1. Principals Leading Learning & Managing Change
Jan Coleman
2007
Briefly introduce the term “distributed leadership” (DL) and give 2 of the definitions
Copland, M. (2003).
Spillane and Sherer’s (2004)
Activity:
Rally Chart (in 2’s or 3’s depending on course member numbers)
Brainstorm the occasions where you have been in a learning situation where the learning is lead by other than an ‘outside expert or the principal (manager in a non-school setting).

2. Traditional Models of Leadership
Managerial / Transactional
Transformational
Interpretive
Instructional / Pedagogical.
Traditional models of leadership in schools can be viewed through one of four key lenses - Managerial / Transactional , Transformational, Interpretive and Instructional or Pedagogical Leadership. (Glover, 2003)
o The Managerial model of leadership views leadership as a series of transactions largely related to system rather than people. Organisations are most often hierarchical and managers oversee a series of transactions. This encompasses transactional leadership theory that was dominant in the 1980’s.
o Transformational leadership is seen as more akin to school leadership. The focus here is on people rather than structures. Leadership is linked to the culture of the organization. Leaders and followers are engaged in the pursuit of the same goals or ideals. Leadership here is therefore about building relationships between individuals and setting the goals. Leithwood et al, as quoted by Harris (p80) see leadership as a set of behaviours by which teachers are motivated and their self-efficacy is increased. Effective leadership in this model is measured by the degree to which leaders and others are empowered to act.
o Interpretive model of leadership looks at actions of participants as related and inter-related actions where the leadership is shared between the participants rather that ‘manager’ led.
The Instructional model is seen to be a dynamic between people, primarily concerned with improved practices within the organization and may be referred to as pedagogical leadership.
While there is wide acceptance of this model of leadership, it is difficult for find explicit descriptions or definitions of instructional leadership. (Harris, 2005; Glover, 2003 and others).

3. Quality Teaching
Leadership
Improved student
outcomes

4. “If you want to go fast – go alone,
If you want to go far – go with others.”
Al Gore on receiving the Nobel prize.

5. Think about changes you have been a part of…
What were the factors or influences leading to effective change?
What were the factors or influences leading to ineffective change?
How is ownership developed?
How do we overcome resistance?
What supports are needed?

6. Think about changes you have been a part of…
How to we ensure there is a balance between drive/desire for change?
How do we ensure the successes are:
seen
shared
celebrated

7. A framework for change Values & Beliefs Principles Practices Why? How?
What?

8. Lessons on change
Moral purpose is complex and problematic – be inspired by moral purpose but not naive about it
Theories of change and theories of education need each other – programmes include theories of action, no one change model fits all circumstances
Conflict and diversity are our friends – problems are inevitable, you can’t learn without them, it is better to incorporate differences at an early stage
Understand the meaning of operating on the edge of chaos – get used to a degree of uncertainty, this is also on the edge of order

9. Lessons on change
Emotional intelligence is anxiety provoking and anxiety containing – live with what cannot be changed and take responsibility for those that can
Collaborative cultures are anxiety provoking and anxiety containing – collaboration to be effective must foster a degree of difference
Attack incoherence: Connectedness and knowledge creation are critical – create mechanisms of integration, connect to what you are doing
There is no single solution: craft your own theories and actions by being a critical consumer – Change is too important to leave to the experts, no one can solve your change problems except yourself
Fullan, 1999, Change Forces: the sequel

10. School leadership +
External leadership
is powerful IF
The development of internal leadership is clearly identified and planning for sustainability is explicit

11. “Principals and leaders were seen as experts and sources of solutions to classroom problems in high performing schools”

12. What can you do?
Clarify priorities – everything is important. What are the relative importance?
Set goals and expectations – vision is only good if embedded in goals and developed into action
Develop commitment and motivation – these are the most important.
(expertise is part of the discussion / dialogue)

13. Principals have a key role in leading learning through:
Provide strategic resourcing - $s must support initiatives not drive them
Provide a supportive and orderly environment
BALANCE! Care v accountability

14. Optimal adaptability corridor
Adaptive expert
Frustrated
novice
Innovation
Optimal adaptability corridor
(Target space)
Practice does not make perfect but it does make permenant!
Routine expert
(total efficiency)
Efficiency
Adapted from Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005

15. Learner Development (levels)
Traditional
content
New
knowledge
Low risk
Feelings (anger, discomfort, loss)
High risk
Generic
skills
Learning to be
(ideal place)
Learner Transformation (the ‘Ahah’ moment)
Alfer Barnett, 2004 – Learning for an unknown future

16. Expect troughs
How do we ensure the troughs are short and shallow?

17. Models of Change Initiating Envisioning Playing Sustaining
Appreciative inquiry

18. Barriers to change Failure to recognise the need Habit Security
Fear of the unknown
Previously unsuccessful efforts
Threats to expertise
Threats to social /power relationships
Threats to resource allocations

19. Issues with change Depth Sustainability Spread Ownership
Deep reform takes time, requires courage and is evidence driven

20. Evidence of change Attitude Teacher knowledge
Pedagogical content knowledge
Teacher practice (observation)
Student achievement

21. Distributed Leadership
- implications for professional development in schools

22. Also known as: Learning-Centred leadership Pedagogical leadership
Distributed leadership is directed towards improved practice and is related to institutional change and improvement
School leadership has emerged as an essential area of research in its own right recently, emerging from the overarching areas of educational administration and management, as the global belief in the idea that principals and school leaders have a critical place to play in schooling improvement and hence student achievement.
Key points in regard to recent research made are:
ｷ leadership is important in improving schooling outcomes
ｷ leadership can be found at other levels, especially middle leadership positions
ｷ the emerging concept of ‘distributed leadership’ is one where teachers leadership is considered.
ｷ there are many models of leadership
ｷ leadership is depicted in terms of actions and often defined in terms of its outcomes
ｷ researchers are unsure how leadership influences student outcomes, what the direct links are between these
ｷ links exist between leadership and organisational change and improvement
ｷ much of the research in this area is European or North American in origin
ｷ there is a dominance of business and commercial influence views in research literature on leadership.

23. Key Understandings of Distributed Leadership
Distributed Leadership is not new
There is an increasing advocacy for this concept in recent times
Essentially, it is a sharing of leadership
A movement from the power of one
to the power of many
Activity:
Timed talking: 1min/30sec/15 sec - Topic:what examples of sharing of leadership have you experienced? (HOD etc)
Report back
Explore the notion of sharing leadership and participants experiences of this.

24. Distributed leadership in action
Traditionally team / syndicate leaders
Heads of departments
Deputy / associate principals
Examples of teacher leadership
Timperley - South Auckland - early literacy project.
What does distributed leadership actually look like in practice?
Discuss the Timperley research into D.L. and early literacy in South Auckland.
Give other examples of DL from my personal experience as a teacher, a principal and a professional development provider.

25. Related leadership issues:
Senior leaders must ‘let go’
Need to hold individuals accountable
Multiple leaders requires co-ordination
Leader- follower:
Traditional relationship: saint, saviour, charismatic leaders
Expectations under distributed leadership
Discuss these issues and how the might affect the school if these are/ are not taken into account.

26. What exactly is distributed?
Process
Focus
Content
Roles???
Again elaborate on DL in practice. Elaborate on the points listed. That it is context related, relates to teaching practice, change, improved student outcomes and the relationship between these.
End of what is DL. Next slide moves on to its relationship and implications for professional development.
Prepare for this before moving to next slide.
Activity:
Thin- pair-share on the best and worst professional development experiences you have had. (to identify: What are the key components of professional development? What makes it effective?)

27. Why use this to enhance Professional Development?
Ownership increased
Sustainability
Relationships established
Time
Proximity of support
The idea to be presented is that distributed leadership can increase ownership, is based on established relationships etc and so can aid transfer and increase the chance of sustained changes in practice.
The proximity of support can mean that conversations are regular and at frequent intervals.
Time is maximised and feedback is related to students known to all.

28. Development of Distributed Leadership
Leadership teams
Leadership of teams
Teacher-leaders
Support networks
Mentoring
Coaching
Formal ‘change management’ training.
How do you develop DL?
What are some of the approaches recommended in literature and what are the key points for each.
Discuss the ideas of mentoring, coaching and critical friend.
What are the similarities and differences between these?
Activity:
Jigsaw 3 readings on these. Share back and use a Tri-Venn diagram to clarify these.
Revisit slide and key ideas on DL and ways to develop this in schools.

29. Issues: Leadership is a function rather than a hierarchical position
It supplements the traditional hierarchical positions rather than replacing these positions
Not for every school or every issue
Context and timing matter
Discussion:
So what now is the role of the principal?
Activity:
PMI Distributed leadership from the perspective of principal, teacher, outside consultant, Board of Trustees.
Share key ideas.

30. “Increasing distributed leadership is only desirable if the quality of leadership activities contributes to assisting teachers to provide more effective instruction to their students, and it is on these qualities we should focus.”
(Timperley, 2004, p417)
May go back to this after slide 8.
Timperley, H. (2005) Distributed leadership: developing theory from practice. Journal of Curriculum Studies, Vol 37, No 4, 2005

31. Issues
Lack of clarity around what matters most in the role of principal
Easier to think of it as ‘this job’ rather than ‘membership of profession’
Time out of the classroom – issues of ‘currency’
Multiple demands of the role of principal

32. Goals Identify important & critical goals
Goals are the outcomes of gathering and evaluating evidence
Model goal setting and development
It does not matter who sets the goals – can be co-constructed or taken up

33. Group dynamics Stages of group performance Forming Storming Norming
Performing
Reforming / mourning

34. Personalised learning
Individualised
Customised
Programmed
Learner centred
Includes computer assisted learning

35. References
Copland, M. (2003) Leadership of inquiry: building and sustaining capacity for school improvement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 25(4),
Spillane, J. P. and Sherer, J. Z. (2004) A distributed perspective on school leadership: leadership practice stretched over people and place. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Institute of Policy Research, North-western University, Evanston, IL, USA).
Timperley, H. (2005) Distributed leadership: developing theory from practice. Journal of Curriculum Studies, Vol 37, No 4, 2005
A reading list for those wishing to know more or follow up on points made.
Have on screen while reflection exercise is being completed.
Activity:
Complete reflection exercise
Close session with EDS video clip on ‘plane building in the air ‘– a metaphor for improving teaching and learning while maintaining a smoothly operating school.