1. A Must: Turning leadership ‘inside out’ on Indigenous children’s literacy Neil Dempster, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia Susan Lovett, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

2. Purpose of the Presentation In general: we report on a ‘closing the gap’ initiative called Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities (PALLIC) which adopted a model of leadership ‘both ways’ (Priest et al., 2008; Frawley & Fasoli, 2012), in schools located in remote Indigenous communities AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

3. Specifically:  We report on the views principals and their Indigenous Leadership Partners held about leadership actions the project brought into prominence.  In the body of the presentation, we explain the research purposes on which the study was centred, the survey methods, items used and results obtained. AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

4. Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities (PALLIC) The project was stimulated by a professional learning program designed around five modules combining two areas of knowledge and understanding: (i)what it takes to connect leadership with learning; and (ii)what it takes to learn to read in Indigenous communities. AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

5. The Five Professional Learning Modules 1.Leadership for Literacy Learning 2.Learning to Read 3.Analysing Data 4.Planning for Reading Improvement 5.Evaluating Reading Action Plans AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

6. PALLIC Position on Leadership Many of the sources of learning should be derived from schools and their communities (Priest et al. 2008). Therefore, leadership requires a rethinking of how to blend two cultures for the purpose of helping children with their learning. Principals in Indigenous communities need to accept and respect difference and learn how to create and interact in open ‘intercultural space’ where the cultural knowledge and experiences of Indigenous people are given equal value and voice (Taylor, 2003) AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

7. Culturally Responsive Leadership Priest et al (2008) and Panayiotis (2012) advocate that ‘both ways’ leadership is a way of formally recognising Indigenous people as active and necessary contributors to children’s learning. AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

8. The PALLIC Position on Partnerships Improvements in learning require partnerships between parents, teachers and members of the community While this is self-evident, it is easier in the saying than the doing This multi-lateral form of leadership needs to be given high priority by principals Emerson et al (2012); Andrews (2008); Muller & Associates (2009); and Auerbach (2009) AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

9. Partnerships are built on relationships The creation and continuation of partnerships requires outreach from the school, a deep commitment to shared leadership by the principal and trusting relationships with Indigenous parents and community members. All this takes time and respectful acceptance of the cultural reciprocity necessary to sustain good working relationships in open intercultural space. Bishop (2011); Ishimaru (2013); Lester (2011) AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

10. Video Clip: Indulkana Anangu School, South Australia ‘Creating the Need to Read’ AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

11. The Research Process  School surveys (Principals, Teachers and Indigenous Leadership Partners)  Site visits for 8 case study schools with focus group interviews  Interviews with Leadership Mentors  Analysis of reading action plan evaluations AARE 2014, S350: Leadership Symposium: GIER SIG Leadership for Learning

12. Principals’ responses to the frequency of particular leadership actions

13. 1. Keeping the focus on the school’s commitment to improving reading for Indigenous children* 2. Modelling leadership ‘both ways’ – from the school to the community and from the community to the school 3. Including Indigenous Leadership Partners in the school leadership team 4. Building a good working relationship with Indigenous Leadership Partners 5. Providing the Big Six framework for the teaching of reading 6. Using data on the Big Six to inform planning 7. Participating in professional development on reading with teachers* 8. Linking assessment practices to the Big Six 9. Promoting teaching strategies on the Big Six at school, classroom and individual levels 10. Aligning the school’s resources to support the Big Six framework 11. Ensuring that all children have personal targets in reading 12. Expecting accountability for reading achievement from my teachers* 13. Talking with parents about student reading development 14. Sharing responsibility for reading with Indigenous Leadership Partners 15. Engaging others from the community as active leaders of reading* 16. Participating in PD on reading with Indigenous partners and community* members 17. Leading the celebration of children’s achievements in reading with parents The Survey Items

14.  Ten of the items in Figure 1 (in Blue) refer to leadership actions principals undertake mainly inside the school. These are items: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 17.  The three actions* considered to have greatest frequency are found in this group (i.e. items 1, 7 and 12). Results

15.  The remaining seven items in Figure 1 (2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15 and 16) refer to leadership actions, which require principals to make connections with Indigenous people both inside and outside the school.  The two items with the lowest means* are in this group (i.e. items 15 and 16) Results (cont’d)

16.  Of these seven items, the first three refer to actions which require interactions between principals and Indigenous Leadership Partners.  Three others (items 13, 15 and 16) refer to actions with parents and/or members of the community.  Item 14 recognizes a formal sharing of leadership responsibility with Indigenous Leadership Partners. Results (cont’d)

17.  Overall the principals’ survey data accord the highest frequency to activities that directly link key responsibilities for the outputs of the school with their responsibilities for leading and managing the performance of teachers.  The items with the lowest frequency all refer to activities principals seem to regard as outside their core school responsibilities, that is, to actions with parents and other community members. Summary

18. The 48 PALLIC principals were asked for their views related to two research questions:  During 2013, what has happened inside and outside your school in leading and supporting the teaching of reading?  What have been the enablers and constraints? The Research Process a Year Later…

19. One half-hour telephone interview which included a survey instrument comprising 16 closed items and four open-ended questions was conducted. Method

20. BUILDING IN-SCHOOL SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP PARTNERS – REMOTE, REGIONAL/URBAN

21. Items 1, 6 and 13 Q1 Involve Indigenous leadership partners in school leadership decisions regarding reading Q6 Develop a sustained working relationship with my Indigenous leadership partners Q13 Provide professional learning for Indigenous leadership partners and teacher assistants to take leadership roles in classroom learning of reading

22. 1. Involvement of ILPs in decision making higher for remote 56% vs 21% (frequently) main focus was on relationship building challenges of high ILP turnover 6. Sustaining the relationship higher commitment for remote 41.7% vs 36.8% (always) challenges of time, power relations, reliability on both sides 13. Professional learning for ILPS and TAs more provision in regional/urban 42%/28% (frequently) teaching seen as school’s role, reluctant to interfere need for training in strategies to teach reading In school sharing, building supporting relationships with ILPs

23. REACHING OUT TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS – REMOTE, REGIONAL/URBAN

24. Q2 Involve others (members of the community who are not designated Indigenous leadership partners) as Indigenous leaders of reading in classroom activities Q7 Build ongoing relationships with Indigenous leaders of reading to work with teachers Q15 Establish opportunities to involve community participation in reading focused activities Q16 Being open to learn from others Items 2, 7, 15 and 16

25. 2. Similar 22-23% involving others 7. Remote schools more successful building on-going relationships with ILPs working with teachers inside classrooms (32% vs 22%, frequently) 15. Establishing opportunities to involve Indigenous people in reading activities High ratings for both 50% regional/urban vs 32% remote, frequently) 16. Openness to learning from others 67% regional/urban vs 52% remote, always) Reaching out to build relationships and learning from others

26. While there is a positive view of in-school partnership between Principals and Indigenous Leadership Partners, there is a lack of traction in enrolling family and community members as Leaders of Reading or in gaining their interest in the school’s actions on reading. While there is some promise in the results produced a year after the completion of the project, the findings confirm the very real challenges to be faced in developing school and community literacy leadership partnerships. Conclusion

27. We suggest that far greater attention needs to be placed on a repertoire of ‘reaching out’ and ‘reaching in’ strategies to lift the concept of leadership in open intercultural space from the confines of the school into the community and from the community into the school. With this added knowledge and much hard relationship work, engaging in the leadership of reading ‘both ways’ will enable new leadership partnerships to form, be valued and become self-sustaining. Implications