2012/03/14

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Role of Instructional Leadership

Purpose of Session

  Explore the term ‘Instructional leadership’ and what it means to our roles

  Examine research of what is effective instructional leadership

  Link instructional leadership to the current agenda regarding improvement, improvement improvement ……..

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What is it?

  Educational leadership   Curriculum leadership   Leader of learning   Transformation leadership   Transactional leadership   It’s what’s behind the title that

matters!

Background

  Most popular theme in leadership over the last two decades

  Origins in Northern America   Despite its popularity it is often

not clearly defined

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Instructional leadership

  Instruction = the process or act of teaching: education

  Leadership = a person who

rules, guides, or inspires others

Collins Dictionary

Leadership Matters!

  “A highly effective school leader can have a dramatic influence on the overall academic achievement of students.” Michael Fullan 2005

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Leadership Matters even more!

  It is now more than 20 years since leadership was identified as one of the key components of ‘good schools’ by HMI, who stated that, without exception, the most important single factor in the success of these schools is the quality of the leadership of the head. Dept of Education & Science

Why the importance of this type of leadership?

 ‘Improved classroom instruction is the prime factor to produce student achievement gains’ Odden & Wallace

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Why the importance of this type of leadership?   ‘Another great irony of public schooling is

that the office of curriculum and instruction traditionally has so little influence on…. curriculum and instruction.’ Results Now M Schmoker

  ‘Too much of the educational leadership literature is long on “harmony”, “consensus” and sentiment, feel good pressures that float high above the hard fundamental necessities of school leadership. Most especially, leaders need practical ways to monitor and require-effective instruction and high quality curriculum.” Results Now M Schmoker

Why the importance of this type of leadership?   ‘When leadership is focused on

results, on urging a formal, frequent review of the impact of instruction, teaching improves.’

Results Now M Schmoker

  For school improvement to occur instructional leadership needs to be in existence. A Mission of the Heart, Public Agenda

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What are the elements of Instructional Leadership   Resource provider, instructional

resource, communicator and visible presence (Smith and Andrews)

  Encourager, facilitator of the study of teaching and learning, facilitator of collaborative efforts amongst teachers, establishing coaching relationships with teachers, using research to make instructional decisions & using adult learning principles (Blasé & Blasé)

What are the elements of Instructional Leadership contd

  Direct assistance to teachers in their day to day activities, development of collaborative groups amongst staff, designing effective staff development, curriculum development, & use of action research Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon

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What are the elements of Instructional Leadership contd   Defining schools mission, managing

curriculum and instruction, & promoting a positive school climate Hallinger, Murphy et al

  Understands effective practices in curriculum, instruction and assessment and the ability to work with teachers on the day to day problems that relate to these topics. Elmore

Process

  Define Instructional Leadership

  Share with partner

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Leadership Matters!

 “It puts learning at the centre of everything leaders do. Students learning comes first, then everyone else’s in support of it.” Stoll, Fink and Earl 2003

Instructional Leadership Practice :Viviane Robinson 2007

  Establishing goals and expectations   Strategic resourcing   Planning, coordinating and

evaluating teaching and the curriculum

  Promoting and participating in teacher learning and development

  Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment

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Instructional Leadership characteristics : David Hopkins   Ability to articulate vision and

values about student learning and achievement, and to make connections to behaviour

  Understanding of pedagogy   Understanding of development

and maintenance   Strategic orientation and to plan

medium term

Instructional Leadership characteristics contd: David Hopkins

  Understanding capacity and its role in sustaining change

  A commitment to promoting enquiry: the how rather than the what

  Commitment to professional development and managing a teachers life cycle

  Ability to engender trust and provide positive reinforcement

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What does instructional leadership look like?   If you were to go into a school /

preschool where there is effective instructional leadership what would you see, feel, hear?

  Make a list of 8-10 ‘concrete’ bits of evidence?

  Would it look different in the different sectors ie preschool, primary, secondary?

 ‘School improvement is most surely and thoroughly achieved when teachers engage in frequent, continuous and increasingly concrete talk about teaching practices... capable of distinguishing one practice and it's virtue from another.’ Judith Warren