Principal Leadership for School Improvement

Leading in the 21st Century

Session 1Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

Identify the challenges facing education leaders in the 21st century; Increase and enrich their understanding of the role of the 21st

century school and district leader; and Identify and apply key leadership actions to support student achievement and school improvement.

Leading into the 21st Century

“ Leadership is second only to effective teaching among all school –related factors that impact student learning”

Wallace Foundation

The Best Educational Leaders

Think about the skills of a highly effective leader in the 21st century.

Complete the Extended Nametag template.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders for

the 21st Century (OECD 2012)

Vision and Goal Setting

Accountability

Collaboration

Distributed Leadership

Leadership Beyond School Walls

Strategic Resource Management

ISL Image of School Leader

Conversation with Michael Fullan and Ken Leithwood

Increased Accountability

Whole System Responsibility

Collaborative Culture

Differentiated Professional Learning

Management and Leadership

Developing Other Leaders

Internal & External Accountability

Internal and External

Accountability

Walk the Talk

Responsibilities and Roles Expectations

Learning Leader

Prescriptive and Autonomous

Prescriptive Autonomous

Commitment

Sustainability

Variations

Compliance

Level of Ownership

Level of Creativity

Innovation

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Steve Jobs

Whole System Responsibility

System Focus

Collaborative Competition

Team Building

Expectations

Culture

Professional Development

Learning is the Work

Horizontal & Vertical Learning

Organization Structures

Developing Other Leaders

Early Identification

Management and Leadership

“ The tasks typically associated with both concepts make potentially important contributions to the achievement of

organizational goals. So one defining attribute of effective leaders is their ability to carry out even the most routine and

seemingly trivial tasks in such a way as to nudge their organizations toward their purposes”

Management and Leadership

Influence

“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”

John C. Maxwell

Session 2Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

Become familiar with Vivane Robinson’s research on the Impact of Leadership on Student Outcomes;; Increase and enrich their understanding of the five leadership dimensions identified by Robinson; Increase their understanding of the three leadership capabilities; Identify and apply key leadership actions to support the five dimensions.

Leaders Impacting Students

Introduction by Viviane Robinson

Student Centred Leadership

Viviane Robinson defines Student Centred Leadership as

Leadership that makes a difference to the equity and excellence of student outcomes and is measured by the impact on the students rather than the impact on

the adults.

Five Dimensions

Student Centred

Leadership

Goals and Expectations

Strategic Resourcing

Quality Teaching

Leading Teacher

Learning

Orderly and Safe

Environment

Five Dimensions of Student-Centred LeadershipDerived from Quantitative Studies Linking Leadership with

Student Outcomes

0.27

0.84

0.42

0.31

0.42

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

5. Ensuring an Orderly andSupportive Environment

4. Promoting and Participating inTeacher Learning and

Development

3. Planning, Coordinating andEvaluating Teaching and the

Curriculum

2. Resourcing Strategically

1. Establishing Goals andExpectations

Effect Size

Viviane Robinson 2008

I Wonder …

Looking at the research data on the five dimensions, are there any surprises?

Are there any dimensions that you thought would be there but are not included?

Dimension 1 – Establishing Goals and Expectations

• Thinking about goal setting, what do you believe is the one most important consideration when setting goals.

Goals and Expectations

Clear & Concise SMART Communication

Commitment Value & Vision Consensus

Capacity Knowledge Skills

Dimension 2 – Strategic Resourcing

“Strategic resourcing is not an ad hoc process, but rather, a process guided

by clear goals and purposes.”

Robinson, Hohepa and Lloyd (2009)

Resources

What are some examples of resources available to school and district leaders?

Strategic Resourcing

People

Money

Time

Goal Focused

What is resourced and not resourced?

Dimension 3 – Ensure Quality Teaching

“Teachers who know a lot about teaching and learning and who work in environments that

allow them to know students well are the critical elements of successful learning. “

Linda Darling - Hammond

Dimension 3 – Ensure Quality Teaching

Quality Teaching

Planning

Coordinating

Evaluating

Planning

Culture of Inquiry

Instructional Time

Curriculum Alignment

Dimension 4 – Teacher Learning & Development

Dimension 4 – Teacher Learning & Development

Teacher Development & Professional Development

What is being taught and what is being

learning?

Voluntary or Compulsory?Experts

Evidence Based Content

Leadership Actions

Promoting – Learning as Leader

Participating – Learning as Learner

Dimension 5 – Orderly & Supportive Environment

Buffers

Student Engageme

nt

Norms & Relationships

Learning Capabilities

Relational Trust

Solving Complex Problems

Creating and Mobilizing Knowledge

Effective Problem Solvers

Solution FocusesLink problem to school goalsClearly communicate own version with reasonsOpen to alternate perspectives

Understands tensions and anticipates obstaclesStays positive Collaborative

Creating and Mobilizing Knowledge

Teacher Appraisals

Cla

ssr

oom

Obser

vati

ons

Student Groupings

Assessment & Reporting

Current Knowledge Application of the

Knowledge

Relational Trust

“Effective educational leadership is not about getting the relationships right and then tackling the difficult work challenges. It is about doing both simultaneously so that the relationships are strengthened through doing the hard, collective work of improving teaching and learning.”

Open to Learning Conversations will be explored further in the Instructional Leadership session.

The Leadership Team

The scope of the work is too great, and the expertise required too broad, to reasonably expect a single leader to demonstrate high or even moderate levels of competence in all five dimensions”

Viviane Robinson

Reflection

Thinking about the five dimensions of student centred leadership, identify the dimension that is the strongest for your school .

Identify the dimension that is the area of need for your school. As a leader what is one leader action that you can initiate in the next three months to strength this dimension ?

Session 3Learning Outcomes

Participants will: Increase and enrich their understanding including the

barriers and enablers of instructional leadership; Increase the participants’ repertoire of leadership actions

associated with instructional leadership; and Become more familiar with strategies that will assist in

making time for instructional leadership.

Focus

The focus on results; the focus on student achievement; the focus on students’ learning at high levels, can only happen if teaching and learning become the central focus of the school and the central focus of the principal.

Blankstein, Bulach, Lunenburg& Potter

Instructional Leadership

Instructional Leadership is like a ….o pianoo set of drumso violino trombone

.

.

Instructional Leadership Today

Manager to Leader

Adults to Students

Innovation to Evidence Based

School to District

Style to Practices

Research says…

•Goals•Strategic Resourcing•Quality Teaching•Teacher Learning•Safe and Supportive Climate

Mendels

•Vision•Climate•Cultivate Leaders•Improve Instruction•Manage People, Data and Processes

Leithwood

•Set Direction•Build Relationships •Develop the Organization•Improve Instructional Program •Secure Accountability

The Instructional Leader is a ..

Visionary

Communicator

Data Manager

Developer of PeopleSupervisor

Climate Controller

Teacher / Learner

The Instructional Leader

Leads

Learning

Is

a

System

Player

Is

a

Change

Agent

Leading Learning

Leading Learning

Professional Capital

Human Capital Social CapitalDecisional

Capital

System Player

System Player

Horizontal Networks

Vertical Networks

Change Agent

Challenge the status quo

Build trust through communication and expectations

Create a commonly owned plan

Focus on team over self

Sense of urgency

Commitment to continuous improvement

Build external networks and partnershipsLyle Kirtman: Leadership and Teams: The Missing Piece of the Education Reform Puzzle ( 2013)

Barriers to Instructional Leadership

In the chat box, record one of the barriers to demonstrating optimal instructional leadership

in your current role as a leader?

Barriers

Lack of KnowledgeExpectation

s

Multiple Role

s

Time

Tools for Instructional Leadership Tomorrow

1. Set Priorities2. Urgent and Important3. Delegate 4. Persistence x Passion x Practice x Patience5. Courageous / Open to Learning Conversations

Instructional Leadership is Priority #1

“The key is not to prioritize what is on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” Covey

Big Rock- Instructional Leadership

Clear expectations

Plan

Recordkeeping

Routinize and establish protocols

Urgent and Important

“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. “

Eisenhower

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”

Steven R Covey

Urgent and Important

Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your school improvement goals whereas urgent activities demand immediate attention (unforeseen or left to the last minute) and are often associated with the achievement of goals less aligned to the school improvement goals.

HighImportance

Important Critical

LowImportance

Distractions Interruptions

Low Urgency High Urgency

Delegating

“ Delegation is an ethical responsibility leaders owe to themselves, their followers and their organization …

delegating is about prompting others to get involved by capitalizing on a group’s broad talents and

experiences.”

Lovely 2006

Delegating

Passion x Persistence x Practice x Patience

Passion

Persistence

Practice

Patience

Courageous- Open to Learning Conversations

DialogueDiscussion

“”””” “Courageous conversations are about being true to oneself, doing what is right for students

and shaping an environment that supports learning.” AbramsAbrams

Courageous Conversations

Courageous

Conversation

Confront & Appreciate

Two -sidedResistancePreparation

Alignment

Curriculum Instruction Assessment

Instructional

Leadership

Final Thoughts

Instructional leadership is learning-focused, learning for both students and adults which is measured by improvement in instruction and in the quality of student learning.

Instructional leadership must reside with a team of leaders of which the principal serves as the “leader of leaders.”

A culture of public practice and reflective practice is essential for effective instructional leadership and the improvement of instructional practice.

Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Washington, College of Education

Learning Outcomes

Participants will: Enrich their understanding of different types of leadership; Enhance their understanding of the Ontario Leadership Framework

as one example of research based leadership practices; Develop their understanding of the personal leadership resources

that enable effective leaders to enact the practices; Apply the leadership domains to real life scenarios; and Self assess, acknowledge leadership strengths, identify areas for

growth and identify next steps in their leadership development.

Leadership is ..

Leithwood describes leadership as the exercise of influence on organizational members and diverse stakeholders toward the identification and achievement of the organization’s vision and goals.

Ontario Leadership Framework

Leadership Practices

Leadership practices are bundles of activities exercised by a person which reflect the circumstances in which he/ she finds themselves whereas competencies are underlying characteristics of an individual that are related to performance in a job.

Direct and Indirect Approaches to Leadership Practices

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Organizational Size

Culture

Middle Managers

Curriculum Complexity

Contingent Leadership

Contingent leadership is taking the practices and applying them to a leader’s specific situation- considering the setting and people .

Scenario 1

You have been asked to lead your team in developing a plan for implementing new curriculum.

How would you apply the idea of “contingent leadership” to this task?

Shared Leadership

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Knowledge

Circumstances

Domains of Practice

Domains of Practice

Setting Goals

Building Relationships &

Developing People

Developing the Organization to Support Desired

Practices

Improving the Instructional

ProgramSecuring

Accountability

Enacting the Practices

Time

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

—John Maxwell

Setting Direction

Shared Vision

Specific, Shared, Short –

term Goals

High Performance Expectations

Communicate Vision and

Goals

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the leadership practices associated with Setting Direction- rank yourself using the following:

My actions reflect the four practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom

in my interactions with those I lead.

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.

Kenneth Blanchard

Building Relationships & Developing People

Support & Consideration for Individual Staff

Members

Stimulate Growth in Professional Capacities of

Staff

Model School Values & Goals

Building Trusting Relationships

Productive Working Relationships with teacher

unions

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the leadership practices associated with Building Relationships & Developing People - rank yourself using the following:

My actions reflect all five practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom in my interactions with those I lead.

Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about

the problems.Brian Tracy

Developing the Organization

Collaborative Cultures & Distributing Leadership

Structures to Facilitate Collaboration

Relationships with Families and Communities

Connect school to wider climate

Safe and healthy school environment

Allocate resources to support vision and goals

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the leadership practices associated with Developing the Organization- rank yourself using the following:

My actions reflect all five practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom in my interactions with those I lead.

Effective leadership is putting first things first.

S. Covey

Instructional Program

Staffing

Provide Instructional Support

Monitoring Student Learning and School

Improvement Progress

Buffering Staff from Distractions

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the leadership practices associated with Improving the Instructional Program- rank yourself using the following:

My actions reflect all five practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom in my interactions with those I lead.

in my interactions with those I lead.

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is

defined by results not attributes. Peter Drucker

Securing Accountability

Internal Accountability

External Accountability

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the leadership practices associated with Securing Accountability- rank yourself using the following:

My actions reflect all five practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom in my interactions with those I lead.

in my interactions with those I lead.

Scenario 2

• As a school leader of a committee, you are aware that two of your team members do not agree on the next steps.

• Look at the leadership practices in the Leadership Framework and pick out several that you think are the most critical to solving this problem effectively.

Domains of Practice

Domains of Practice

Setting Direction

Building Relationships &

Developing People

Developing the Organization to Support Desired

Practices

Improving the Instructional

ProgramSecuring

Accountability

Personal Leadership Resources

Cognitive Resources

Social Resources

Psychological Resources

Cognitive Resources

Problem Solving

Knowledge about School & Classroom

Conditions with Direct Effects on Student

Learning

Systems Thinking

Social Resources

Perceiving Emotions

Managing Emotions

Acting in Emotionally Appropriate Ways

Psychological Resources

Challenging Times

Resilience

Self-efficacy

Optimism

District Level Resources

Proactivity

• Ability to stimulate and manage change on a large scale under complex circumstances

• Show initiative and perseverance in bringing about change

Self Assessment

Think about your current role as a teacher leader, school leader or district leader and using the dispositions associated with each (Cognitive, Social, Psychological) of the Personal Leadership Resources:

My actions reflect all five practices: 4 Always 3 Most of the time2 Sometimes 1 Seldom in my interactions with those I lead. in my interactions with those I lead.

Final Thoughts

The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They don’t think “I.” They think “we”; they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done. Peter Drucker

Stoplight Reflection