School Leadership - International Perspectives (eBook)

Preface 5
School Leadership: International Perspectives 5
Conceptions of and Metaphors for School Leadership 6
Emerging Issues of and Reflections on School Leadership 8
Acknowledgements 11
Contents 12
Contributors 14
About the Authors 16
1 Improving Schools in Hong Kong: A Description of the Improvement Model and Some Reflections on Its Impact on Schools, Teachers and School Principals 21
Improving the Quality of Education for All: The Improvement Model Underpinning IQEA 21
Generating the Capacity for Improvement 21
Management Arrangements 22
Classroom Arrangements 25
The Improvement Strategy 28
IQEA in Hong Kong 30
The Context 31
School Vignettes 33
School A 33
School B 34
Impact 35
References 37
2 Measuring the Social and Civic Objectives of Schools 39
Purpose 39
Background 40
Social and Civic Objectives 41
Social Objectives 41
Civic Objectives 42
Social/Civic and Academic Objectives 42
Why Assess the Social and Civic Objectives? 43
The BRUK System 44
Method 45
The Choice of Schools in the Study 45
Questionnaire 46
Data Collection 46
Missing Data -- External 47
Missing Data -- Internal 47
Results and Analysis 47
The Pupils Characterization of Their Own School 47
SCOS -- Social and Civic Objectives Scale 48
Comparing Grades and SCOS for Each School 50
The Schools' Position in the Four-Fold Table 55
Conclusions 55
References 56
3 Educational Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice 58
Introduction 58
Mission Whole School Change 59
Structure, Culture, Leadership: Prerequisites for Successful Schools? 62
A Scenario for a New Organization for the Pre-school and Compulsory School Administration -- on the Basis of the Political Directive for the Review of the Organization 65
A Meeting Structure for a Task-Oriented, Learning, and Communicative Leadership 66
The Change Agent and the Change Process 68
Top-Down and bottom-Up Organizational Pressure and Dialogue 69
Accepting the Reform Challenge 71
The Leaders and Their Leadership 72
Principals Responding to the New Organization -- Conclusion 73
References 74
4 School Leadership Effectiveness: The Growing Insight in the Importance of School Leadership for the Quality and Development of Schools and Their Pupils 76
School Leadership and School Effectiveness 77
School Leadership and School Improvement 78
Increased Focus on School Leadership 79
Meta-Studies and Literature Reviews of School Leader Effectiveness 79
Reviews to This Topic 81
Hallinger, P. Heck, R.H. (1998). Exploring the Principals Contribution to School Effectiveness 82
Leithwood, K. A., Riehl, C. (2003). What Do We Already Know About Successful School Leadership? 83
Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson and Wahlstrom ( 2004 ). How Leadership Influences Student Learning 85
Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., Harris, A. Hopkins, D. (2007): Seven Strong Claims About Successful School Leadership 85
Robinson, V.M.J. (2007). The Impact of Leadership on student outcomes: making sense of the Evidence 87
Other Studies and Reviews 88
Lessons Learnt from the Reviews 89
The Research Base and Its Limitations 89
References 93
5 The Principal as Educational Leader: What Makes the Difference 97
Introduction 98
The Landscape 98
Literature Review 99
The Illusion of the Super Principal 99
The Reality: What Principals Do 99
Deterrents to the Principalship 100
Method and Design 101
Results 102
Summary 102
Analysis of the Most Frequently Selected Choices 103
Analysis of Other Selected Activities 105
Implications from the Research 106
Recommendations 106
Lines and Boxes 106
What Kind of Educational Leaders Do We Need? 107
Collective Leadership 108
Balancing Leadership and Management 109
It's All About Relationships, Relationships, Relationships 110
Small Jazz Ensemble 110
Teachers as Instructional Leaders 110
Where Are the Leaders? 111
Epilogue 112
Alice in Wonderland 113
References 113
Appendix A: Survey 115
6 From Successful School Leadership Towards Distributed Leadership 119
Why the Increased Focus on Leadership in Schools Today? 119
De/re-centralization: A Stronger Political and Administrative Wish for Managing and Monitoring the Decentralized Institutions 120
In Short 121
Leadership Makes a Difference 121
Summing Up the Findings So Far 123
Core Purpose of Schooling 124
Teaching and Leading in Communities 128
Power and Trust 129
Leadership Communication and Interaction 129
Empirical Evidence 131
Leadership in Webs 132
The Content 132
The Forms and Interactions 133
Intricate Patterns of Meetings 134
Leadership in Teams 135
Project Work 136
Discussion 137
References 138
Appendix 140
A Brief Description of the Context: Danish Educational Culture in Transition 140
7 The Professionalization of Instructional Leadership in the United States: Competing Values and Current Tensions 142
Framing Ideas 143
Institutional Perspectives 143
Sense-Making Theory 143
The Professionalization of School and District Administration 144
Competing Models of Instructional Leadership 145
Market Model of Instructional Leadership 146
The Market Model and Federal Education Policy 147
Polis Model of Instructional Leadership 148
The Polis Model and District Educational Policy 149
Models in Conflict: The Case of District Instructional Reforms 149
Design of the Study 150
Setting for the Study 150
Cross-District Patterns in District Administrators Leadership Orientations 151
Nature of Information 151
Targets of Instructional Leadership 153
Source of Change 155
Tensions Created for School Administrators 155
Skepticism About Test Score Data 156
Knowing How Over Knowing That 156
Cooperation Over Competition 157
Explaining the Differences 158
Conclusion 159
References 160
8 Values-Based Leadership: At the Heart of Sustaining School Reform and Improvement 162
Introduction 163
Values-Based Leadership: At the Heart of Sustaining School Reform and Improvement 163
Summary 175
References 175
9 System-Sensitive Professional Leaders in Education 177
School Leadership: An Autonomous Profession? 177
Autonomy and Decentralisation of the Educational System 178
Autonomous Schools 178
The Institutional System 180
The Process of Decentralisation 181
What Are the Tasks and Responsibilities of a Professional Head Teacher in the Educational System? 184
Tasks of Head Teachers 184
Responsibilities of Head Teachers 185
Leadership or Management? 186
Professional Performance 188
From Profession to Professionality 188
School Leader Education 189
Content 189
Duration 190
Point in Time 190
In-Service Training 191
Pre-service Training 192
Methodical 193
Conclusion 193
References 194
10 Multiple Thinking and Creativity in School Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Development 196
Introduction 196
Leadership for Multi-level Organizational Learning 197
School Leadership as Action Learning 198
Two Types of Leadership Learning 199
Contextualized Multiple Thinking in School Leadership 200
Thinking in Technological Leadership 200
Thinking in Economic Leadership 204
Thinking in Social Leadership 205
Thinking in Political Leadership 206
Thinking in Cultural Leadership 207
Thinking in Learning Leadership 208
Levels of Thinking in Leadership 209
Upward Thinking in School Leadership 210
Hierarchy of Thinking in School Leadership. 210
Downward Thinking in School Leadership 211
Integrative Multiple Thinking in School Leadership 211
Integrative Upward Multiple Thinking in Leadership 212
Integrative Downward Multiple Thinking in Leadership 212
Multiple Thinking Styles of School Leadership 213
Hierarchy of Creativity in School Leadership 215
Creativity in Thinking and Action of Leadership 216
Single Creativity in School Leadership 216
Dual Creativity in School Leadership 216
Multiple Creativity in School Leadership 217
Creativity by Thinking Transfer in School Leadership 217
Conclusions and Implications 219
Applying Basic Thinking Strategies with Typology of CMT in Leadership 219
Applying Upward and Downward Thinking in Leadership 220
Applying the CMT Matrix and Profiling CMT Styles in Leadership 220
Applying the Hierarchy of Creativity in Thinking and Action 221
References 222
11 Realising the Potential of System Leadership 226
Defining and Conceptualising System Leadership 227
Segmentation and System Leadership 233
Towards a Model of System Leadership 237
References 239
12 Preparing School Leaders International Approaches in Leadership Development 240
International Approaches 241
International Trends 243
Central Quality Assurance and Decentralised Provision of Programs 243
New Forms of Cooperation and Partnership 244
Dovetailing Theory and Practice 245
Preparatory Qualification 246
Extensive and Comprehensive Programs 248
Multi-phase Designs and Modularisation 249
Personal Development Instead of Training for a Role 251
The Communicative and Cooperative Shift 251
From Administration and Maintenance to Leadership, Change and Continuous Improvement 252
Qualifying Teams and Developing the Leadership Capacity of Schools 253
From Knowledge Acquisition to Creation and Development of Knowledge 253
Experience and Application Orientation 254
New Ways of Learning: Workshops and the Workplace 254
Adjusting the Program to Explicit Aims and Objectives 256
New Paradigms of Leadership 256
Orientation Towards the School's Core Purpose 256
Conclusion 257
Centralised Guidelines for Quality Assurance Combined with a Decentralised Implementation 261
Suitable Recruitment of Teams of Highly Qualified Trainers with Appropriate Backgrounds 261
Selection of Participants 261
Clear and Explicitly Stated Definition of Aims, Using the Core Purpose of School as a Focus 261
Alignment According to Values and Educational Beliefs 262
Development as a Continuous Process 262
Importance of Declarative and Procedural Knowledge 262
Suitable Balance Between Theory and Practice 263
Orientation Towards the Actual Needs of the Participants 263
Active Involvement of the Participants 263
Inspiring Collegial Learning and Intensive Collaboration 264
Problem-Based Training in Workshops 264
Learning Opportunities at the Workplace 264
Focus on the Personal and Professional Development of the Participants as Well as on Improving Their Schools 264
Self-Organised and Reflective Learning Processes, Supported by Communication and Information Technology 265
Academically Grounded and Authentic Training Material 265
Presentations of Learning Results and Self-Evaluation of Learning Processes 265
Certification of Participants 266
Conceptually Established Support for the Actual Transition 266
References 266
13 Developing New School Leaders: Application of International and Local Knowledge to Practice 267
Introduction 267
Leadership Practices 268
Learning Leadership: A Shift in Assumptions 269
Inquiring Leaders for Improving Schools 271
School Leadership Inquiry Framework 271
Program Design and International Leadership Findings 272
Questions for New Leaders Programs 277
References 278
14 Investigating the Use of Capability and Standards -- Referenced Frameworks to Support the Professional Learning of Aspiring, New and Experienced School Leaders in the Public Education System in New South Wales, Australia 280
Introduction 281
A School Leadership Capability Framework (SCL) 282
Strategies for School Leadership Development 283
Teacher Leader Program 283
Principal Preparation Program 284
Induction Support for School Leaders 284
Leadership Development Support for Experienced School Leaders 284
Online Leadership Development Support 285
Sharing and Developing Leadership Practice 286
Accreditation 286
Contextualising School Leadership 286
Distributing School Leadership 288
Focusing School Leadership 289
Researching School Leadership 290
Summary 291
References 291
15 Cloning Their Own: Aspirant Principals and the School-Based Selection Game 293
Introduction 293
Background to the Research 295
Issues of Definition 295
Australian Research 296
Researching Principal Aspirations 297
The Selection Game 298
Selecting Australian School Leaders 298
Selection Bias? 299
Playing the Selection Game 301
Taking the Risk of Applying 301
The Onerousness of Application Writing 302
Coping with Interview Stress 303
Perverse Selection Judgements 305
Unsupportive Feedback 306
Summary 307
Discussion 308
The Burden of Risk 308
Spreading the Burden of Risk 309
Consequences of Risk Aversion 310
Conclusion 311
References 311
16 The Recruitment and Selection of School Leaders First Findings of an International Comparison 314
Selection and Recruitment Around the World 316
England 316
Organization of the Selection Procedure 317
Advertising and Marketing 318
Prerequisites and Pre-selection 318
Job Profiles 319
Selection Methods 319
The Specific Role of the Assessment Centre 319
Selection Criteria 320
Evaluation of the Selection Procedure 320
Germany 322
Organization of the Selection Procedure 322
Advertising and Marketing 323
Prerequisites and Pre-selection 323
Job Profiles 324
Selection Methods 324
Selection Criteria 325
Evaluation of the Selection Procedure 326
Singapore 327
Organization of the Selection Procedure 328
Advertising and Marketing 328
Prerequisites and Pre-selection 328
Job Profiles 328
Selection Methods 328
Selection Criteria 329
Evaluation of the Selection Procedure 329
Australia 329
Organization of the Selection Procedure 330
Advertising and Marketing 330
Prerequisites and Pre-selection 331
Job Profiles 331
Selection Methods 331
Evaluation of the Selection Procedure 331
The United States 333
Organization of the Selection Procedure 333
Advertising and Marketing 333
Prerequisites and Pre-selection 334
Job Profiles 334
Selection Methods 334
Selection Criteria 335
Evaluation of the Selection Procedure 335
Conclusion 336
References 340
Index 342