Enhancing the

Art of

Principalship

March 2011

Principal Leadership

In a study of principal work practices, Spillane, Camburn and Parega (2007) found that time was split amongst administrative (63.4%), instruction and curriculum (22.2%), professional growth (5.8%), and fostering relationships (8.7%).

Principal work is primarily about leading others, although it is becoming a far more inclusive and distributed task.

Source: David Gurr Principal Leadership: What does it do? What does it look like and how might it evolve?

Principal Leadership

Whilst principals were leading for 68.6% of their time, 33.0% of time was spent in co-leading situations.

Principal Leadership

Jodee Wilson uses the term ‘chaos’ to describe her work and sees herself as human resources facilitator, educational expert and symbolic chief, whilst at the same time making sure her school operates smoothly.

Sister Geraldine, the principal at a small Catholic school for young teenage girls experiencing serious behavioural and emotional issues, describes her multiple roles as spiritual head, social worker, and educational leader.

Principal Leadership

The principal is the person in a school who must accept ultimate responsibility for what happens. It is to them that governments, communities, school boards, parents, teachers, and even students, go for an explanation when things go wrong.

Principal Leadership

Fundamentally though, being a principal is an exhilarating job, one full of possibilities and hope, one that few of us can do, but which, when done well, is one of the most satisfying of all.

‘I love my job, I love it. It is not all hard work and drudgery, and, ‘How am I going to get through it?’ It is actually exhilarating.’

School Leadership: Individual and Group Leadership

> Focussed action

> Culture building

> Organisation-wide process of learning

> Respond strategically to crises

> Facilitate and encourage innovative ideas of others

Moving from a Good School to a Great School

Because the innovations that schools develop are their responses to perceived challenges, innovation is a response to the context of school as we know it today – one nevertheless framed by the perceived challenges of tomorrow.

(Professor Peter Cuttance: School Innovation: Pathway to the Knowledge Society, 2001)

Ambitious Excellent Schools – Our Agenda

We all want Scottish schools to be truly excellent. We want them to reach higher and we will support them in doing so, ensuring that no individual or community is left behind in the process.

Our agenda will be achieved through:

> High expectations, high quality leadership and confident ambitious schools

> Professional freedom for teachers and schools to tailor learning to the needs of individual young people

Ambitious Excellent Schools – Our Agenda

Our agenda will be achieved through (cont.):

> Choice and opportunity for young people to help each of them reach their own potential

> Support for learning for young people in challenging circumstances

> Tough, intelligent accountabilities.

(Scottish Executive – 2004)

What Makes a School Successful?

High performing education systems stand out with clear and ambitious standards that are shared across the system, focus on the acquisition of complex, high order thinking skills and are aligned with high stakes gateways and instructional systems.

What Makes a School Successful?

The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers and principals, since student learning is ultimately the product of what goes on in the classrooms.

The most impressive outcome of world class education systems is perhaps that they deliver high quality learning consistently across the entire education system, such that every studentt benefits from excellent learning opportunities.

(OECD PISA Results: What Makes a School Successful, 2010)

Internal Characteristics: Great School

> Clearly articulated school vision

> Shared beliefs and understandings among staff with clear explanations> School presented in a positive context where excellence and contribution are valued> School board and school management can translate strategy into action and change.> Risk management generates opportunities as well as manage problems.> Articulation of explicit standards and associated targets.

Internal Characteristics: Great School

> Prepared to take a hard look at the school performance> Use of data to inform teaching and learning

> Team approach to professional learning – site based PD

> Sense of empowerment and openness to implementing different strategies> Willingness and capability to make changes to school and class organisational arrangements.> Willingness to explore and consider alternative teaching practices.

Internal Characteristics: Great School

> Willingness to assess classroom practice and concerted effort to ‘win-over’ staff for change> Acknowledge and handle accountability

> Intervention programs and recognition that students learn at different rates> Effective leadership

> Proactive and systematic links with home, other service providers.> Promoting student sense of identity, belonging and self-esteem

> Integrated process of evaluation

Big Picture Context

> Enhanced national direction for school education and early childhood. (Policy [ Management)

> Changing Federal / State relations- Funding arrangements – National

Partnerships- Negotiations and consultation- Reporting.

> Focus on school performance and school improvement – link to receipt of public funds

- Annual school performance report- My School website.- National Testing.

Big Picture Context

> Enhanced regulatory environment- Review of not for profit organisations- Review of tax system- School and early childhood regulation.

> Tension between ‘Independence and centralised and standardised approaches to education

> Layers of negotiation and compliance

Strategic Context: 2010 - 2012

1. State Election Outcomes

2. Federal Review of School Funding

3. Federal Election Outcomes

4. New Federal Government Policy Initiatives: National Partnerships

5. Early Childhood Education and Care

6. Review of Regulation of Schools and Early Childhood Services: Education and Early Childhood Services Bill

7. Planning – Implementation of Australian Curriculum

8. Building Education Revolution

Strategic Context: 2010 - 2012

9. Secondary School Computer Fund

10. Trade Training Centres

11. Compliance and Accountability Requirements

12. School Performance: My School Website

13. Portability of funding for SWD

14. Federal Workplace Relations

What do parents desire from Independent schools?

Long Term Benefits of School Education

> Have a happy time at school

> To be able to think for themselves

> Achieving good grades leading to desired careers

> Personal discipline

> Development of esteem and confidence to achieve personal goals

Long Term Benefits of School Education

> Development of an independent mind

> Development of pride in themselves

> Good network of friends

> Importance of a balanced life

Good things about an Independent School

> Good teachers

> Disciplined environment

> Good facilities

> Educational excellence

> Supportive and caring environment

> Teachers / reinforces moral values

> Smaller class sizes

> Safe environment

Good things about an Independent School

> Child treated like an individual

> Stable environment

> School pride

> Faith based environment

> Good facilities

> Disciplined environment

Parents Views of What Children Want From Their School

> Good teachers

> Good balance between education and fun

> Supportive and caring environment

> Good facilities

> To be treated like an individual

Every Executive Director has key responsibilities that relate to being a visionary, change agent, relationship builder, community builder and resource wizard.

Wisdom

Don’t view this big job of Executive Director as yours alone to handle. Freely ask for support or advice; if you insist on doing everything yourself, people may let you try – and that will be a disaster for everyone.

Wisdom

A well-defined partnership between the Board and the Executive Director is central to sustainability and effectiveness of both the ED and the organisation.

Wisdom