association of independent schools nsw

Association of Independent Schools NSW

Leadership for Learning: Connecting Research and Practice

Professor Neil Dempster

Griffith Institute for Educational Research

A presentation in 2 parts

1. Recent leadership for learning research – 3 Frameworks

2. Making Connections with leadership practice through Professional Development – 3 Programs


3 Leadership for Learning Frameworks

Robinson et al, 2007, 2009

Leithwood et al, 2006, 2010

Dempster et al, 2007, 2012


Best Evidence Synthesis (Robinson et al, 2009)

8 Leadership Dimensions

•Establishing goals and expectations

•Resourcing strategically

•Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum

•Promoting and participating in teacher professional learning and development


Robinson’s dimensions (cont’d)

• Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment

• Creating educationally powerful connections

• Engaging in constructive problem talk

• Selecting, developing and using ‘smart tools’


Robinson’s Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (2009)

• Ensuring administrative decisions are informed by knowledge about effective pedagogy

• Analysing and solving complex problems

• Building relational trust

• Engaging in open-to-learning conversations


Leadership for Learning – the impact of leadership actions

Active involvement in professional development .84

Clear purpose, goals and expectations .42

Quality teaching .42

Managing strategically e.g. strategic resource usage .31

Creating a safe and orderly learning environment .27

Robinson (2007)

Leadership dimension Effect size

10 Strong Claims Leithwood et al, 2010

1. Headteachers are the main source of leadership in their schools

2. There are 8 key dimensions of successful leadership

3. Headteachers’ values are key components in their success

4. Successful heads use the same basic leadership practices but there is no single model for success

5. Differences in context affect the nature, pace and direction of leadership actions


10 Strong Claims (cont’d)6. Heads contribute to student learning through a combination and accumulation of strategies and actions

7. There are three broad phases of successful leadership

8. Heads grow and secure success by layering leadership strategies and actions

9. Successful heads distribute leadership progressively

10. The successful distribution of leadership depends on the establishment of trust


Leithwood’s 8 LfL Dimensions (Leithwood et

al, 2010)

Successful Leaders:

define their values and vision to raise expectations, set direction and build trustreshape the conditions for teaching and learningrestructure parts of the organisation and redesign leadership roles and responsibilitiesenrich the curriculumenhance teacher qualityenhance the quality of teaching and learningbuild collaboration internallybuild strong relationships outside the school community


School of Education and Professional Studies

My Synthesis of Research Findings (Dempster, 2009)

Those leading schools best affect student learning outcomes when:

1. They have an agreed and shared moral purpose;

2. There is ‘disciplined dialogue’ about learning in the school;

3. They plan and monitor learning and take account using a strong learning and achievement evidence base;

4. They are active professional learners with their teachers;

5. They attend to enhancing the conditions for learning;

6. They coordinate, manage and monitor the curriculum and teaching;

7. They use shared leadership as the norm; and

8. They understand and connect with parent and wider community support for learning.


PURPOSE

School Leadership is for learning first and foremost – there is a moral purpose to which leadership action is directed

Leaders need:

• deep knowledge of young people’s learning*

• evidence on which to base action

*Particular knowledge in at least one key curriculum area (Robinson,

2009) – and knowledge of cultural and social influences on learning (Buckskin et al, 2008, Bishop and Berryman, 2011)


CONTEXT

Knowledge of the school’s context is essential to the educational leader:

• the context has to be understood (globally, nationally and locally);

• beneficial connections have to be made; and

• helpful networks must be harnessed in the school’s learning interests.


HUMAN AGENCY (it’s what gets things done)

This is the bedrock on which much current research on leadership is based:

• Distributed leadership is essential in schools – broad and deep, inside and outside (Price Waterhouse Coopers, 2006; OECD, 2008)

• Types range on a continuum from dispersed to shared (MacBeath, Oduro & Waterhouse, 2004; Leithwood et al, 2010)

• Sharing leadership should occur across roles and functions (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003, Spillane 2006, Harris, 2007)

• Its spread should include students, family and community members (Crowther, 2004; Dempster & Lizzio, 2006-10; OECD, 2008; Johnson and

Jervis-Tracey, 2011)

A Leadership Framework for 3 Australian Projects (Dempster, 2009)


STRONG EVIDENCE BASE

STRONG EVIDENCE BASE

DISCIPLINED

DIALOGUE

Developing a shared Moral Purpose*

Leading Learning – A Framework

* Improving student learning and performance

Connecting with support from parents

and the wider community

PARENT and COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Planning and coordinating the

curriculum and teaching across the school

CURRICULUM and TEACHING

Sharing leadership and organising accordingly

LEADERSHIP

Enhancing the conditions for learning – the physical, social and emotional environment

CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING

Participating actively in professional development

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Principals as Literacy Leaders: PALL, PALLIC and SPALL POSITIONS

1. The Position on Leadership:

Compelling research evidence shows that quality leadership makes a difference to children’s learning and achievement;

and

It is about working together on a common moral purpose – in these cases the improvement of children’s literacy

Robinson, 2009; MacBeath and Dempster, 2009; Masters, 2009; OECD, 2008; Leithwood et al, 2006


PALL and PALLIC POSITIONS (Cont’d)

2. The Position on Reading:

National and International research confirms that learning to read requires explicit attention by parents and teachers to:

The BIG SIX:

Early and ongoing oral language experiencesPhonological awarenessPhonemic awarenessFluencyVocabularyComprehension

Konza, 2011; DEST, 2005; Louden et al, 2005; Rowe, 2005


The SPALL Position on Literacy Learning

Literacy is every subject teachers’ business

Literacy teaching and learning is maximised through pedagogy directly addressing the literacy demands embedded in assessment tasks

The Australian Curriculum, 2012

Wyatt-Smith, 2011


PALL and PALLIC POSITIONS (Cont’d)

3. The PALLIC Position on Shared Leadership:

Accumulating research evidence shows that achieving improvements in schools in Indigenous communities or schools with significant proportions of Indigenous students, requires shared leadership with Indigenous people

Bishop et al, 2011; McNaughton and Lai, 2009; DEEWR, 2009; Sara, 2010, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2008


PALL, PALLIC and SPALL POSITIONS

4. The Position on Professional Learning:

Research findings on the professional learning of leaders show that authentic learning takes place over time supported by mentors or coaches through specific tasks designed to link research with local practice

Professional learning and development is most effective when it blends leadership processes and curriculum content

In short, this is learning with support through action on the job for a particular purpose

Huber, 2011; Dempster, Lovett and Fluckiger, 2011; Robinson, 2011; Bush, 2009Griffith Institute for Educational Research

Professional Development Strategies - from theory to practice, knowing to doing – Huber (2011)

Huber, 2011

Professional Development Strategies

Huber, 2011

Emerging Research Evidence

What evidence do we have that these positions, when put into place, produce helpful outcomes?

Does blended leadership learning have an effect on teaching, learning and achievement?


Mean scores for teachers’ and principals’ ratings on PALL principals’ role in leading literacy learning


Item teacher meanprincipal

mean

came to an enhanced understanding that our shared moral purpose is to improve children’s literacy learning and achievement

5.03 5.18

used the Big 6 to provide a framework for the teaching of reading across the school 4.53 5.39

reviewed assessment practices in light of our knowledge of the Big 6 4.49 5.23

conducted disciplined dialogue about data related to literacy teaching and learning 4.68 5.47

shared accountability for implementing aspects of the Big 6 4.38 5.12

shared leadership in developing and implementing literacy intervention actions 4.53 5.50

explored ways to involve parents and the community in supporting literacy learning 4.21 4.60

enhanced the conditions for literacy learning across the school 4.75 5.18

Preliminary PALLIC findings

The shared approach to leadership is gaining value in the eyes of Principals and Indigenous Leadership Partners

Difficulties are evident in making connections with Indigenous families and community members for reading support


Preliminary SPALL Findings (Principals: N=42)


Principals’ views on aspects of the SPALL Program SA A U D SD

The importance of my leadership in driving literacy improvement has been highlighted

20 21 1 42

A focus on the literacy demands of assessment tasks in all subjects is fundamental to school improvement

24 18 42

Asking secondary principals to be literacy leaders makes unrealistic expectations of them

5 8 24 5 42

The SPALL position on literacy makes critically important connections with the Australian Curriculum

17 25 42

The staff have responded positively to my direct involvement in our Action Research Project

13 20 8 41

The Action Research Project is improving staff skills and understanding in how to teach the literacy demands of assessment tasks

12 19 8 2 41

Blue Print Data Gathering Questions What do we need to know about: how leadership is shared with staff and

community members for reading? the way parents and members of the wider

community are connected with reading? the professional knowledge of the school’s staff

about reading? how children are being taught to learn to read? the physical, social and emotional conditions and

resource support for reading?


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