Leadership for Learning: Strengthening School Leadership that Makes a Difference

Transcription

1 Leadership for Learning: Strengthening School Leadership that Makes a Difference Paper presented at the RCEP international Conference on Education Reform: Policies, Planning & Praxis, United Arab Emirates, Nov Dr. Philip Hallinger Chair Professor of Leadership and Change Hong Kong Institute of Education hallinger@gmail.com

2 Welcome Dare to be Great! Vision Belief Desire Courage Integrity Passion RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

3 Leadership for Learning in Asia: Lessons from 30 Years of Research and Practice What have we learned about leadership for learning that provides a guide for leadership practice in schools? To what extent is this research relevant to school leaders in Asia, today and tomorrow? RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

4 Six Lessons about Leading for Learning 1. Values and beliefs 2. Vision and goals 3. Leadership focus 4. Capacity building 5. Context of leading 6. Sharing leadership RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

5 How School Leaders Contribute to Learning: State-of-the-Art Beliefs Values Leadership Societal Culture School Culture Academic Structures and Processes Institutional System Student Outcomes Knowledge Experience People Staff & Community Characteristics School Culture & Organization 5

6 1. The Role of Values and Beliefs Values describe the ends to which we aspire, and the desired 'ways and means' that we work together to achieve them.

7 Values Impact Leadership Behavior Values are the foundation of the school s culture- how we do things around here Principals are responsible for articulating and protecting core values of the school and its community and deciding when it s time to embrace new ones Principals use values as a substitute for information when solving ambiguous problems RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

8 Beliefs Shape Expectations and Behaviors All they need is ganes desire. Expectations are a valuable leadership tool Belief in your ability to make a difference self efficacy is one of the few traits identified in most successful leaders Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager talks all the time about his team s self belief -- especially after a loss But you can t teach logarithms to illiterates. Students will rise to the level of expectations, Mrs. Molina. All they need is ganes -- desire. RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

9 Model Your Values Modeling is a key dimension in models of transformational leadership Modeling brings values to life by showing people what is important in actual practice day-by-day Be the change you want to see in the world around you. Be the change! (M. Ghandi) Your sphere of influence may be small or large. RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

10 2. Vision and Goals Articulating a vision and inspiring a commitment to act on its behalf.

11 System Goals Make a Difference National priorities on key values Set at system level Set goals and targets Used at school level for decision-making RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

12 Principals Use Goals at Two Levels Organizational and personal goals are powerful tools for motivation and behavior change Principal leadership is the key to keeping a sustained focus on learning Leadership teams are key to the development of shared goals RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

13 Vision and Goals The competencies needed for leading schools include both the inspirational and the practical Educational administration is writing bus schedules with footnotes by Kierkegaard. It involves the basic pragmatics of making organizations work with subtle issues of human meaning. (March, 1978) Dr. Dennis Littky Principal, Thayer High School USA RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

14 From My Vision to Our Vision Vision is the broad expression of our values the ends to which we aspire Many schools are visionless without a clear picture of the future it would like to create A vision may start with an individual but its impact is only realized when it is shared Leaders create coherence through and around the vision RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

15 3. Leadership Focus Should I focus on transformational leadership, instructional leadership or distributed leadership?

16 Transformational, Instructional, or Shared Leadership? Successful school leadership integrates aspects of all 3 types Learning focus of inst l leadership combines with capacity building features of TL to create effects Leadership consists of daily actions and routines that cohere into the leader's style & strategy and create impact Shared Principal Instructional Transformational Teachers Teams RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

17 The Impact of Different Leadership Approaches on Learning Robinson conducted a meta-analysis of school leadership effects studies Conclusion: Leadership for learning must have an instructional focus Instructional leadership had a consistently stronger impact on learning Some dimensions of IL & TL (vision, goals) overlap; some aspects of TL remain important Instructional Leadership Transformational Instructional Leadership Leadership Other Leadership* RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

18 Leadership is a Process of Mutual Influence Between People and Systems Leadership is a capacity of the organization This means the organization at the system level as well as the school Sustainable improvement requires small changes in many parts of the system at the same time Leadership enhances fit or coherence at multiple levels RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

19 Leaders are change agents; be mindful of the school s culture Obama looked like a leader with a great vision, but the organizational culture won t let him make changes as quickly he would like to Principals can be catalysts for change, but the impact of the school's culture on a principal is almost always greater than the principal's impact on the culture that I can t be Superman, but they just won t let me! RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

20 4. Building Capacity for Improvement What are the key leadership tools that I can develop or use to improve student social and academic growth?

21 Build Capacity, Enable Others to Act It has become increasingly clear that leadership at all levels of the system is the key lever for reform, especially leaders who focus on capacity building and develop other leaders who can carry on. Michael Fullan RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

22 Leadership for Learning is Mediated by the School s Academic Capacity (no effect in this path) Leadership effects on student learning are indirect, by building the school s capacity for improvement in teaching and learning. Hallinger & Heck,

23 The Impact of Leadership Capacity Building on Learning Leadership Dimension Definition Effect Establishing Goals and Expectations Strategic Resourcing Planning, Coordinating and Evaluating Teaching and the Curriculum Promoting and Taking Part in Teacher Learning Ensuring an Orderly and Supportive Environment Sets, communicates and monitors learning goals, standards and expectations; involves staff and others in the process so that there is goal clarity and consensus. Aligns resource selection and allocation to priority teaching goals. Ensure quality staffing. Direct involvement in the support and evaluation of teaching through regular classroom visits and feedback to teachers. Direct oversight of curriculum Promotes and participates with teachers in formal or informal professional learning. Protects time for learning by reducing interruptions; establishes orderly and supportive environment ES = 0.42 (0.07) ES = 0.31 (0.10) ES = 0.42 (0.06) ES = 0.84 (0.14) ES = 0.27 (0.09) 24

24 Individualized Support for Staff and Students is a Key to Change Strategic leadership must also be personal (TL) Change happens one person at a time, but individuals are influenced by the social system People don t change when you tell them they should; they change when they tell themselves they must. Learn by Heart RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

25 5. Contexts for Leading Learning No one style of leadership fits all schools

26 There is Not One Effective Leadership Style for All Contexts For decades, scholars have asserted that leadership must adapt to its context We now know that different leadership styles are needed during stages of a school s improvement journey Leadership style and focus depend on opportunities, needs, and constraints that change over time RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

27 Example of Phases in Leadership Success: Primary School in Very Challenging Circumstances Phases of Leadership Success Success of leadership in terms of effect upon broad pupil outcomes Ofsted Inspection 1998 (Special Measures) 1. Coming out of special measures ( ) Enriching teaching and learning environment Making school secure Improving teaching and learning in classrooms Leading by example Establishing a student behaviour policy and improving attendance Vision and values Developing resources 2. Taking ownership: an inclusive agenda ( ) Vision and values: developing school s mission Distributing leadership Persisting priority on teaching and learning: becoming a thinking school curriculum development Performance management and CPD Inclusivity: integrating students from different social and cultural backgrounds Focus on monitoring and evaluation Ofsted Inspection 2002 (Very Good) 3. Developing creativity ( ) Restructuring leadership Involving community Assessment (personalised) Placing staff well-being at centre of school improvement Broadening horizons Ofsted Inspection 2007 (Outstanding) 4. Everyone a leader (2005- present) Creative partnership and creativity Self evaluation Personalised learning on 29

28 Leadership Focus and Patterns Change as the School Improves Leadership Layers RCEP international Conference on Education Reform 2011 Broader shapes indicate stronger leadership focus Day & Leithwood,

29 6. Sharing Leadership With Others Can Make a Difference Principals can t do it alone (but development of capacity for shared leadership requires the principal s leadership) Gene Hall, 1976

30 Leadership Expertise in Learning and Teaching is Naturally Distributed Leadership for learning requires knowledge of learning, curriculum and instruction But the principal can t know everything necessary for developing C & I in school How and when will you distribute responsibilities for developing learning and teaching among others? RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

31 Sharing Leadership is Progressive and Linked to Capacity Development of the School Successful development and sharing of leadership is staged and progressive Early Stage: More direction and centralization of leadership responsibilities Middle Stage: Develop and delegate to teams Later Stage: Distribute to more levels and stakeholders; also focus on leadership succession In the beginning there was a lot of telling. It was not democratic. I was doing most of the decision making. Also, I was doing a lot of the lesson observations and then, alongside me, the SLT, when I felt they were ready. Now things have changed. Middle leaders in the second phase and now teachers and pupils participate in decision making, and responsibilities are distributed across the school. (Primary Head, Day et al., 2010) RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

32 Conclusions What has research contributed to our understanding of leadership practice in schools?

33 Contributions of 30 Years of Research to 1. Values/vision guide leadership for learning Leadership Practice 2. Principal leadership must include an instructional focus 3. Leadership for learning actively models and supports capacity building by professional learning 4. Successful leadership influences and is influenced by its context and adapts in predictable ways 5. Shared leadership is progressive, linked to the school s journey and requires principal support RCEP international Conference on Education Reform

34 A Lasting Lesson: Choose to Make a Difference In bureaucracies there are always provide reasons why things cannot be done (Fullan, 2001) Leaders choose to make a difference. Do what s right for children... and be able to tell why. If you see something that needs to be done, you have an obligation to do it. Take risks and be a life-long learner. RCEP international Conference on Education Reform