scholarly journals CAMEROON PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS Supporting leadership, management and administration development

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-65
Author(s):  
Frederick Ashu ◽  
Richard Etongwe ◽  
Christopher Fuaty

Purpose: Effective leadership is about executing the organisation's vision (or redefining and improving it, in some cases), setting direction and the culture for that particular organization, developing people, engaging communities, and creating conditions for successful teaching and learning. But what does that leadership management and administration look like? The recently updated Cameroon Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL) identify what an educational leader must develop the ability to Influence Others, Transparent to an Extent., Encourage Risk-Taking and Innovation, Value Ethics and Integrity, Balance Hard Truths with Optimism and do their job effectively in order to demonstrate and sustain effective leadership in today global society. Methodology: There are a number of essential understandings about the Standards that merit attention, since the Standards are based only on literature review and policy analysis evidence. The reality is that the Standards were never designed to be constructed using only literature and policy analysis findings. To be sure, a large portion of the Standards rest on the best available documental analysis of literature and policy documents governing educational leadership and administration. At the same time, the creation of the Standards was predicated on the conclusion that other empirical materials need to be employed in the building process of educational leadership; management and administration standards supporting educational leader’s development in Cameroon. Findings: The CPSEL maintain the same basic footprint of the original standards, emphasizing: Development and Implementation of a Shared Vision and  core values of sustainable leadership, Mission, vision and core values of sustainable leadership, Good Governance, Ethics and Professional knowledge and interpersonal skills, Equity and Cultural Responsiveness, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Community Engagement, Recruitment and Selection, School Leaders, Teachers, Students and Community Development, Professional Learning Community for School Leaders and Teachers, Financial Management, Succession Planning, School Improvement for the Future. Elements and indicator examples for each of these standards are included to further define leadership. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy (recommendation): The paper concludes with elements of all of the leadership standards are organised into inter-related categories with Professional Values and Personal Commitment at the heart of development. These standards emphasize equity, diversity, access, equal opportunity, and empowerment for students, educators, and all members of the educational community as they work together to ensure that all educational practitioners are ready for educational leadership career. CPSEL framework serves as a foundation for educational leader’s preparation, induction, professional learning, and evaluation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Mukhtar Hadi

The importance of effective management in educational organizations is getting more and more attention from various parties. The purpose of this study was to find out whether the heads of Madrasah Ibtidai'yah in Metro City had implemented effective leadership patterns in leadership management in madrasah. The results of this study indicate that the heads of Islamic elementary schools in Metro City are actually principals who present themselves as effective leaders and understand well how to become professional leaders. The professional meaning here is that the head of the madrasah has shown itself to be an education leader and always maintains quality at all times. In certain circumstances the head of the madrasah has even included the category of master school leaders who are able to show quality where other parties can place the principal as an expert in leading the school. The principal not only looks good, but also is able to show understanding of the meaning of quality. However, there has not been seen any influence between the headmaster's leadership and the level of achievement achieved by students. This means that principals actually include educational leaders with the title of professionals or even masters, but there is no significant influence between the level of leadership and student achievement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-78
Author(s):  
Ellie Drago-Severson ◽  
Jessica Blum-DeStefano

Purpose This paper draws from more than 25 years of research with aspiring and practicing educational leaders to present six strategies for building a culture of feedback in schools, teams, districts, professional learning opportunities, and other educational settings. These strategies reflect key elements of the authors’ new, developmental approach to feedback. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Through the lens of adult developmental theory, the authors highlight foundational learnings from open-ended survey research with 14 educational leaders about their experiences giving and receiving feedback, and prior qualitative, mixed-method, and longitudinal research with principals, assistant principals, teachers, superintendents, and other educational leaders. Findings The authors share six developmentally oriented strategies for establishing trust and building conditions for authentic, generative feedback: finding value in mistakes, modeling vulnerability, caring for the (inter)personal, clarifying expectations, sharing developmental ideas, and building an infrastructure for collaboration. Practical implications This work has implications for leadership and leadership preparation, especially given contemporary emphases on collaboration and high-stakes evaluations as tools for ongoing improvement, enhancing professional capital, and internal, individual, and system-wide capacity building. Originality/value Because a developmental perspective has been noticeably missing from the wider feedback literature and leadership preparation curricula, this work extends and enhances tenets from different fields (e.g. business, developmental psychology, educational leadership and educational leadership preparation), while also addressing urgent calls for educational reform; leadership preparation, development, and practice; and professional capital building.


Author(s):  
Michelle D. Young

Standards are used in a variety of professional fields to identify core elements of practice within the field as well as to describe a desired level of performance. The first set of standards for the field of educational leadership in the United States was introduced in 1996 by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). Since then, they have become the de facto national standards for educational leaders. The ISLLC standards have been updated three times and were recently renamed Professional Standards for School Leaders (PSEL) under the authority of the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA). Over this same period of time, multiple sets of sister standards (e.g., standards for leadership preparation) have emerged as have evaluation tools and practice resources. Soon after their release, a variety of concerns were raised about the standards and their potential impact on the practice of education leadership, particularly school level leadership. Some argued that the standards were too broad, while others argued that they were too specific. Similarly, concerns were raised about the focus of the standards and what was left out or only weakly included. These and other concerns continued to plague newer versions of the standards. Concerns notwithstanding, today, educational leadership standards are fully embedded in the lifeworld of the educational leadership profession. They have been adopted and adapted by states, districts, professional organizations, and accrediting bodies and used in a variety of ways, including: setting expectations for educational leadership preparation and practice, state certification, leadership recruitment, professional development and support, and evaluating leadership practice.


Author(s):  
Terri N. Watson ◽  
Patrice A. McClellan

What is the relationship between educational leadership, student achievement, and what we know about Black women? For one, while educational leadership is closely associated with student achievement, school leaders were found to have little, if any, direct effect on student achievement. Black women, on the other hand, are rarely mentioned in regard to student achievement, yet their efficacy is unparalleled. Black women should be listed alongside often-cited theorists, including John Dewey, James MacGregor Burns, Nel Noddings, and the Brazilian educationalist Paulo Freire, as they have made significant contributions to the field of educational leadership. These trailblazers include Frances (Fanny) Jackson Coppin, Sarah J. Smith Tompkins Garnet, Mary Jane Patterson, and Anna Julia Cooper. As Black women and professors of educational leadership, we have an obligation to ourselves, our communities, and the next generation of school leaders to reframe and extend the narratives surrounding educational leadership, student achievement, and Black women. Most research focused on educational leadership and student achievement includes neither the perspectives nor contributions of Black women educational leaders. Extant educational leadership literatures largely chronicle the perspectives of White men and rely on theories established by other White men. Moreover, student achievement is most often attributed to teachers, roles primarily occupied by White women. These correlations negate and further marginalize Black women educational leaders, who, despite the fact they have successfully led schools and are effective instructional leaders, remain untapped resources. Black Feminist Theory provides a framework to explore the lived experiences and contributions of groundbreaking Black women educational leaders. The knowledge gleaned from these “firsts” will proffer invaluable lessons to the field of educational leadership.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-163
Author(s):  
Karen D. Jones ◽  
Hellen Ransom ◽  
Crystal R. Chambers

Educational leaders are faced with multiple ethical decisions every day. This article presents the Values–Issue–Action (VIA) Model as a tool for developing ethical decisions in K-12 schools. The model is presented with three scenarios from K-12 education to practice using the model into practice. The model can be used by current school leaders and those in higher education programs developing future K-12 leaders. The model can also be used in school and district professional development to have leaders examine ethical dilemmas they face daily.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-153
Author(s):  
Darlene Fisher

Research into what is effective leadership in different cultures provides guidance for leaders moving from one culture to another (House et al, 2014). There is a paucity of empirical research into how culture impacts effective educational leadership in culturally diverse communities, which provides the direction and focus for this study. The cultural backgrounds of staff can impact what they expect about i) how leaders communicate, ii) what actions help build trust and collaboration and iii) how decisions can or should be made (Hofstede, 1991; Meyer, 2014). This study analyses the extent to which school leaders adapt their behaviours in response to the cultures of their staff. Findings suggest that leaders in schools do adapt their actions, most often using different communication styles but also methods of building collaboration and trust, and decision-making structures. Culture impacts what are effective leadership practices (Dorfman et al, 2012) and educational leaders need to understand these potential impacts if they work in culturally diverse communities. This is important to consider for school leaders and leadership preparation programmes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Murphy ◽  
Karen Seashore Louis ◽  
Mark Smylie

In November 2015, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration — a coalition of nine professional associations — adopted the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL), a set of guidelines for the training, certification, hiring, evaluation, and supervision of school principals and superintendents. While it draws heavily from the earlier standards published by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium in 2008, PSEL is distinguished by a positive, asset-based approach to school management and leadership.


in education ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-22
Author(s):  
Katherine Sanford ◽  
Tim Hopper ◽  
Kerry Robertson ◽  
Laura Lancaster ◽  
Vivian Collyer

The world, influenced by 21st century technologies and ecological challenges, has rapidly changed with more ability to “connect” locally and globally and more opportunities to learn from a range of sources. As a result, our learners and their needs have changed. With such rapid changes, conceptions of educational leadership need to reflect these changes utilizing the complexities of the role in society. As a group of educators who work in a School District, Ministry of Education and University teacher education programs, we ask how educational leaders in school districts and teacher education programs can design spaces that engage everyone, recognize everyone’s expertise and share responsibility for growth and development, and how in teacher education we can begin to move away from the hierarchical, industrialized model of management to one where everyone feels engaged, valued, and heard. In this paper, we draw on sustainable and distributed leadership ideas, termed by Wheatley (2010) as the “new sciences,” informed by tenets from complexity theory. Using a case study approach and narrative insights, this paper elucidates how an ongoing Professional Learning Network (PLN) called Link-to-Practice (L2P) offers an alternative conception of educational leadership.            Keywords: case study; narrative, qualitative research, complexity theory


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-34
Author(s):  
Mohammed Assiri

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the extent to which school leaders practice the ethics of educational leadership to make decisions. A mixed-methods research design was used in this study. The quantitative data of this study were obtained from the participation of 260 teachers, and the qualitative data of this study were collected from nine school leaders. The questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were used to collect the data. The study was conducted during the school year of 2017-2018. The study found that the overall extent to which school leaders practice the ethics of educational leadership to make decisions was classified as “always occurs". The findings showed that there were statistically significant differences between participants with different gender and school levels on the overall and all dimensions of the extent to which school leaders practice the ethics of educational leadership to make decisions, while there were not statistically significant differences between the groups of the participants with different teaching experience. The qualitative findings provided some common factors that influence school leaders’ practice to making ethical decisions. These factors were explained based on two concepts including management knowledge and leadership skills as well as the context of school's culture.


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