible for everything that happens within the school, thus assuming the role of employer. In addition to their respective areas of responsibility, all school leaders have a joint responsibility for the totality of the organisation. Of course, having responsibility does not mean that school leaders should perform all tasks themselves. Leadership is first and foremost exercised through others. A school leader should delegate duties and authority, although responsibility can never be delegated. This does not relieve employees of responsibility, but it does mean that the school leader can never relinquish his or her responsibilities and accountability. Leadership is exercised by many, not just by those in formal management positions. In that sense leadership represents a function that must be filled and a set of duties that must be completed. Many employees other than the school leader will contribute to this. An organisation consists of many fellow-workers assuming different roles, relationships and skills. The formal responsibility still lies with specific persons in formal positions.

4 Developing leadership Leadership training should assume a practical approach. The key is to relate the learning that takes place on leadership programmes to leadership in practice. Leadership is primarily learnt in the workplace, where it is developed by a range of experiences and challenges. Development programmes can help school leaders fi nd meaning in their experiences by refl ecting on them both individually and with colleagues. Bringing the learning outcomes back to the organisation must be part of the process to develop the organisation. Management development should therefore also extend to organisational development. Learning only has a limited practical effect when it is not closely linked to action. Personal, handson activities such as 360-degree feedback, coaching, mentoring, role-play, skills training, action learning and master-apprentice learning have a signifi cant impact on learning and development for leaders. Leading a knowledge organisation We can defi ne schools as knowledge organisations with strict professional criteria in which professional issues are granted a great deal of attention at all levels. The principal s ability to lead learning processes is essential. In such situations it is important to be a good leader and to have suffi cient professional expertise to exercise good professional judgement and draw upon internal and external resources. Individual teachers will often be better qualifi ed than the principal in certain areas. This means the principal must gain legitimacy amongst the teachers in these areas. This makes demands from both school leader and staff. It has often proved to be more diffi cult to lead a knowledge organisation than other types of organisations, partly because those who work there are typically individualistic and independent, strong-minded, competent and not least professionally oriented. To lead a knowledge organisation therefore places great demand on the leadership and management.

5 What characterises the education sector? The public sector is known for being complex, and leaders in the sector are working to achieve goals that may sometimes be contradictory. Leaders must often weigh different considerations up against each other. This may involve realising politically defi ned goals, enforcing legislation, including implementing the national curriculum, taking users interests into consideration, being open and transparent during decision-making processes, showing good professional judgement, and ensuring cost-effi ciency when spending public funds. A leader in a public sector enterprise must achieve results within the confi nes of what elected lawmakers have decided. The job must also be carried out in compliance with laws and regulations and within the standards, values and principles of society. Seen within a historic perspective, the education sector has not had a tradition for leadership compared with many other sectors. Schools are organisations of great complexity, and that poses signifi cant challenges for the school leadership. One particular challenge is getting all staff on board to help build a learning organisation. There are also growing demands and expectations for schools to ensure development, and for the numerous national initiatives to yield better results than in the past. A school leader s main challenges relate to: Understanding his/her role Feeling secure in the leadership role Having the courage and strength to lead Having the personal and professional strength to stand up and assume leadership Shaping an identity as a school leader Legitimacy Loyalty

6 What is required and expected of a principal? Requirements and expectations associated with the principal role as defi ned in the objectives of the National Leadership Education for School Principals can be divided into fi ve main areas: 1. Pupils learning processes The principal is responsible for the pupils learning outcomes and learning environment and for ensuring good learning processes in the school. The principal is responsible for ensuring that all staff is given mentoring and support in creating good learning processes for the pupils. The principal s ability to manage and develop the pupils learning is crucial. The principal is expected to have appropriate professional qualifi cations and adequate legitimacy to exercise good professional judgement and to draw upon existing expertise within the organisation. 2. Leadership and administration The principal is responsible for ensuring that the school s social mandate is implemented. This means that the principal acts on behalf of the national and local authorities. It requires the principal to be familiar with and act according to laws and regulations, including the national curriculum. The principal is also responsible for ensuring good internal administration, management and control of the school. The principal s ability to manage teachers and other staff in line with nationally and locally adopted policies is critical. 3. Co-operation and organisation development The principal is responsible for ensuring that the school runs well as an organisation. He or she must also be able to see the organisation as being part of a bigger picture and help develop the system of which the school is a constituent. The principal s ability to create a shared sense of purpose, including a professional learning community, a good working environment, co-operation and an

7 organisational culture, is crucial in order to enable and make staff want to help and support each other. This means the principal must be a motivator and conciliator. The principal s ability to work with other colleagues, schools, school owners and other external stakeholders is also important. 4. Development and change The The principal is responsible for developing and changing the organisation due to internal and external changes so that it is fi t for purpose and context at all times. Therein lies a responsibility for ensuring that the school has the expertise required to meet current and future challenges. The principal is responsible for ensuring that the school identifi es changes in society, potential pupil numbers, parents/ guardians, technology and politics and in subject areas that may have an impact on the school s mandate and activities. The principal s ability for strategic management and his or her ability to manage development processes, change processes and skills development are therefore essential. 5. The leadership role Schools need leaders who are clear about their role and their leadership and who are able to defi ne and redefi ne and, where necessary, negotiate and renegotiate their leadership role and their capacity for exercising good leadership. Schools need leaders who are clear, democratic, independent, secure and courageous. The criteria we have described in this document represent an ideal image of a principal. In practice, no one can be good at everything. Even so, the leadership role encompasses all these factors. Leadership is both a holistic and an integrating function. The responsibility of a school leader is in principle all-embracing. The principal must ensure that all tasks and functions are taken care of, but many people will help achieve this. All school leaders must adapt their style of leadership to reflect their own personality, circumstances, strengths and weaknesses.

8 Telefon Published July 2015 sisteskrik.no Photo: Bård Gudim and Tommy Andresen