scholarly journals Potential of Positive Leadership for School Improvement

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 165-180
Author(s):  
Karen Seashore Louis ◽  
Joseph F. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Organizational Theory ◽  
Narrative Research ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
Positive Leadership ◽  
Teachers And Students

In this paper, we undertake four formative assignments: (1) We introduce the idea of positive school leadership (PSL) based largely on theory and research conducted outside the educational sector and introduce four orientations that anchor PSL; (2) we develop ideas about how asset-grounded concepts of leadership can be incorporated into schooling; (3) we examine how concepts underlying PSL may affect schools, classrooms, teachers, and students; and (4) using narrative research and grounded theory we introduce an overview of empirical evidence linking PSL and valued outcomes. We conclude by discussing the significance of PSL for organizational theory and leadership preparation and professional development.

School Leadership Preparation and Development in England

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip A. Woods ◽  
Joy Jarvis ◽  
Amanda Roberts ◽  
Suzanne Culshaw
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School System ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Independent State ◽  
21St Century Leadership ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
State Schools

School leadership preparation and development in England has to be understood in the context of England’s radically changing school system. Local democratic accountability of schools has been reduced and a range of new actors have entered the state school system to sponsor and govern schools. Since 2010, the numbers of such “independent” state schools have increased rapidly. As the role of local authorities has diminished, the middle tier of governance has been transformed and continues to evolve, with new forms of grouping schools emerging, such as multi-academy trusts (MATs) and teaching school alliances (TSAs). This and the influential idea in England of the school system as a school-led, self-improving system have implications for leadership and its preparation and development. System leadership, by national leaders of education for example, is seen as an essential layer of support for and a catalyst to school improvement, in addition to leadership of and within schools. In the first decade of the 21st century, leadership preparation and development became more like a “nationalized” service, with the creation of the National College for School Leadership (later the National College for Teaching and Leadership). With the abolition of the National College in 2013, the direction of travel was towards more plural and diverse providers of school leadership and preparation—some would say a privatized model of provision—including MATs, TSAs, schools and other providers. There are both potential strengths and weaknesses in this model. More autonomy is promised for providers and participants in preparing for and developing leadership, which could foster creativity in modes of provision. There are also tensions. Policy aims that promote the quantitative measurement of education on the basis of instrumental and economistic goals sit uneasily with other policy aims that appear to value education as the nurturing of human development as a good in itself; yet different educational purposes have different implications for the practice of school leadership and hence its preparation and development. A further tension is that between a positive recognition in the leadership discourse of the distributed nature of leadership and a tendency to revert to a more familiar focus on positional leadership roles and traditional, hierarchical leadership. Other issues include the practical consequences of a system of plural and diverse providers. The system may increase opportunities for innovation and local responsiveness, but it is not clear how it will ensure sufficiently consistent high-quality leadership preparation and development across the system. There are questions to do with power and inequalities—for example, whether greater autonomy works well for some providers and participants in leadership preparation and development, whilst others are much more constrained and less able to find or create opportunities to develop their leadership practice. Space for critical and questioning research and professional enquiry, independent of the interests and priorities of providers and government, is essential. Such research and enquiry are needed to illuminate how leadership preparation and development practice actually evolves in this more plural system, and who shapes that practice in the differing local contexts across England.

scholarly journals Educational Leadership Preparation: What Supervisors, Candidates, And Mentors Said

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Eric Tubbs ◽  
H. E. Holliday
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Real World ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
University Supervisors ◽  
Leadership Experiences ◽  
Regular Work ◽  
Practicum Experiences

The findings of this study identified practicum areas that meet the educational demands of candidates while highlighting practicum areas that need improvement. The study contributes to the knowledge base of the field by drawing upon feedback from university supervisors, school mentors and program candidates to evaluate and improve the practicum experience in the educational leadership program. Program candidates are in the best position to discuss their recent experiences of exposure to the real world. Supervisors and mentors can witness from their first hand experience how effective practicum activities work. Responses from supervisors, mentors and candidates regarding leadership practicum experiences are valuable to program developers in their future program redesign effort. Practicum experiences expose candidates to real-world school leadership experiences. Unfortunately, because of all kinds of conditional limitations, such practicum experiences can only be offered in conjunction with candidates' regular work in school. However, leadership practicum experiences can be well planned with a high collaboration of supervisors, mentors and candidates who have an invested interest in school improvement. In this study, what we learn from the differences of perceptions among supervisors, mentors and candidates is a caution to all stakeholders that we need to do a better job to prepare the next generation of school leaders. Supervisors, mentors and candidates need to form a coalition to explore other options, especially out-of-the-box strategies, to deliver a highly effective practicum program for potential educational leaders. 

scholarly journals The Institutionalisation of Teacher Ethics in Tanzania’s Secondary Schools: A School Heads’ Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Sidney Fussy
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Veteran Teachers ◽  
Professional Conduct ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
School Heads ◽  
Teacher Ethics

teacher ethics in Tanzania’s secondary schools. It draws on qualitativedata, generated through in-depth face-to-face interviews and documentanalyses. Secondary school heads, teachers and students from IringaMunicipality were involved in the study. The findings demonstrate thatschool heads employed several strategies to institutionalise teacherethics, which include staff induction, allotment of weekly virtuepractices, supervising and counselling individual teachers, assemblingstaff meetings and posting ethics related placards on staff room noticeboards.The study has shown that most of the practices lacked a profoundimpact on shaping teachers’ professional conduct. The study addsknowledge to school leadership literature from Tanzania, particularly onthe aspect of teacher ethics. Accordingly, the study recommends thatschool heads should institute mentoring programmes where by earlycareerteachers are attached to veteran teachers to regularly enhance theirprofessional knowledge and behaviour. School heads should exemplifyethical conduct within and outside school premises by serving as rolemodels for the teachers to facilitate the promotion of teacher ethics.Furthermore, education officers at the regional and district level shouldprovide professional development programmes for school heads tofurther raise the awareness and confidence of school heads’ professionalobligations

scholarly journals Conservative Perceptions for a Changing Reality. A Critical Look at the Professional Development of School Principals in Israel

2016 ◽  
pp. 517-533
Author(s):  
Mali Nets
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Development Program ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Future Thought ◽  
Mental Aspect

As a part of the worldwide trend, in Israel the issues of accountability in management, the school improvement, and the learners’ achievements are topics on the public agenda. In the attempt to address these challenges, Israel implemented a reform in the professional development of the principals, which was applied to the system with the establishment of the School Leadership Institute, Avnei Rosha (2007). The theoretical model of the professional development is based on the career stages approach,1 which originated in the research studies on the career circles of teachers2 and principals. These models examined characteristics of different stages in the professional life track of the teacher3 as well as the mental aspect of the principals’ perception of management throughout the career.4 The Israeli model adopted these theories as the basis for the professional development of principals and formed a comprehensive program of learning from the stage of the entry into the role to the stage of the retirement.5 The article will propose a critical look at the professional development program of the school principals from the third year in the role and onwards, on the background of the new challenges with which the Israeli educational system copes. The article will focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of the question of the professional development of principals, will review the influences of recent reforms on the professional development of principals from the third y ear i n t he position, will p resent t he i mmanent g aps of t he I sraeli p rogram a pplied to t hese principals, and will suggest issues for future thought.

scholarly journals A review of state policies on principal professional development

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Keith Davis ◽  
Deborah Rogers ◽  
Martin Harrigan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Performance ◽  
State Level ◽  
State Policies ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Principal Professional Development ◽  
Multiple Indicators

Although principal professional development (PPD) has been proven to improve school performance at various levels, professional development (PD) for teachers receives more time, resources, and attention at both district and state level. When PPD is provided it often does not meet research-based recommendations. The literature was reviewed and five criteria areas with multiple indicators for effective PPD outlined; these were subsequently revised and validated by experts in the field. The PPD certification policies of each U.S. state that made this information publicly accessible was examined through Department of Education websites, with clarification by phone when necessary. This study revealed that only one state met all indicators, and that most states did not have comprehensive, research-based PPD policies. Given the significant effect school leadership has on student achievement and school improvement, further research on PPD implementation should be prioritized.

ESSA and School Improvement: Principal1 Preparation and Professional Development in a New Era of Education Policy

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheneka M. Williams ◽  
Richard O. Welsh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Context ◽  
School Capacity ◽  
New Era ◽  
The Social ◽  
Every Student Succeeds Act

School leadership, next to teacher quality, plays the largest role in improving the educational outcomes of students. As such, federal and state policies have sought to hold principals accountable for the academic success of their students. Given the renewed attention paid to school leaders and overall school improvement with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), this article examines how district and school capacity to apply for and allocate additional professional development funds provided by ESSA might vary according to school context. We utilize qualitative interview data and the literature pertaining to ESSA to interpret how the new federal education policy might affect the preparation and development of principals and how ESSA might expand the social and economic divide that exists between and within districts. We find that while flexibility and autonomy might be key components of ESSA, under-resourced districts and schools might not experience such flexibility and autonomy due to a lack of resources—both human and fiscal—and a lack of capacity. Thus, we find that vulnerable schools might continue to struggle to improve in the era of ESSA.

The Role, Professional Development, and Challenges of Principals: Key Ingredients of School Leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-149
Author(s):  
Syed Kaleem Ullah Shah Bukhari ◽  
Muhammad Abiodullah ◽  
Rafaquat Ali ◽  
Ayesha Kanwal
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
School Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

The success of schools in the current era demands ever-increasing efforts from their principals. Professional development is an essential ingredient that enables them to work in diverse scenarios and deal with competing, complex, and unprecedented challenges and issues. The present study intends to explore principals’ professional development and its relationship with their roles and the challenges they face. Quantitative approach was employed to conduct this study. One hundred principals were selected based on the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected on a five-point rating scale from the principals of higher secondary schools in Lahore through a physically administered survey method. The questionnaire measured the participants' perceptions on three dimensions: professional development, roles, and challenges. Data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The impact of the professional development on the role participants’ play and the challenges they face in schools' leadership were calculated using the regression analysis technique. The study found that professional development was a significant predictor in school efficiency/improvement, and school success depends heavily upon the professional development and the role of schools’ principals. It also shows a need to reprioritize the roles that principals play in leading their schools. The challenges about students show that further professional development is required for principals to improve their efficiency in school improvement. The challenges due to financial resources also indicate the need for financial management. The study concluded that professional development should be monitored and kept updated to improve schools' leadership.

scholarly journals See the Connections? Addressing Leadership and Supervision Challenges to Support Improved Student Achievement in a Small Rural School

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenifer J. Hartman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
English Language ◽  
Student Behaviors ◽  
Racially Diverse ◽  
School Students ◽  
School Improvement Plan ◽  
Language Arts Achievement ◽  
Problems And Solutions

This case study was developed for educational leadership courses addressing supervision and school improvement. Various data are presented for students to analyze and identify key concerns at a low-performing, rural, racially diverse, K-8 school. It challenges leadership candidates to recognize interrelated problems and solutions in a school. Students are asked to prioritize responses to issues of changing school leadership, professional development to address teacher expectations, English Language Arts achievement, instructional and disciplinary practices, student behaviors and attendance, and parent engagement practices. They will develop a specific schoolwide professional development plan within an overall School Improvement Plan to address these concerns.

scholarly journals Exploring causal relationships qualitatively: An empirical illustration of how causal relationships become visible across episodes and contexts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
School Leadership Development ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
Empirical Illustration

AbstractCausal relationships are traditionally examined in quantitative research. However, this article informs the discussion surrounding the potential use of qualitative data to explore causal relationships qualitatively through an empirical illustration of a school leadership development team. As school leadership development is supposed to offer continuing development to practicing school leaders, it brings into question the issue of causal relationships. This study analyzes audio and video recordings from 10 workshops involving a team of principals, municipality leaders, and researchers who met over two years to support the principals in leading a local school improvement program. The process data are organized into episodes and analyzed in three layers of causation an interpretative layer, a contradictory layer, and an agentive layer grounded in cultural-historical activity theory. When tracing a problem statement across episodes and relating the processes to events in a principal’s practice, causal relationships became visible across the episodes and contexts. The argument, then, is that the results are achieved in the processes. As such, process data can reveal causal relationships that quantitative data cannot.

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