School Leadership Frameworks Used in Various Parts of Australia - Report Example

Insert Title Name: Institution Module: Instructor: 29th August, 2009 Part A Introduction Leadership frameworks in schools present the vital constituent of an intellectual structure. Whether a person is studying either carpentry or calculus, for one to turn out to be proficient, needs to master a variety of skills and then intertwine them together. A framework proposes the swap of the diverse aspects. In carpentry, the framework could be a set of guiding principles which illustrates how a construction ascends from groundwork to roof. A calculus teacher may present geometric representations of derivatives as tangents to lines as well as integrals by adding small boxes of either area or volume. In a case where the model is strong, one may find out to posses a further and readily minds of grasping ideas and position them into action, since the model permits an individual to perceive the fundamental of what could be undertaken. Bauer & Bogotch (2006, pp.458-463), affirms that in school leadership, school leaders may be called for intellectual, emotional, and physical capabilities into their administrative activities to realize a given sound decision. Without a leadership model, school leaders stumble about, trying to create the parts work jointly, possibly scuttling their goal in the process for the reason of accrued mistakes. School leadership frameworks used in various parts of Australia There has been no professional accreditation system for the teaching as well as the school leadership profession in Australia for quite some time. This made each educational sector to train school leaders on its own way and using its own system despite the predicaments it may be encountering. The call for strengthening preparation and professional growth and development programs for school leaders in Australia is recognized nationally and internationally. The quality of school leadership in the country has hardly ever mattered more. School leaders are expected not only to run schools well but to be acquainted with different ways of developing their schools as organizations with the capability of constantly assessing as well as improving their performance (Bauer & Bogotch 2006, pp.451-457). The traditional methods of training school leaders and the continuing professional learning has encountered various setbacks forcing it not to withstand to the contemporary demands. Many scholars have written damning reports concerning the incapacity of university degree programs failure to prepare future leaders. They have asserted that majority of school leaders have been educated and appointed on jobs that hardly ever exist in the contemporary world. In Australia, many quality sets of standards for school leaders have been developed. However, they are not profession-wide and specific to employing authorities. A recent review explored approaches to standards for prospective and established school leaders and options for a national system for assessment against those leaders. Australia has been one of the countries that has experienced difficult in pointing out to any orderly programs for training school leaders across most states and territories. The school leaders’ field has been epitomized by short-lived courses, regularly unrelated to each other and rarely sequential over moment in time. Future leaders have jammed what they may perhaps been running for, this has made it possible I gaining school principal positions through little formal progress in school leadership. The incorporation of Australia Council for Educational Research (ACER) has presented various approaches of improving the educational system in Australia. Besides the strength and weakness in the existing leadership frameworks, their has been recommendation on the improvement of the existing standards and developing new options for a countrywide system for evaluating school leadership for a prospective and well established school leaders. Harris & Muijs (2005) assert that scores of countries have distinguished the need for revamping school structures and programs in preparing the continuing school leaders forums. Globally, a remarkable characteristic in this restoration could be the use of principles for school leadership as a framework of developing foundation and professional development systems for school leaders. In a countrywide evaluation, school leaders were asked the factors that contributed the largest part to an individual’s career achievement. Out of the entire the possibilities, the significant factor school leaders mentioned was interpersonal skills. Individual’s capability to express ideas, and believe in one’s vision. The center of attention in schools in the 21st century is changing from remote issues, like, basic teaching, to helping students and teachers find out who they are, why they do what they do, and the way they could be more effective in making a better meaning of life for those with whom they learn or work with respectively (Riley & Mulford 2007). Today’s leadership framework is geared toward helping school leaders through a trouble-free running of schools as they nurture and build up themselves, and those around them (students, teachers and the community). Features in traditional professional learning system of school leaders; i) There was lack of an apparent justification for what leaders were supposed to get over the long –term. ii) The system also lacked strong extrinsic incentives to connect most school leaders in on-going expansion iii) There was a low levels of individual ownership on the side of leaders-had low feeling for professional training system. There could be a strong leadership profession in the present Australia, but there is a desire from stakeholders on improving it because of the continuing changes around the world to meet the international standards (Riley & Mulford 2007). This could call for the creation of a professional learning system to initiate all the changes. Effectiveness of the leadership framework in analysing standards of leadership in a school, should involve one that: a. Encourages and facilitate collective learning. b. Interprets complex events as well as aligning of tasks with objectives and strategies. c. Organises and coordinates both educational as well leadership activities. d. Promotes social justice and morality in both the school setting and the surrounding community. e. Build commitment, optimism, trust and cooperation. f. Develops and empower subordinates. g. Aligns tasks with objectives and strategies School leaders’ performance It should be understood that professional work is a mix together of values and expertise, in addition to developers of professional standards who are expected to weave the two together. In process of creating formidable leadership standards in educational background, one should ask himself/herself whether the standards are going to meet the validity and credibility-this could be a knowledge base for professional practices, and not the individuals’ viewpoint regarding the personality as well as attribute of a good principal. The solid question mark in educational leadership should focus on what is recognized concerning the leadership practices and student learning. Other realistic questions may focus on the correlation between leadership practices and developments in school culture or else within the quality of teaching. The questions may center attention on the conditions which calls for principals to be responsible for developing their schools over time, by categorizing reasonable expectations on their accomplishments. Competence of the school principal A competent and strategic leadership practice is perhaps the cornerstone of developing and recognizing the school potential. Having observed and evaluated educational leadership in various schools, it is a well known fact that a good school leader is expected to manage people; support both the students and staff, this contributes to building a niche of strong relationship among the learning community. This will automatically foster a friendly atmosphere of support, value and hope among students, staff, parents as well as wider community at large (Caldwell & Spinks 2008). For instance, majority of developing organizations recognizes the fundamental precedence of people, working well with people and also the right choice of recruiting people, developing and retaining them is a good catalyst of enhancing partnerships, processes and products (good results). Yeo (2006) provides a concise synopsis of the worldwide outlook of types of leaders by proposing a leadership development framework which incorporates both the teaching strategies and relevant leadership skills. He affirms that being able to relate with people is key to any successful leader-leadership skills is interpersonal skills. School leaders should try to initiate effective leadership in their system even if it calls for compassion, In view of the fact that when flawed individuals begin to lead other flawed individuals, compassion will be the only reliable leadership element that will flow from real wisdom. Other scholars have supported the need to have authentic kind of leadership which is thought to be open-minded, creative and visionary leadership response toward social situations as contrasted to the more conventional dualistic representation of management and leadership practices that is believed to be obsolete. Authentic leadership is believed to augment school leaders with self-knowledge, capacity for moral way of thinking and sensitivity en route for the orientations of others. This kind of leadership is thought to help individuals in developing their competence for ethically sound yet professionally effective judgments. It is also convenient to create efficiency in school leadership by allowing a ‘‘joint leadership’’. This category of leadership is believed to be the one where two persons in both practical and formal terms share work duties, responsibly and authorities, in addition to sharing the equivalent managerial position. Although the model ‘‘joint leadership’’ could be alien to present school leadership practices (Harris & Muijs 2005). This leadership framework may be pertinent to those educational leaders whose roles and responsibilities overlap or are shared in the same institution. The approach provides a chance of transformational learning since those involved undergoes a five-step course; namely disequilibrium, internalization, associations, imagination, as well as changes in perception. Generally, it means those involved have to discuss and in the course of discussion experience an opportunity in their point of view. Part B Educational leadership Educational leadership is the kind of leadership that is prime role of school leaders, both teachers and principal. Although others factors like personal leadership and collaborative leadership in conjunction with administrative, cultural as well as managerial issues could have impact on school leaders. Sometimes, changes in financial planning, the rising significance of school sponsorship and requirements for business skills in the midst of school leaders could assume meaning. Despite all this, educational leadership still commands a large share among school leaders. Educational leadership could be applied by school leaders by setting up formidable structures, communication networks, creation of confidence and conducive environment for learning and professional development. This kind of organisations are referred to as ‘‘learning organisations’’. Learning is the core value in schools, and decisions concerning learning are amongst the most vital within school leadership. The presence of chain of command makes clarity on roles of school leadership. For example the principal is answerable on issues pertaining quality results of students to the Director-General of the school. The principal may also be responsible in the exercising his or her duties in the context of the neighborhood of the school and consideration of the overall resources available. The executive members of the school carry out special tasks determined by the school principal for development and appraisal of school policies and agendas. Every teacher is answerable to the principal in interpreting school programs into appropriate learning experiences in favor of learners. The presence of chain of command makes clarity on roles of school leadership. For example the principal is answerable on issues pertaining quality results of students to the Director-General of the school. The principal may also be responsible in the exercising his or her duties in the context of the neighborhood of the school and consideration of the overall resources available. The executive members of the school carry out special tasks determined by the school principal for development and appraisal of school policies and agendas. Every teacher is answerable to the principal in interpreting school programs into appropriate learning experiences in favor of learners. Characteristics of educational leadership a) Evaluate school achievement, thus promoting competency among staffs and students b) Promotes quality in school’s teaching and learning processes. c) Creates a friendly learning environment d) Develop a passion for both learning and teaching e) Use school data in analysing and interpreting information regarding the educational matters hence making the whole system to be efficient Connection between Leadership Framework and Educational leadership The principle number one in leadership framework reveals that a framework is a generalization of reality. For example, if the world was actually so unfussy that people could portray it in a small number of paragraphs, life could be much easier. Any leadership framework, no matter how good it may seem to be, is still to a certain extent a distance from the genuine item. Once a person seizes these crucial tribulations of frameworks, they can comprehend the danger that the development of leadership frameworks presents in our educational system. None of the leadership framework by itself covers everything that a school leader would need to be acquainted with. Nonetheless, unrelated models are popular at unrelated times. Teachers, from formal academics to role frameworks in action, have their individual preferences. Institutions might have biases headed for one school of thought or another. True strength is publicized through confidence, stability, as well as the ability to show respect to those you are above. Being a school leader or a parent is a leadership position. Calmly telling students that the wrong things they are doing or plan to do will pilot a punishment, and why. This could be more effective as well as positive way of correcting students in a constructive manner than just barking at them when they do not listen to him/her in the first place. Responsibilities of the principal of the school include; 1) Implementing effective schooling practices through the school 2) Enhancing a culture of cooperation, where all members are of the school community has a say in the attainment of common goals 3) Management of school resources successfully and professionally 4) Being accountable for the education and wellbeing of students, subordinate staffs and teaching staffs 5) Provision of quality education to students of his or her school based on the policies of the government and Board of Studies. 6) Developing an educational culture that exhibits the way learning is treasured The roles and responsibilities of elementary and secondary school teachers have gone through a significant evolution. In history, teachers have been viewed as suppliers of content knowledge and academic skills; however teachers in the early twenty-first century have also become envoys in the direction of multicultural communities as well as promulgators of democracy. As expectations intended for teachers’ performance have increased, so too has the status of teaching, making the term teaching profession become a commonplace. Typically viewed as dispensers of knowledge, teachers are gradually more perceived as facilitators or managers of knowledge. They are time and again thought to be co learners in the midst of their students. A small number of modern teachers would attempt to allege intellectual supremacy in the classroom; such an allegation would not situate the dare of progressively more classy students. There is much to be known and excessively numerous sources of knowledge outside the classroom that could simply be brought to stand within school walls via students themselves. Teachers teach, of course, although they rarely dispense information to their students. Teachers are as well intellectual leaders who build opportunities for students to exhibit what they been acquainted with and way of doing. Responsibilities of School Teachers Most public school teachers spend an average of 49.3 hours per week meeting their responsibilities, together with 11.2 hours for every week on no compensated duties. Normal responsibilities for teachers comprise of; a) Planning and executing instructional lessons, b) Assessing students based on specific objectives derived from a set curriculum, and c) Communicating with parents. It was formerly the norm designed for teachers to deal with the needs of large groups of students through standard lesson plans in addition to stock practice. This is no longer the case. Teachers of the twenty-first century have to construct and amend lessons, fitting them in the direction of a varied instructional needs and abilities of their students. Stating the modifications that ought to be executed by any teacher working in the company of particular child even with special needs. Teachers all over the country labor with students as well as parents from diverse cultures. Teachers themselves are students of culture. They make classroom environments to rejoice a variety of ethnic and religious traditions. They are projected to delight children and their families considerately so as to shun the rise of stereotypical images of races, cultures, or religions. Conclusion Successful leaders build up a vision designed for their schools founded on their individual as well as specialized values. The leaders tend to articulate there vision at any opening available and manipulate their staff along with other stakeholders to share the same vision. The viewpoint, compositions and activities of the school may be directed in the direction of the success of collective vision. Not the entire school leadership could be measured as superior or quality besides some being abound by anecdotal confirmation of poor leadership. In reality, a proper leadership style inside one state of affairs is not basic quality leadership inside another. The category of leader who appears to motivate some individuals is not basically the category of leader who may motivate another. Moreover, many scholars have written with reference to the appropriateness of contrary leadership advances to contrary situations. References Bauer, S & Bogotch, I 2006. Modeling site-based decision making: School practices in the age of accountability, Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp.446-470. Burke, R 2006. Leadership and Spirituality, foresight, Vol. 8, No. 6, pp.14-25. Bhindi, N & Duignan, P 1997. 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