An EMASA Conference presentation Building and sustaining school capacity: Leadership implications -...

An EMASA Conference presentation

Building and Building and sustaining school sustaining school

capacity:capacity:Leadership Leadership

implications implications

- Frank Crowther - - Frank Crowther -

Overview of the sessionDefining capacity

The COSMIC C-B model

Leading school capacity-building

Dialogue

A half century of shifting sands(1960s – 2010s)

1960s: workplaces , families & schools were “humanised”1970s: a “new morality” changed teachers’ work1980s: the “effectiveness” movement set in1990s: “improvement” became the catchcry 2000s: people learned to spell (but not pronounce) an

ancient Greek word2010s: “successful capacity building” is becoming an

obsession (I hope)2020s:2030s:

Defining capacity

In New In New Zealand Zealand rugbyrugby

18 in a row!

But..... NO WORLD CUP!

Is this “capacity”?

In Hong In Hong KongKong

high school high school sciencessciences

Students have achieved he highest levels of 15- year-old science and mathematics achievement on the planet over the past decade (OECD)

And breakthoughs in neurological research that show how to increase cognitive functioning even further

In New YorkIn New Yorkschool school literacyliteracy

Joel Klein, New York Schools Chancellor, 2007.

When system leaders set high expectations, make their expectations clear, hold schools accountable for results, and reward the high achieving principals and teachers, and remove those who fail, schools improve their results each year .

In 2008 and 2009 student literacy and numeracy increased in New

York schools. In 2010 numeracy and literacy levels declined significantly. Teachers said the pressure was counterproductive.

p.s. Joel Klein was fired in December, 2010.

Is this “capacity”? When system leaders set high expectations, make their expectations clear, hold schools accountable for results, and reward the high achieving principals and teachers, and remove those who fail, schools improve their results each year .

In your In your extraordinarextraordinar

y rainbow y rainbow countrycountry

Nelson Mandela, 1961 “I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people....to the ideal of a democratic and free society.... It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal I am prepared to die for”.

I fear that we may be losing some of what we have

achieved.

Emeritus Emeritus Bishop Bishop

Desmond Tutu, Desmond Tutu, 2011 2011

And, if so, what does it mean?

So --- does So --- does “enhanced “enhanced capacity” capacity” matter ? matter ?

Linda Lambert (U.S.)Islands of hope existed in each decade yet even these remarkable islands drop below sea level when founders, principals or key teachers, leave. As long as any one individual is indispensible, sustainability is a distant dream.

Michael Fullan (CAN.)

There is no chance that large-scale reform will happen, let alone stick, unless capacity building is a central component of the strategy. It requires that systems emphasise continuity over shortterm achievement

Vivianne Robinson (N.Z.) Slow down the change in order to speed up the improvement.Be selective about what to implement and do it in depth”

C-B is a longterm C-B is a longterm process of building process of building

and sustaining and sustaining success. It comprises success. It comprises

six phases. Each phase six phases. Each phase requires a distinctive requires a distinctive form of distributed form of distributed

leadership. leadership.

Frank Crowther

IDEAS Project in Victoria, 2004-7Staff Opinion Survey, average score across 22 IDEAS schools, 2004 and 2006

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(Comment: The greatest improvement was in some of the outcome variables namely Student Motivation, Student Decision-Making, and Learning Environment, followed by Individual Morale, Participative Decision-Making and Appraisal & recognition)

2008 level

2008 level

2008 level

2004 level2004 level

2004 level

Growth in social capital

(trust, respect, responsibility)

Growth in intellectual

capital (school vision,

schoolwide pedagogy)

Growth in student

engagement and learning

A diagrammatic explanation of the achievement of “Success” in Victoria’s IDEAS Project schools, 2004-2008

IDEAS Project outcomes, 2004-7 Teacher morale improved greatlyStudent attitudes improved greatlyStudent attendance went up, discipline problems went down

Teachers’ pedagogical vibrancy increased Students’ class engagement increased Student achievement in an area of school academic priority increased significantly

The IDEAS ProjectA 3-year process of school revitalisationParallel leadership (of principals and

teacher leaders)Alignment of key school factorsVisioningA schoolwide pedagogical framework (SWP)Cluster sharing and critique

In 22 of the 24 schools..... These important improvements

were maintained in 20o8 and 2009.

Which raises a question for us as school leaders..

HOW?

Keeping in mind that.....

IF VICTORIANS CAN DO IT,

ANYONE CAN.

The cosmos – ever-evolving, harmonious, orderly

The cosmos – ever-evolving, harmonious, orderly –

every school leader’s dream

Committing to action – The first cosmic dynamic

one or more school leaders made a commitment in September, 2004 to do something radically different !

In all 24 Victorian IDEAS Project In all 24 Victorian IDEAS Project schools, regardless of their schools, regardless of their

circumstances, circumstances,

Common Teacher Responses to Educational Change Proposals

“The more things change….”

“This really worries me....”

“We can make this work for us....”

“This place is completely insane….”

“She’ll be right, mate!”

“We were at rock bottom. We were told we had failed. It was awful. We had to do something to prove the bastards were wrong”.

We were a good school, but we were tired, stale. We needed to refresh, to test just how good we really were and could be.

The C.-B. “Commitment” role of school leaders in the 24 IDEAS Project schools

In 10 schools – the Principal made a firm commitment to revitalise

In 4 schools – the Deputy, as defacto Principal, made the decision to commit

In 8 schools – combined Principal/DP and teacher leaders made the commitment

In 2 schools – opposition from the Principal, support from teacher leaders. Nothing progressed.

Successful commitment requires Transformational leadership

Organisational diagnosis and coherence - The second cosmic dynamic

“An institution is like a tune; it is not constituted by individual sounds but by the relations between them.”Peter Drucker

What is your school’s tune ?Flat?

Discordant?

Melodious?

Lullaby?

Stirring?

Virtuoso?

Is your school in tune ?Does everyone know the school tune?

Do the three audiences like the tune?

Are the school instruments well-tuned?

Are the musicians playing off the same songsheet?

Do you practice together to become more expert players and a more harmonious orchestra?

The C.-B. “Coherence” role of school leaders in the 24 IDEAS Project research schools

In 16 schools – the DP managed the diagnostic process, with external (University) support)

In 6 schools – Teacher leaders managed the process (with external support)

In 2 schools – The Principal was oppositional - delays, confusion and antagonism resulted.

Leadership for coherence is shared, responsive, aligned, unobtrusive.

“An institution is like a tune; it is not constituted by individual sounds but by the relations between them.”Peter Drucker

Seeking new heights The third cosmic dynamic

YES, WE CAN !

“To be smart is the coolest thing in the whole world. Your school is SO important for you”

JILL ROWLING – on teachingIf you imagine yourself into the lives of others.... you have the capacity to transform thousands and millions for the better.

MAZZARINO, SICILY, 2006

Mafia bullying

Alienation, fear, disengagement”

MAZZARINO HIGH SCHOOL VISION

“From the castle…

…to the network”

From the Castle to the Network through SWP

How we learn (a Janus look)

Looking backWhere did this idea come

from?How has it changed over

time?

Looking AheadWhat might this idea

look like in the future?How might it make our world a better place?

Looking AroundWhat does this idea mean in my life?

How is it used around the world?

In 3 years the Mazzarino principal and staff converted a Mafia culture into an Italian showcase for non-bullying.

In 2010 they won the President of Italy Award for leadership in Italy.

The C.-B. “Aspirations” role of school leaders in the 24 IDEAS Project research

schools

In 21 schools – the Principal and/or Deputy led the Visioning process

In 11 schools – the Deputy led the SWP process

In 11 schools – teacher leaders co-led the SWP process, with a Deputy

In 2 schools – they gave up

C.-B. “Aspirations” leadership is...

Educative/advocacy in orientation

Shared by both principals and teacher leaders working in parallel

M

icro pedagogy -

–

The fourth cosmic dynamic M

icro pedagogical deepening

Pedagogical deepening

Taking the SWP principles and developing a schoolwide capacity to use them to full advantage.

You, an expert teacher.....What is your special

gift for teaching?

How do you help enrich pedagogy across your school ?

What important values guide your pedagogy?

In what ways do you contribute positively to the quality of your workplace?

What educational philosophy guides your professional work?

If these three new teachers arrived tomorrow morning at your school

Madame Marie Curie Mother Teresa Martin Luther King Jr

What would you do to enhance the pedagogical integrity of your whole school?

MARIE CURIE

MOTHER TERESA

MARTIN LUTHER KINGToday I have a dream...

Madame Curie’ ISTP teaching giftQuiet concentration (IP)

Highly diagnostic and clinical (IS)

Loves science and Ah Ha! discovery (SP)

Asking real-world What if? questions (TP)

Mother Teresa’s ISFJ teaching giftNurturing and serene (SF)

Deeply committed to the poor (FJ)

A spiritual aura is everywhere (IS)

Highly organised and strategic (IJ)

Martin Luther King’s ENFJ teaching giftEmphasises global justice (NF)

Inspiring presence and passionate oratory (FJ)

Encourages controversy and activism (NF)

Highly academic and scholarly (EN)

Highly organised and decisive (EJ)

You, a gifted teacher.....What is your deepest

passion as a teacher –eg a subject? a goal area? an aspect of childhood? a social value? a process? etc?

Why is it so important to you?

How do you use your personality type to re-inforce your passion in your work?

What expert processes and strategies do you use in pursuing your passion?

How would you summarise your special teaching gift?

What next, in developing your gift more fully?

Frank Goldsworth: Mathematics is surely the

supreme human triumph!

My teaching talent.....Mathematics is the basis of our 21st century lives and

our worlds, just as it was two millennia ago.  It explains the way things change, and all movement in

the cosmos.  Mathematics is the one universal language. It can tell

the story of every shape and size, it can symbolise the simplest and most abstract relations between all things living and theoretical and it provides the magic in describing place and space.

Mathematics is the basis of the work that each of us does and every school subject that we study. And it enables us to balance our budget so that we can vacation using transport and technologies that also depend on it.

Mathematics is surely the supreme human triumph ! I love it, I teach it.

The C.-B. “Deepening” role of school leaders in the 24 IDEAS Project research schools

In 8 schools – a Deputy co-ordinated Deepening activities

In 14 schools – teacher leaders co-ordinated the process

In 2 schools – the process did not proceed

The moral of this story...Leadership for pedagogical deepening MUST be undertaken by genuine teacher leaders if it is to be successful.

The fifth cosmic dynamic

Invo

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INVOKING reaction

Mother Teresa, the saint of the gutter

Mother Teresa, 1992:I have not sought fame. I have spread God’s word wherever it is needed.

I have listened to God’s children and shown them God’s love.

And I have sought help for them from those who have more worldly resources.

Invoking reaction involves

Honest within-school critique of school-created ideas

Willing external sharing of school-created ideas

Linking of school-created ideas to emerging systemic priorities

All growing...All together...All Hallows

All growing...All together...All Hallows -Voyages of discovery learning-

•Taking the plunge – thinking about new worlds•Connecting ports – getting help and advice•Navigating – weekly goal-setting•Hooked into learning – my special interests this week•Voyaging – being careful

The C.-B. “Invoking reaction” role of school leaders in the 24 IDEAS

Project research schools In 8 schools – the Principal

co-ordinated activities In 6 schools the Deputy was key

In 8 schools – a school team managed activities

In 2 schools - ???

C.-B. “Invoking reaction” leadership is...

Strategic

Educative/advocacy

Distributed widely – principals, deputy principals, teacher leaders

Cementing success –

the sixth cosmic dynamic

Consolidatingsuccesses

Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor, 2005

“My job was to find my successors. I found them, there they are; their job is to find their successors. So there must be continuous renewal of talented, dedicated, honest, able people who will do things not for themselves but for their people and for their country”.

Lee Kuan Yew, Retiring Principal, 2010

“My job was to leave a clear picture for my successors to build upon. Their job is to build on that and leave even more for their successors. So there must be continuous renewal of talented, dedicated, honest, able people who will do things not for themselves but for their profession and for their school”.

When we started our IDEAS journey…

In three years we have come from

this… to this!!

CELEBRATE

INCLUDE What do we know about these children?

How does this embrace our diversity?

COLLABORATE How are we collectively making use of our individual strengths, knowledge and ideas?

How does this experience enable us to learn from each other?

CONNECT How does this connect to real life?How does this connect to the future?

BUILD How does this build on what the students already know?

What supports and strategies will be used to aid new learning?

How does this new learning encourage us to think in new ways?

REFLECT What opportunities have been provided for reflection?

What have I learnt?How can I apply this learning?Where to from here?

S

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MFN outcomes, 2004-8Student well-being went from 1st to 4th

quartile (on State staff and student surveys) Teacher morale went from below State

average to above State averageParent satisfaction went from below State

average to above State averageSignificant upward trends in all Literacy areas

There was 100% support in our community for our new Values and

Vision.

Our Vision Launch was held on a special family day where we

celebrated 100 Days of Learning.

It was a huge success.

Consolidating success – the basic principles

Procedures for appointment of new principals are guided by “How can you add value?” criteria.

Teachers contribute to processes to select their principals and deputy principals.

An SMT, led by teacher leaders, is appointed the “guardian” of the school’s vision/SWP.

The induction of new staff is a serious and comprehensive business.

“ A champion team will beat a team of champions”

Source: Toowoomba Chronicle, September 30, 2000, P112

C.-B. “Consolidating success” leadership is...

Strategic

Educative/advocacy

Networked

Committing

to action

Micro

pedagogy

Organisational

Invoking

diagnosis reaction

Seeking

Consolidating

new heights successes

Our special leadership role in a complex world“Teaching is a profession of hope….. Inspirational teachers are motivated by their dreams of a better world”.

Terry Wrigley, Schools of Hope, 2003, p.1.