Saturday, July 7, 2012

Reading for ETL504: Leadership for Learning

3 key Leadership Models: – 1980’s Instructional Leadership 1. Directive approach by principal 2. Emphasized “the leader’s” vision 3. Often evident in turn-around situations where major change was needed quickly 4. Principal is “hip-deep” in curriculum and teaching 5. Focused on 1st Order Change – direct effects of the leader on teaching and learning in classrooms Limitations: * Not applicable in all schools * Perceived by some as undemocratic * May not incorporate views and values of all stakeholders * Makes unrealistic demands on expertise of the principal * Creates dependency on the leader * Focus on a single leader makes it difficult to sustain – 1990’s Transformational Leadership 1. Targets 2nd order changes 2. Leadership focused on “capacity building” rather than “leading, directing, coordinating and controlling” learning 3. Leader focuses on understanding individual needs and empowering others – 2000+ Shared Instructional Leadership Emerged at turn of century in recognition that: 1. Schools are communities of learners with Principal as Head Learner (Barth, Seashore-Louis) 2. “Principals can’t do it alone” (Hall, Spillane, Donaldson) 3. Evidence that both instructional and transformational leadership contribute to school improvement (Hallinger & Heck, Leithwood, Marks & Printy, Mulford & Silins, Day,Cheng, Jackson) 4. Conceptualizes key leadership functions of principal, other administrators and teacher leaders Assumptions behind this Leadership Model Distributed expertise * Implementation effect * Decision-making * Career development * Adult learners * 1st & 2nd order leadership effects Donaldson (2001)claimed that any successful model of school leadership must meet two functional tests: – Promote school improvement – Be sustainable for the leaders themselves BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE!!! 1. Set high expectations and standards 2. Talk openly about personal & shared values 3. Model key values and behaviors 4. Measure important things

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