The role of school leaders in reform

GREANY, TOBY

Abstract

School leaders sit at the fulcrum of educational reform initiatives. This is particularly the case in decentralised school systems in which schools have relatively high levels of autonomy, or decision-making rights, in relation to operational and instructional matters. However, even in less decentralised systems, school-level leaders must work in concert with district supervisors and teachers if desired reforms are to lead to changes in classroom practices and improvements in outcomes for children and young people.

This observation raises important questions around how school leaders understand and engage with centrally-defined reforms and how they work with staff and wider stakeholders to achieve change. This paper explores these questions by focusing on two areas:

Firstly, it explores system governance and the ways in which reforms are developed and enacted, since this will influence how school leaders respond and the kinds of support and incentives that influence their behaviour. Many systems have sought to strengthen accountability pressures and incentives for school-level leaders, which can potentially secure improvements in test scores but can also lead to unintended consequences, such as increasing stratification between schools and gaming behaviours. In response, policy makers have sought to mix and match a wider range of governance mechanisms and to acknowledge the complexities involved in system change.

Secondly, it explores the nature of leadership and the leadership of change within schools.

Drawing on these insights, the paper concludes by drawing out implications for policy makers and designers of leadership development programmes as well as front-line leaders.

Citation

GREANY, T. (2020). The role of school leaders in reform

• Publication Date: Sep 23, 2020
• Deposit Date: May 17, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 28, 2021
• Series Title: RCEP UNESCO conference paper
• Keywords: school leadership; school system reform; policy enactment
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5509113
• Publisher URL: https://rcepunesco.ae/en/KnowledgeCorner/WorkingPapers/WorkingPapers/Greany%20paper%20for%20RCEP%20UNSECO%20online%20seminar%20Sept%202020.pdf
• Related Public URLs: https://rcepunesco.ae/en/KnowledgeCorner/WorkingPapers/Pages/default.aspx