Rural and Regional Education

Leadership Development

A Pipeline Framework

“Succession planning and leadership ought to be two sides of the same coin.

So, why do many organizations manage them as if they had nothing to do with each other?”

T

A partnership between

Country Education Partnership

and

Catholic Education Sandhurst

INTRODUCTION

The establishment of the “Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach” initiative has been developed through a partnership between the

Catholic Education Sandhurst and the Country Education Partnership. The program has resulted from a number of years of exploration by

the Country Education Partnership to develop a specific program that links the building of quality education leaders, with an ongoing, and

sustainable, approach to education leadership succession across rural and regional communities – something that has been identified as a

real challenge in these education communities across the country.

This initiative has been developed on the basis of:

• the experiences of CEP in relation to the provision of education leadership programs in a number of rural and regional education

settings, and across a number of Australian states including Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New

South Wales;

• research highlighting the key areas identified as critical in the development and sustaining of quality rural and regional education

leaders;

• The desire of Catholic Education Sandhurst in developing an education leadership program that links education leadership

development with leadership succession;

• the lack of education leadership programs currently available through education leadership organisations that are specifically

developed for rural and regional education leaders and

• learnings from other education jurisdictions who have developed an “Education Pipeline Leadership” approach. For example The

Wallace Foundation within the US.

Country Education Partnership and Catholic Education Sandhurst sees the Pipeline Education Leadership initiative as a key strategy to the ongoing recruitment and retention of high quality education leaders at an individual education setting, cluster and CEO level and forms a

key element of the Catholic Education Sandhurst Leadership Framework.

Defined by Dimworth in 2011, the Pipeline Leadership approach:

“strengthens the leadership function of an organisation (or system) by cultivating emerging talent while enhancing organisational capability.”

CEP and Catholic Education Sandhurst believe this initiative has the potential to provide an education system (Catholic Education Sandhurst),

and their individual education settings, with a sustainable supply of quality education leaders (at all levels) to meet the ongoing challenges

faced by rural and regional education communities in providing quality learning.

Specifically, the “Rural and Regional Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach” initiative will involve incumbent principals, aspiring

education leaders, teaching and learning leaders, outstanding classroom educators and Catholic Education Sandhurst support personnel in a

high quality education leadership pipeline program that has a clear focus on enhancing and improving the teaching and learning that occurs

within rural and regional education settings.

It will be facilitated by a team of high quality professional learning facilitators who have extensive experience in the development and

provision of education leadership programs; involvement at an education system level; and had personal experience in the provision of

education within rural and regional communities.

It is proposed the initiative will operate over three years and encompass:

Year 1: participants involved in a range of face to face forums and workshops; individual and peer coaching; “thought workshops”

facilitated by internationally recognized education leaders; online forums and discussions; and participation within a

collaborative team to develop an action research project focused on improving teaching and learning within their education

contexts.

Year 2: participants will be involved in the implementation of their collaborative action research project in partnership with “CEO

support personnel” from regions/diocese; ongoing coaching support; and online forums and discussions.

Year 3: Ongoing implementation of the collaborative action research project with the support of a critical friend.

A partnership between

Country Education Partnership and

Sandhurst Catholic Education Office

PROGRAM FORMAT

The “Rural and Regional Education Leadership – A Pipeline

Approach” initiative will be offered over a number of years and

centre on a number of Key Learning areas including :

• Shaping a vision of academic success for all students, one

based on high standards and expectations;

• Creating a climate hospitable to high quality learning;

• Cultivating leadership in others;

• Improving teaching and learning to enable teachers to provide

learning to their best and students to learn to their utmost;

• Managing people, data, and processes to foster a culture of

improvement.

• Education Leadership within a Rural and Regional community.

The program will involve a number of phases with the specific elements being developed in consultation with participants.

Year 1:

• Phase 1 – self reflection, professional reading prior to program begins;

• Phase 2 – Face to Face Forum - a three day workshop exploring a range of areas relating to the Key Learning areas of the program and development of collaborative teams to focus on an identified Action Research Project.

• Phase 3 – Coaching provided to each of the collaborative leadership teams;

• Phase 4 – Online Forums linking participants in ongoing discussions, and an opportunity for collaborative groups to develop their areas of focus - “action research projects”;

• Phase 5 – Immersion Workshops:

Two days visiting education settings who have developed education leadership approaches that have enhanced teaching and learning and improved student learning and outcomes.

• Phase 6 - involvement of international Education Leaders through forums and specific workshops.

• Phase 7 - Reflection and Celebration : a sone day forum (including dinner the night prior) to reflect on learnings and share individual leadership development.

Year 2

• Phase 8 – Implementation of Education Leadership Teams Action Research Project—with the involvement and support of CEO personnel. The project facilitators will provide critical friend role and support the CEO personnel through coaching and mentoring.

• Phase 9 – Final Celebration where collaboration teams share their action research project, outline the learnings gained, and share their own education leadership growth and development.

Year 3

• Phase 10 - Collaboration teams continue implementing their Action Research Projects.

A one day workshop will bring the participants together to report on progress and impact.

Project facilitators provide support to CEO Personnel.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

The “Rural and Regional Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach”

initiative has been developed to provide an approach that builds the

capacity of education leaders within rural and regional education

communities as well as an opportunity for these education

communities, in partnership with the Catholic Education Sandhurst

personnel, in developing an ongoing sustainable recruitment and

retention approach for rural and regional education leaders into the

future.

The program will involve teams of education leaders (either from

individual education settings, or clusters of education settings) -

ideally these teams will comprise between 3 and 6 participants

across various education leadership levels.

To this end, the following people would be seen as key team

participants within the program:

School Based Education Leaders:

• Principals

• Assistant Principals

• Aspiring Principals

• Teaching and Learning Leaders

Catholic Education Sandhurst Staff:

• Education consultants

• Leadership support staff.

AIM

To establish a “Rural and Regional Education Leadership – A Pipeline

Approach” providing a sustainable framework for the development and

provision of education leaders across rural and regional communities

OBJECTIVES

• Develop and provide a specific “Pipeline Education Leadership”

program that links succession planning and education leadership

capacity building for rural and regional communities;

• Build the capacity of rural and regional education leaders

(whether that be principals, aspiring principals, teaching and

learning leaders, or classroom educators) through the provision

of a holistic leadership program.

• Support Sandhurst Catholic Education Office staff in supporting

the development and provision of a sustainable system education

leadership approach for rural and regional communities.

A partnership between

Country Education Partnership and

Sandhurst Catholic Education Office

KEY PROGRAM FACILITATORS

The program will involve a range of program facilitators, and the

specific facilitators will be decided after the development of the final

program in consultation with the program participants.

Wendy Graham:

Wendy has a great reputation across the country for her work

in developing and facilitating education leadership programs.

She has been a key facilitator within programs that have been

offered through QELi and Bastow Leadership Institutes and

has facilitated such programs in numerous states, especially

within the catholic education sector.

She is also recognised as a great education leadership coach.

She is the current chair of Scare cour and has a background in

school settings spanning 35 years. She has held Principal Class

position in the primary, secondary and P-12 sectors of

education.

John Marks

John has provided strong project facilitation and leadership roles

within a number of Education Leadership programs with such

organisations as QELi and Bastow. He is recognised as a greater

facilitator, especially within education leadership programs, with a

special focus on catholic education sectors.

John was a teacher and leader in secondary schools for twelve

years before being invited to join a corporate human resources

firm as a Senior Consultant.

He is involved in his own children's catholic schools and is a board

member of a highly regarded catholic college in Melbourne.

Ann Sexton

Ann is highly regarded consultant and facilitator of professional

development and education leadership programs.

She has been involved in the delivery of a number of education

leadership programs as part of the QELi and also in other states

of Australia.

She has also provided quality consultancy services to a range of

education sectors, especially within the catholic sector.

Kevin Philips

Kevin has worked in education for over 40 years. In that time he

has been teacher, consultant, principal and regional officer.

He has had involvement in a range of professional development

programs and education leadership initiatives - providing his

expertise in strategic thinking and leadership development.

Phil Brown

Phil is the current Executive Officer of the Country Education

Partnership, and supports rural and remote learning communities

across many states within Australia. He has been involved in the

development, facilitation and delivery of a range of education

leadership programs and professional learning initiatives across all

education sectors, and in many states..

POSSIBLE KEY EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

Maggie Farrar:

Maggie has extensive experience of strategic leadership, leadership

development, and the leadership of change in schools and

localities across many countries and education systems. For ten

years she was a senior leader at the National College for School

leadership.

Sir John Jones

There is a small and select band of educational professionals who have not only had their achievements recognized in the New

Year’s Honors List, but who are also able to inspire others with

their outstanding knowledge, passion and enthusiasm – Sir John

Jones is one.

His achievements and reputation for leadership and creativity has

led him to be invited onto various organizations, panels and think

tanks including the National College for School Leadership, the

DfES’ Leadership Development Unit, the Teacher Development

Agency’s National Remodelling Unit and visiting posts with both

Manchester and Liverpool Universities.

Steve Munby

A renowned and respected educationalist, Steve was appointed

CEO at Education Development Trust in November 2012.

Awarded Commander of the British Empire for services to

leadership in schools and children's services,

Steve is passionate about unleashing the greatness of school

leaders and strongly believes in sector-led reform. With on-the-

ground experience in teaching as well as in working at local and

national government level,

Prior to his involvement with Education Development Trust,

Steve was the CEO of the National School Institute of Leadership

within the UK developing and facilitating a number of education

leadership initiatives.

A partnership between

Country Education Partnership and

Sandhurst Catholic Education Office