Effectiveness of the School Leadership Framework by the Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education - Case Study Example

School Leadership Framework Name Institution Introduction School leadership determines the effectiveness of school in ensuring that students are well educated. Although the school principals have the formal mandate to lead an individual school, leadership is not necessarily reserved for them (MacNeill et al., 2003). In fact, many schools tend to have a mix of formal and informal leadership, such as in situations where teachers also assume responsibilities for particular tasks and departments (Almannie, 2015). While it is generally acknowledged that school leadership is an intricate phenomenon, the results of effective school leadership can be readily identified. The results centre on the quality of pedagogy that teachers provide and the extent to which students are engaged in learning. Despite this, pedagogic change appears to be tricky, as MacNeill et al. (2003) observed, teachers have showed a tendency to replicate the pedagogies and cultures of their individual experiences to students. To this end, a major complexity for school leaders is engaging teachers effectively to transform pedagogy. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the school leadership framework proposed by the Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training. It also describes the characteristics of educational leadership before performing a critical analysis on the manner in which educational leadership is exercised in a school setting. Also examined include evaluation of the framework in relation to the stands of leadership in a school setting and the major characteristics of educational leadership with focus on its overall significance in a school setting. Part 1(a) Evaluation of the School leadership framework suggested by Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training The primary objective of the Leadership Framework is building teacher's leadership capacity. The Leadership Framework seeks to describe the development in five leadership domains that identify levels of performance to allow stages of leadership development to be determined. It is also aimed at improving the competency of school leaders. The five domains include policy and direction, teaching and learning, staff, partnerships, and resources. Policy and direction Sharing and Vision: The framework ensures that the leader develops and shares his vision. This effectively ensures consistency of goals. For instance, the dean of the faculty shares his vision to the teachers and students. His vision is to ensure improved student achievement. To ensure this, he guides the staff to come up with strategies that can enable them to ensure that their teaching pedagogy is consistent with his vision. Working collaboratively: The framework calls for collaborative leadership. It requires a school leader to inspire the teachers and students to take part in collaborative planning and making decisions. The dean of faculty appears to inform consistently other teachers and students through school memos on the notice board. This ensures that teachers and students are mobilised to work collaboratively with him, as they are sure of the direction the school is taking. Promoting change: It also ensures that a school leader supports school practices and gives direction on areas that should be improved. For instance, in my faculty, the dean tends to acknowledge what the pedagogies teachers use. He appears to be always aware of student's performance. When the students perform dismally in a test, it is said that he summons teachers to his office to discuss student's scores and suggest ways the teaching practices can be improved. Confronting change: The framework ensures that a school leader is aware of the complexities in the school environment. In my faculty, the dean is certainly aware of the diversity issues confronting the faculty. He understands the need for cross-cultural conflict among teachers or students and has often encouraged teachers to encourage teachers to develop diverse student groups to encourage cross-cultural interaction. Ensuring fairness: The framework also ensures fairness. It requires a school leader to consult with teachers or even students. For instance, to ensure fairness, he encourages student feedback on decisions he makes collaboratively with teachers by inviting student leaders in his office to discuss student's response. Maintaining direction: It also ensures that a school leader gives direction to attaining long-term objectives. For instance, in case students fail in tests, the dean often seems to be aware of this and in turn, shows patient with the teachers yet persistently encourages them to try better pedagogy that can still lead to better student scores. Teaching and Learning Consulting stakeholders: The framework ensures that a school leader creates an effective curricular yet consistently monitors and reviews it for efficiency in collaboration with teachers and students. The dean often consults with teachers and students. He encourages student feedback on the curriculum, specifically how the teachers implement the curriculum before discussing areas of concern in faculty meetings. He also encourages teachers to provide their feedback on student curriculum and to deliberate on ways it could be adjusted to ensure improved student achievement. Improving learning: The framework ensures that a school leader shows concern for student's achievement and encourages use of teaching pedagogy that can improve student's achievement. The dean often shows concern for how students perform and seems to be often aware of the students who are at risk of failing. For instance, by being aware of the non-native student needs, who tend to be slower in catching up in English, he encourages teachers to take actions to make sure that the teaching programs are adequately flexible in a way that addresses the non-native student needs, such as by recommending reading texts that use simple vocabularies. Monitoring behaviours: The framework ensures that a school leader creates an effective curricular yet consistently monitors and reviews it for efficiency in collaboration with teachers and students to maintain a safe environment for students and teachers. For instance, he encourages student leaders to teach to monitor students in order to identify weird behaviours that may put other students at risk. Analysing data: The framework ensures that a school leader creates an effective curricular yet consistently monitors and reviews it for efficiency, in collaboration with teachers and students. However, the dean has showed a level of reluctance in analysis of student's performance. It is extremely rare to hear of cases where students who fail exams are called to the dean's office to discuss their performance. Reporting outcomes: The framework ensures that a school leader student's learning outcomes is precise and consequential. Although the dean encourages that reporting of students' outcome happens, it is uncertain whether he ensures that the reporting procedures have been complied with (Robinson, 2007). However, it can be argued that the student's performances are collaboratively reviewed between teachers and students by encouraging teachers to identify weak students and to review their performance. Staff Communication with staff: The framework ensures that a school leader communicates teachers' roles and responsibilities effectively. The hiring and recruiting of the members of staff has often been based on a well-defined job description, which allows them to be aware of their specific roles. This clarifies ambiguities on the roles. Promoting development: The framework ensures that a school leader provides teachers with staff development opportunities that support their personal needs, as well as that of the students. The dean encourages the teachers to apply to seminars on effective teaching strategies, where they can be provided with techniques on effective teaching. The dean also encourages the students to provide feedback on their teachers' performance to ensure that teachers take full responsibility of their teaching. Delegating responsibility: It effectively ensures that the teachers and other members of staff are delegated with roles and responsibilities in accordance with their qualifications and competence. To ensure that the right members are designated the right roles, the dean plays a primary role in determining how the members of staff are assigned different course units to teach he also monitors the level of workload for each staff. Managing conflict: It ensures there is a cordial relationship among the members of staff, as well as among students. For instance, the huge cultural diversity in the faculty is a major risk factor for conflict, as students come from different cultures and often disagree on effective teaching pedagogies or even intercultural conflict. For these reasons, the dean encourages cross-cultural interaction by encouraging teachers to form student groups made up of diverse cultures. Demonstrating respect: It ensures that a school leader shows respect to stakeholder needs. For instance, in addition to showing respect to student and teacher's needs, the dean encourages interaction with other department to allow for sharing of resources, including teaching staff. Partnerships Sharing expectations: The framework ensures that a school leader communicates effectively with teachers, students, parents, as well as the wider community. The dean communicates with the staff through the memos regarding issues of management. He also communicates with students through the notice board to share his expectations on student's achievement, exam dates and reporting to school. Fostering networks: It ensures that a school leader effectively interacts with the wider community. The dean has developed networks with other faculties, which ensures that resources like teachers are shared. Building understanding: It ensures that a school leader clearly articulates the purpose of the school and that the school maintains a positive purpose. The dean ensures that the department's purpose is well articulated in the university website. This enables visitors to be informed of the school's purpose. Ensuring inclusivity: It also seeks to ensure that a school leader shows respect for cultural and religious practices of other people. The dean acknowledges the diversity of the faculty. To ensure inclusivity, he ensures that recruitment of staff is only based on qualification. Students are also admitted based on their performance. He also works with other faculty and the wider university to make sure that the community interest is taken into perspective when making decisions. Resources Planning resources: It seeks to ensure that school leaders identify the necessary resource requirements that meeting student's learning needs. The dean encourages adoption of ICT in the department to encourage learning. For instance, he encourages teachers and students to engage online resources, such as online libraries, to improve their knowledge base. Targeting outcomes: It ensures that leaders attain target outcomes. For instance, the deal works with the members of staff to identify students’ needs, allocates teachers effectively to meet learning outcomes, and evaluates their faculty's performance relative to the expenditure (Robinson, 2007). Ensuring accountability: It ensures that leaders are accountable to the school's performance. The dean encourages the teacher to review student feedback against the predetermined outcomes, as this ensures that teachers are accountable to their teaching practices. Negotiating compliance: It requires that leaders become aware of relevant legislations, and ensure that the school complies with the legislation. He negotiates with the members of staff and students to comply with the legislations. For instance, he ensures that there is a healthy and safe environment at the faculty, by encouraging the staff to carry out risk management to identify the hazards, including faulty electrical sockets, which are then identified and resolved. This is consistent with legislations like the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission Act 1985 (Cth), and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (Cth). Part 1 (b) Characteristics of educational leadership From the school leadership framework suggested by Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training, it could be ascertained that characteristics of educational leadership include being fair, supportive, problem-solvers, collaborative, empowering, sense-making, decisive, tactful, and flexible. School leaders are, characteristically, the designate sense-makers in a school setting. They play an instrumental role in enhancing and sustaining a school climate that improves the productivity of students and teachers. They are also empowering and supportive. This implies that apart from being the chief executive officers of the school, they are also motivational and instructional leaders, provide vision of improved student achievement to the teachers and students, and inspire and instruct students and teachers on what they should do to attain the vision. Hence, school leadership seeks to ensure improved school achievement. They are also fair and decisive. This implies that the school leaders tend to adjust the educational landscape, ensure greater accountability, promote equity, and ensure quality. They also ensure that the school is learning-centred (Dolan, n.d.). According to Fook and Sidhu (2009), school leaders seek to secure development and change in schools. School leaders are problem-solvers. They resolve conflicts in the school environment, and spend significant amounts of time in conceptualising solutions for instructional problems within the school setting, with focus on improving the performance of students. School directors are decisive, as they set the direction for the students and teachers to follow. Additionally, they model the practices and values that should be complied with in schools. The school environment is becoming increasingly intricate and diverse, where students and teachers learn, and where the leaders can set standards, which promote the realisation of vision of improved educational outcome for the students. School leaders are also proactive and promote collaborative decision-making. In resolving certain complex problems, they consult with the members of staff or student leaders to come up with decisions that affect the wider school community. They are also flexible. They may nurture instructional school programs and cultures that are favourable to students’ improved learning and academic growth, as well as teachers’ professional development. Part 2(a) Effectiveness of that framework The school leadership framework suggested by Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training leads to fairness and equity at the school setting. The school leadership framework seeks to ensure high quality educational attainment for all kinds of students, despite their cultures. The framework has a ‘Policy and Direction’ domain, which requires that leaders should confront change. In effect, it requires that a school leader should be aware of the complexities in the school environment, including the conflicts associated with having diverse cultures at school. It also encourages fairness and equity, where an effective leader ensures that all members of staff and students are treated fairly (Leithwood et al., 2012). It also ensures that school leaders apply instructional leadership, which in turn contributes to socio-emotional success and improved academic achievement of the diverse student base. This ensures that non-native students who may have certain difficulties in conforming to certain pedagogies are taught using favourable pedagogies (Darroch, 1992). For instance, the ‘Teaching and Learning’ domain proposes a need to improve learning outcome. Within this domain, the element of ‘improved learning’ requires that a school leader to show concern for student's achievement by encouraging teachers to use a pedagogy that can improve student's achievement based on the student’s learning needs. The framework also requires that teachers use flexible teaching programs that can address the changing student needs. The framework is also effective in the sense that it promotes human resource leadership. For instance, it ensures that teacher performance management systems and professional development strategies are applied to ensure that continuous teacher improvement is ensured (Leithwood et al., 2006). Ultimately, this ensures improved students' educational attainment. For instance, the domain of ‘Staff,’ requires a school leader to make sure that teachers' roles and responsibilities are clear-cut, as well as clarifies ambiguities associated with some staff roles. It also requires that a leader provide teachers with staff development opportunities, which support their personal needs and the needs of the students. The framework also ensures strategic leadership in the school setting. However, instead of ensuring that the school's overall vision and strategic goals are developed to improve the student's readiness, it stresses a need for the leader to develop own vision and inspire others to follow that vision. For instance, the domain of ‘Policy and Direction” suggests an element of ‘Sharing and Vision,’ which requires that a leader shares his vision to the teachers and students. Part 2 (b) Characteristics of educational leadership and how educational leadership is practised in my institution The characteristics of effective school leadership include being visionary, empowering others, collaborative, empowering, and problem solving abilities. A school leader should be visionary. In my faculty, the dean of the faculty is visionary. He shares his vision of ensuring improved student achievement to the teachers during staff meetings and when meeting students. An effective school leader should also have the capacity to empower others to embrace change. For instance, in my faculty, to ensure that teachers realise their potential, he balances intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to motivate the teachers, such as providing them with growth opportunities and rewarding them through praise, which ensures that they become committed to their job (Walters et al., 2003). An effective leader is also an effective problem-solver and has a capacity for sense making. By sense making, it implies interpreting developments in the school, and what is realistically expected of each individual. In my faculty, the dean plays an instrumental role in interpreting to the teachers their defined roles towards ensuring all students improve their performance. An effective school leader is also proactive and collaborative. In my faculty, the dean makes collaborative decisions by consistently informing teachers and students through school memos on the notice board of the plans. They are then asked to submit their opinions on the plans, to ensure that all stakeholder needs are met (Leithwood et al., 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, the school leadership framework proposed by the Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training is effective for a typical school setting. It sets a school leader on the path to setting the tone for the school, developing an environment of inclusiveness, and inspiring the teachers and students to achieve their goals, and build logical instructional and social-emotional support capable of improving student’s achievement. The primary objective of the Leadership Framework is building teacher's leadership capacity. It suggests five domain areas: policy and direction, teaching and learning, staff, partnerships, and resources. The domains collectively ensure that a school leader is aware of the complexities in the school environment, fair in leadership, becomes a visionary, supportive and collaborative. The framework also ensures that a school leader creates an effective curricular yet consistently monitors and reviews it for efficiency in collaboration with teachers and students. It ensures that a school leader effectively interacts with the wider community and organises resource to meet student's learning needs. From the school leadership framework suggested by Leadership Centre, WA Department of Education and Training, it could be ascertained that characteristics of educational leadership include being Fair, Supportive, collaborative, decisive, tactful, and flexible. References Almannie, M. (2015). Leadership Role of School Superintendents in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social Science Studies 3(2), 169-174 Darroch, A. (1992). Effective Leadership practices supporting the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI), viewed 24 May 2016, Dolan, C. (n.d.). Learning-Centred Leadership: What is the literature saying? Fook, C. & Sidhu, G. (2009). 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Balanced Leadership: What 30 years of research tells us bout a the effect of leadership on student achievement. McRel A working Paper, 2003 Read More