A preliminary model of successful school leadership

Year: 2004

Author: Mulford, Bill, Johns, Susan

Type of paper: Refereed paper

Abstract:
A preliminary model for examining successful school leadership, derived from the Tasmanian part of the International Successful School Leadership project, is presented. Success is defined by a combination of factors, including the reputation of the school within the Department of Education and with other school Principals, the reputation of the current Principal, and State and national recognition of success in terms of outcomes for students, including outcomes for students at risk.

The interactive and sequential model presented is set within a context that includes community and system understandings and requirements. It first focuses on the Principal's values which link to individual and school capacity and the development of a school vision. The context and principal's values represent the 'why' and the individual and school capacity and vision the 'how' of successful leadership. The model progresses to the 'what' or outcomes of successful leadership, which include teaching and learning, a range of student outcomes, and community social capital. These three foci are linked by evidenced-based monitoring and critical reflection, which could lead to change and/or transformation of the why, how and/or what. This model is consistent with, but develops with greater complexity, other recent overviews and models of successful educational leadership.

Back