This practicum was completed and submitted on Monday, March 15, 2010 for CTL1797 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education under Wayne Seller.
This practicum will be left online for anyone interested in the subject of school leadership and for-profit education institutes. The comment sections are open and all discussion is both welcome and encouraged.
To begin reading the practicum please start here or navigate using the section headings at the right.
If you would like to hear an audio summary of the practicum (or if you're curious about the way I sound) then please download the podcast here. It is 22 minutes but it sums everything up without going into too much detail.
Thank you and enjoy.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Appendix: Recruitment Ad
Below is a recruitment ad SUIS issued for a new school leader position in 2008. Recruitment ads were only briefly mentioned in this practicum as they do not have a large impact on recruitment aside from notifying potential candidates of the position. However, ads such as this one shed light on the company's idea of what it means to be a good leader and therefore are worth looking at.
__________________________________________
Shanghai United International School
Job Title: International Stream Principal
Starting date: February, 2009
Duration of: 2 years, renewable
Salary: Negotiable, relative to qualifications and experience
Overview
Shanghai United International School was founded in 2003. It differs from most other international schools in that it operates under the auspices of, and in tandem with, the Chinese local stream school, sharing the premises and the resources.
In September 2006 SUIS opened a separate international stream in a second primary school not far from the primary campus. This follows the same pattern, and shares its premises with the local Chinese stream. Presently the school has 124 students in Grades 1 -4 (60 in international program and 64 in the bilingual program). The international program follows the IB PYP, aiming for the IGCSE and the IB DP in the coming years (in our high school campus).
Context
At primary level Shanghai United International School’s major profile lies in its bilingual (English and Chinese languages) approach to the curriculum, based on the principle of ‘East meets West”. In the Primary School, most lessons are taught simultaneously by an English-language and a Chinese language. This ensures that Chinese nationals can access an international curriculum whilst at the same time maintaining their roots within the Chinese culture. It enables foreign nationals to obtain an international curriculum (IB PYP) whilst at the same time learning the Chinese language and culture.
The campus
The school will expand to cover the full range of grades 1 – 5 in 2009
The curricula will include the UKIPC and IBPYP and a bilingual program which is intended to cater for the needs of ‘alternative pathways’.
The students are predominantly Asian (returning Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese) but with a smattering of Europeans and native English-speakers.
The challenge is to provide a primary education which caters for the needs of international students who are interested in international education, but who find it challenging to fulfill their potential because they lack the linguistic competence to access the English-language and Chinese-language curriculums. Some older students simply come late to international education, possessing inadequate language skills.
The International Stream shares the campus with the local stream school (1000 students in Grades 1 - 9).
The current stream has an excellent reputation for its friendly service and quality in teaching and learning. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done in the stream.
The International Stream Principal will play a major role in promoting quality international education, developing the East meets West profile of the school (cross-stream links) and to building close links with the predominantly Asian community.
The management structure comprises: Superintendent, International Stream Head, Administration / Admission supervisor, Administration assistance, English subject Coordinator, Math subject coordinator and Chinese subject coordinator.
Job Description
The International Stream Principal is a member of the school’s Senior Management Team (SMT). The superintendent of the international stream will be monitoring the school on part time basis. As result, this post will enjoy delegated authority and, as such, a substantial amount of autonomy.
The Head will manage the educational provision in Grades 1 – 5 . This will include:
•teaching up to 20% of a normal timetable;
•delivering a curriculum suited to the needs of international stream students and bilingual stream students within the framework provided by the IBPYP, UKIPC and alternative curricula (e.g. Longman English and Science) to include:
- curriculum structure
- staffing – including recruitment and appraisal structures
- rooming
- assessment, reporting & recording
- calendar;
• ensuring the highest possible quality of teaching and learning through:
- the appointment and management of effective teachers
- the provision of ongoing staff professional development
- the establishment of quality control mechanisms (formal evaluation, appraisal, etc.)
- the maintenance of well-equipped classrooms and dynamic displays of work
- the provision of stimulating educational trips, extra-curricular activities and enrichment events
- the development and oversight of policies, procedures and systems designed to provide a safe and efficient educational environment;
• effectively administer the primary school:
- creating and managing the school’s strategic development plan;
- arranging cover for absent colleagues (primary);
- the management of statistical information on student attainment designed to establish benchmarking and calculate value-added;
- managing the primary school’s budget;
• managing the Language Center department;
• developing an ethos of a ‘learning community’;
• comprehensively espousing the principles of the IB;
• delivering an effective primary-secondary interface;
• managing the content and delivery of primary school assemblies;
• maintaining close and productive home-school links, with the relevant channels of communication;
• meeting with and advising prospective parents and students;
• participating in marketing and promotional activities;
• ensuring a warm, friendly, welcoming, structured and disciplined learning environment;
• Organizing and host join stream activities.
Shanghai United International School
Job Title: International Stream Principal
Starting date: February, 2009
Duration of: 2 years, renewable
Salary: Negotiable, relative to qualifications and experience
Overview
Shanghai United International School was founded in 2003. It differs from most other international schools in that it operates under the auspices of, and in tandem with, the Chinese local stream school, sharing the premises and the resources.
In September 2006 SUIS opened a separate international stream in a second primary school not far from the primary campus. This follows the same pattern, and shares its premises with the local Chinese stream. Presently the school has 124 students in Grades 1 -4 (60 in international program and 64 in the bilingual program). The international program follows the IB PYP, aiming for the IGCSE and the IB DP in the coming years (in our high school campus).
Context
At primary level Shanghai United International School’s major profile lies in its bilingual (English and Chinese languages) approach to the curriculum, based on the principle of ‘East meets West”. In the Primary School, most lessons are taught simultaneously by an English-language and a Chinese language. This ensures that Chinese nationals can access an international curriculum whilst at the same time maintaining their roots within the Chinese culture. It enables foreign nationals to obtain an international curriculum (IB PYP) whilst at the same time learning the Chinese language and culture.
The campus
The school will expand to cover the full range of grades 1 – 5 in 2009
The curricula will include the UKIPC and IBPYP and a bilingual program which is intended to cater for the needs of ‘alternative pathways’.
The students are predominantly Asian (returning Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese) but with a smattering of Europeans and native English-speakers.
The challenge is to provide a primary education which caters for the needs of international students who are interested in international education, but who find it challenging to fulfill their potential because they lack the linguistic competence to access the English-language and Chinese-language curriculums. Some older students simply come late to international education, possessing inadequate language skills.
The International Stream shares the campus with the local stream school (1000 students in Grades 1 - 9).
The current stream has an excellent reputation for its friendly service and quality in teaching and learning. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done in the stream.
The International Stream Principal will play a major role in promoting quality international education, developing the East meets West profile of the school (cross-stream links) and to building close links with the predominantly Asian community.
The management structure comprises: Superintendent, International Stream Head, Administration / Admission supervisor, Administration assistance, English subject Coordinator, Math subject coordinator and Chinese subject coordinator.
Job Description
The International Stream Principal is a member of the school’s Senior Management Team (SMT). The superintendent of the international stream will be monitoring the school on part time basis. As result, this post will enjoy delegated authority and, as such, a substantial amount of autonomy.
The Head will manage the educational provision in Grades 1 – 5 . This will include:
•teaching up to 20% of a normal timetable;
•delivering a curriculum suited to the needs of international stream students and bilingual stream students within the framework provided by the IBPYP, UKIPC and alternative curricula (e.g. Longman English and Science) to include:
- curriculum structure
- staffing – including recruitment and appraisal structures
- rooming
- assessment, reporting & recording
- calendar;
• ensuring the highest possible quality of teaching and learning through:
- the appointment and management of effective teachers
- the provision of ongoing staff professional development
- the establishment of quality control mechanisms (formal evaluation, appraisal, etc.)
- the maintenance of well-equipped classrooms and dynamic displays of work
- the provision of stimulating educational trips, extra-curricular activities and enrichment events
- the development and oversight of policies, procedures and systems designed to provide a safe and efficient educational environment;
• effectively administer the primary school:
- creating and managing the school’s strategic development plan;
- arranging cover for absent colleagues (primary);
- the management of statistical information on student attainment designed to establish benchmarking and calculate value-added;
- managing the primary school’s budget;
• managing the Language Center department;
• developing an ethos of a ‘learning community’;
• comprehensively espousing the principles of the IB;
• delivering an effective primary-secondary interface;
• managing the content and delivery of primary school assemblies;
• maintaining close and productive home-school links, with the relevant channels of communication;
• meeting with and advising prospective parents and students;
• participating in marketing and promotional activities;
• ensuring a warm, friendly, welcoming, structured and disciplined learning environment;
• Organizing and host join stream activities.
Works Cited
Borba, Mary F. “From Teacher to Administrator: What Does It Take?” Principal 88.5 (May-Jun 2009): 53-54. Print
Clandinin, D. Jean; Connelly, F. Michael. “Teacher as Curriculum Maker.” Handbook of Research on Curriculum: A Project of the American Educational Research Association. Ed. P. Jackson. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992. Print.
Covaleskie, John. “On Education and the Common Good: A Reply to Coulson.” Education Policy Analysis Archives 2.11 (Aug 10 1994). Digital file.
Earley, Peter.; Weindling, Dick.. “Do School Leaders Have a Shelf Life?: Career Stages and Headteacher Performance.” Educational Management Administration & Leadership 35.1 (Jan 2007): 73-88. Print
Eisner, Elliot W. The Educational Imagination: On the Design and Evaluation of School Programs. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979. Print
Garet, Michael S; Porter, Andrew C; Desimone, Desimone, Laura; Birman, Beatrice F; Yoon, Kwang Suk. “What Makes Professional Development Effective? Results from a National Sample of Teachers.” American Educational Research Journal 38.4 (Winter, 2001): 915-945. Print.
Gold, Barry Allen. “Punctuated legitimacy: A theory of educational change.” Teachers College Record 101.2 (1999): 192-219. Print.
Guskey, Thomas R. “Leadership in the Age of Accountability.” Educational Horizons 86.1 (Fall 2007): 29-34. Print.
Hallinger, Philip; Snidvongs, Kamontip. “Educating Leaders: Is There Anything to Learn from Business Management?” Educational Management Administration & Leadership 36.1 (Jan 2008): 9-31. Print.
Hannay, Lynne; Seller, Wayne. “The Influence of Teachers’ Thinking on Curriculum Development Decision.” Insights into Teachers’ Thinking and Practice. Ed. C. Day, M. Pope & P. Denicolo. Lewes: Falmer Press, 1990. Print.
Hansen, Spencer D. “The Academic Evolution of TEAMING.” Principal Leadership 9.7 (Mar 2009): 33-36. Print.
Kimball, Steven M; Milanowski, Anthony. “Examining Teacher Evaluation Validity and Leadership Decision Making Within a Standards-Based Evaluation System.” Educational Administration Quarterly 45.1 (Feb 2009): 34-70. Print.
Kirkpatrick, Clark. The Academy for International School Heads (AISH) Recruiting Handbook. Ed. Edward Greene. AISH, 2007. Print.
Leithwood, Kenneth; Jantzi, Doris. “Linking Leadership to Student Learning: The Contributions of Leader Efficacy.” Educational Administration Quarterly 44.4 (2008): 496-528. Print.
Lukaszewski, James E. “The Ingredients for Good Leadership.” School Administrator 65.7 (Aug 2008): 16-17. Print.
Marshall, Kim. “The Big Rocks: Priority Management for Principals.” Principal Leadership 8.7 (Mar 2008): 16-22. Print.
McLaughlin, M. W; Mitra, D. “Theory-based change and change-based theory: Going deeper, going broader.” Journal of Educational Change 2.4 (2001): 301-323. Print.
Ripley, Amanda. “What Makes a Great Teacher?” The Atlantic Online (Jan-Feb 2010): 3. Web. 25 Jan 2010.
Sorenson, Richard D. “The Administrative Power Grab.” School Administrator 64.6 (Jun 2007): 34. Print.
Spillane, James P. “External reform initiatives and teachers’ efforts to reconstruct their practice: the mediating role of teachers’ zones of enactment.” Journal of Curriculum Studies 31.2 (1999): 143-175. Print
“The High-Wire Job of Charter School Leadership.” Education Week 28.3 (2008): 6-8. Print
Wilson, Steve F. Learning on the Job: When Business Takes on Public Schools. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006. Print
Clandinin, D. Jean; Connelly, F. Michael. “Teacher as Curriculum Maker.” Handbook of Research on Curriculum: A Project of the American Educational Research Association. Ed. P. Jackson. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992. Print.
Covaleskie, John. “On Education and the Common Good: A Reply to Coulson.” Education Policy Analysis Archives 2.11 (Aug 10 1994). Digital file.
Earley, Peter.; Weindling, Dick.. “Do School Leaders Have a Shelf Life?: Career Stages and Headteacher Performance.” Educational Management Administration & Leadership 35.1 (Jan 2007): 73-88. Print
Eisner, Elliot W. The Educational Imagination: On the Design and Evaluation of School Programs. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979. Print
Garet, Michael S; Porter, Andrew C; Desimone, Desimone, Laura; Birman, Beatrice F; Yoon, Kwang Suk. “What Makes Professional Development Effective? Results from a National Sample of Teachers.” American Educational Research Journal 38.4 (Winter, 2001): 915-945. Print.
Gold, Barry Allen. “Punctuated legitimacy: A theory of educational change.” Teachers College Record 101.2 (1999): 192-219. Print.
Guskey, Thomas R. “Leadership in the Age of Accountability.” Educational Horizons 86.1 (Fall 2007): 29-34. Print.
Hallinger, Philip; Snidvongs, Kamontip. “Educating Leaders: Is There Anything to Learn from Business Management?” Educational Management Administration & Leadership 36.1 (Jan 2008): 9-31. Print.
Hannay, Lynne; Seller, Wayne. “The Influence of Teachers’ Thinking on Curriculum Development Decision.” Insights into Teachers’ Thinking and Practice. Ed. C. Day, M. Pope & P. Denicolo. Lewes: Falmer Press, 1990. Print.
Hansen, Spencer D. “The Academic Evolution of TEAMING.” Principal Leadership 9.7 (Mar 2009): 33-36. Print.
Kimball, Steven M; Milanowski, Anthony. “Examining Teacher Evaluation Validity and Leadership Decision Making Within a Standards-Based Evaluation System.” Educational Administration Quarterly 45.1 (Feb 2009): 34-70. Print.
Kirkpatrick, Clark. The Academy for International School Heads (AISH) Recruiting Handbook. Ed. Edward Greene. AISH, 2007. Print.
Leithwood, Kenneth; Jantzi, Doris. “Linking Leadership to Student Learning: The Contributions of Leader Efficacy.” Educational Administration Quarterly 44.4 (2008): 496-528. Print.
Lukaszewski, James E. “The Ingredients for Good Leadership.” School Administrator 65.7 (Aug 2008): 16-17. Print.
Marshall, Kim. “The Big Rocks: Priority Management for Principals.” Principal Leadership 8.7 (Mar 2008): 16-22. Print.
McLaughlin, M. W; Mitra, D. “Theory-based change and change-based theory: Going deeper, going broader.” Journal of Educational Change 2.4 (2001): 301-323. Print.
Ripley, Amanda. “What Makes a Great Teacher?” The Atlantic Online (Jan-Feb 2010): 3. Web. 25 Jan 2010.
Sorenson, Richard D. “The Administrative Power Grab.” School Administrator 64.6 (Jun 2007): 34. Print.
Spillane, James P. “External reform initiatives and teachers’ efforts to reconstruct their practice: the mediating role of teachers’ zones of enactment.” Journal of Curriculum Studies 31.2 (1999): 143-175. Print
“The High-Wire Job of Charter School Leadership.” Education Week 28.3 (2008): 6-8. Print
Wilson, Steve F. Learning on the Job: When Business Takes on Public Schools. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006. Print
V. Recommendations
Of the many questions that were covered, I now return to the most essential: What plausible mechanisms are available for SUIS to increase its supply of exceptional school leaders? Each conclusion of this practicum (II, III, IV) offers a basic recapitulation of important developments and it would make sense to produce some informed recommendations from these points. Rather than reiterate the same ideas again, I have instead selected four ideas that encompass the most essential components of this practicum. The procedures involved during the stages of new leadership from recruitment to contract renewal are cyclical, interconnected, and overlapping - qualities which my recommendations will reflect. Without further ado, I humbly submit these recommendations for increasing the quantity of exceptional school leaders.
Understand that only rarely is a strong leader developed from a mediocre one
The first recommendation is not a specific action per se, but a willingness to accept a simple truth. Though it contravenes one of education’s most sacredly held beliefs about learning the simple truth is that a strong leader is not created by the company from scratch (if that were possible, the payoffs would be incalculable), but rather developed due to the inherent capabilities that allow him or her to benefit from the effects of training, support, and experience. In other words, a strong leader must be “found” before he or she can be trained.
According to many articles dealing with school leadership, the school leader position is characterized by such varied and unpredictable factors that no amount of training will ever satisfy everything. Leaders can be scalded for being either too attentive or too lacking in interest, too strict or too loose with rules, too empathetic or too critical with evaluations, and so on. And yet, some leaders can prevail under such dramatically turbulent environments because they possess the adaptability, proaction, and interpersonal intelligence to reconcile these snags.
Several articles in my literature review were authored by such caliber of leaders trying to offer useful advice to others in their position. Aside from one article which discussed implementing specific business strategies (Hallinger and Snidvongs), the others (Borba; Guskey; Lukaszewski; Marshall; and Sorenson) focused more on attitude adjustments and adopting new perspectives. While such advice would be effective on those who only require a small push in the right direction, it would be useless on those who are not capable leaders to begin with. Good leadership is almost always acknowledged as a mindset rather than a set of defined standards of good practice. The latter can be trained, the former cannot.
Another factor pointing to the realization that school leaders are not trained to be successful is the sheer weight of evidence provided by Steven F. Wilson. He documents several cases where large amounts of money and resources are invested into developing strong leaders with little success (239). The best leaders were always the ones who demonstrated promise during the early stages of their career before any major training even began (240).
The main point to take from all this is to spend a majority of time and resources on improving recruitment. More importantly however is that by accepting the fact that leaders are not as malleable as companies want them to be, training can become more focused and evaluations more accurate and effective. Remember again that we are talking about truly strong leaders – the types who can single-handedly make noticeable jumps in school performance. Such leaders do not just hatch from the shell of an ordinary individual and yet companies determined to develop excellent leadership continually waste significant resources because they are convinced by the fallacy that given enough training, things will eventually improve.
Establish a realistic leadership profile and stick to it
If asked to describe the ideal school leader, most people would do well to just read a list of positive character qualities: confident, authoritative, optimistic, passionate, can challenge oneself, self-aware, enterprising, supportive, loyal, outcome focused, can sustain changes, can build teams, can spread out tasks, committed, etc…
The first step to a successful recruitment is to know exactly what kind of leader is desired, which could involve little more than sketching out a list of requirements and traits. The difficulty however, is in setting the bar somewhere between requirements high enough to be met by the truly qualified but not so high that a leader is unattainable. Establishing a set of qualifications and requirements that go beyond the conceivable is difficult to avoid when you consider the large variety of tasks leaders have to accomplish, but doing so not only inhibits a careful and conscious sense of decision making, it also means every candidate chosen is accepted as an amiss. Such profiles are inevitably characterized by paradoxical requirements that can only lead to settling for less.
Alternatively, a profile that is realistic and achievable, i.e. one that thoughtfully measures the advantages against the limitations of potential candidates can result in a clearer discernment for the general qualities that are aligned with the company’s priorities. Establishing such profiles will make screening easier and allow interviewers to focus on questions that can elicit better responses. However, it is absolutely essential that whatever profile the company decides on be compromised as little as possible when making a final decision. Selecting an unsuitable candidate will have immediate unfavorable effects on the school’s performance and reputation.
Sticking to the originally desired profile is also important during evaluations. The profile acts as a set of criteria in which performances are measured against. Wavering will only result in lowered standards.
Do not underestimate the value of instructional leadership
I mentioned above that a profile for an excellent leader is inevitably characterized by paradoxical requirements. One of the paradoxes discussed at length in this practicum is the choice between instructional leadership and business management because very rarely does a leader come with the skills and expertise in both. Because SUIS is founded and run mainly on business principles, it seems appropriate to want leaders who are administratively adept first. And yet over and over, every article on effective leadership lists academic instructional ability as the most critical skill to possess (including the Wilson book on business and schools). Not only is this trait absolutely necessary for monitoring and improving student achievement, but it is the main contributor to making strong and binding relationships with teachers.
If I had to make one criticism about how SUIS manages its school leaders, it would be this. The company seems to underestimate the importance of instructional leadership. The principal’s job description treats academic achievement as a task rather than a strategy; and it is not listed as a major obligation for the leader to interact directly with the school’s teachers. This view is further supported by the interview questions found in the AISH interview handbook which only broadly addresses instructional leadership rather than focus in on the finer details that would reflect the leader’s competence in raising students’ standards. Finally, the SUIS principal evaluation although involving teaching and learning to a large extent, does not devote enough effort to the dynamic relationships with teachers, which is what takes up a significant portion of the school leader’s job and is crucial to the success of academic programs.
SUIS is established by an organizational culture which thrives on instruction, data, and results. It needs leaders who possess not only experience as senior educators, but those willing to be consumed with "instructional quality and the data by which to manage it" (Wilson 350). Leaders must be fluent in instructional programs so that they could coherently cite test results in support of whether said programs were gaining traction and aid those teachers who require assistance. And while SUIS is correct to want to emphasize business and financial capabilities in their leaders, the school simply cannot succeed financially if its leaders’ instructional guidance is unable to keep academic results high.
Have a systematic procedure in place for keeping track of job satisfaction
SUIS’s mission-driven culture and mandatory “East meets West” occupancy agreement means that there are prescribed limits to the amount of flexibility the school leader is permitted in the work environment; and yet SUIS needs leaders who are resourceful and proactive enough to fill in blanks and multitask without supervision. Conflicts of interest are sure to arise when charismatic and outspoken leaders are required to meet challenging objectives while restrained to certain company policies. Special measures must be made to keep leaders strongly committed to their job without coming at the expense of the company’s design and protocols.
We already know that SUIS employs a separate department for administering and analyzing evaluations. School leaders are given their first evaluation after six months and then subsequent ones each year after. These evaluations thoroughly cover almost every aspect of the leader’s job, but rather than focus solely on level of performance, evaluations would do well to also gather data on assessing the leader’s level of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is very likely related to job commitment, so it would be wise to track these attitudes early. By including it in a performance evaluation, SUIS will know whether a particular freedom or power has been rightfully earned.
The limited flexibility permitted by SUIS also means the head office will have to be readily available to offer support and issue new challenges to the school leader in order to preserve commitment. For instance, work exhaustion and frustration are feelings that seriously affect job satisfaction so evaluations should strive to detect them before they become problematic. In these cases, the company should apply support passively such as help in reprioritizing objectives and distributing tasks to other available staff so that school leaders still feel they are in control when the challenge is overcome. Leaders are more likely to commit if the head office offers support and shows understanding without applying too much direct control.
_________________________________________
It feels highly audacious to make recommendations on an issue as complicated and formidable as school leadership to a company I only had e-mail contact with for the last seven months. Although the subject of this practicum surrounds the policies and actions made by Shanghai United International Schools, none of the research was conducted onsite at the company’s headquarters or any of its branches. Instead, inferences were drawn through what could be gathered from websites, company documents (accessed with permission), and lengthy e-mail correspondences with the director of the international stream.
Perhaps if given more time or another opportunity, this practicum would include interviews and surveys with some of SUIS’s senior educators and entrepreneurs in order to elicit the valuable insights that come from years of first-hand experience in hiring and working with school leaders. Until then I have only the assistance of a thoroughly conducted literature review to extend the depth of my arguments. Part of the advantages in conducting a literature review is that valid insights can be deduced by the reoccurrence of similar ideas made by several different authors. When these ideas do not correspond to the raw data provided by SUIS, it makes them worth looking into. The main intent of this practicum has from the beginning been little more than to extend some possibly overlooked ideas about increasing exceptional leadership to the SUIS head office.
When I began this practicum in September 2009, I was fully aware of the difficult and expensive conundrum that school leadership created for education companies. I knew that successful school leadership is an issue far too complicated for the pages of this practicum and there is more ground to be covered in areas such as psychology, and business theory. This understanding motivated me to avoid ideas that were too hypothetical and explore ones more grounded in reality. Overall, I feel I have delivered a project that honestly explores a complicated and sometimes controversial subject. School leadership will always be an important area of education theory and practice. This practicum has given me the opportunity to develop a firm foundation on it.
Understand that only rarely is a strong leader developed from a mediocre one
The first recommendation is not a specific action per se, but a willingness to accept a simple truth. Though it contravenes one of education’s most sacredly held beliefs about learning the simple truth is that a strong leader is not created by the company from scratch (if that were possible, the payoffs would be incalculable), but rather developed due to the inherent capabilities that allow him or her to benefit from the effects of training, support, and experience. In other words, a strong leader must be “found” before he or she can be trained.
According to many articles dealing with school leadership, the school leader position is characterized by such varied and unpredictable factors that no amount of training will ever satisfy everything. Leaders can be scalded for being either too attentive or too lacking in interest, too strict or too loose with rules, too empathetic or too critical with evaluations, and so on. And yet, some leaders can prevail under such dramatically turbulent environments because they possess the adaptability, proaction, and interpersonal intelligence to reconcile these snags.
Several articles in my literature review were authored by such caliber of leaders trying to offer useful advice to others in their position. Aside from one article which discussed implementing specific business strategies (Hallinger and Snidvongs), the others (Borba; Guskey; Lukaszewski; Marshall; and Sorenson) focused more on attitude adjustments and adopting new perspectives. While such advice would be effective on those who only require a small push in the right direction, it would be useless on those who are not capable leaders to begin with. Good leadership is almost always acknowledged as a mindset rather than a set of defined standards of good practice. The latter can be trained, the former cannot.
Another factor pointing to the realization that school leaders are not trained to be successful is the sheer weight of evidence provided by Steven F. Wilson. He documents several cases where large amounts of money and resources are invested into developing strong leaders with little success (239). The best leaders were always the ones who demonstrated promise during the early stages of their career before any major training even began (240).
The main point to take from all this is to spend a majority of time and resources on improving recruitment. More importantly however is that by accepting the fact that leaders are not as malleable as companies want them to be, training can become more focused and evaluations more accurate and effective. Remember again that we are talking about truly strong leaders – the types who can single-handedly make noticeable jumps in school performance. Such leaders do not just hatch from the shell of an ordinary individual and yet companies determined to develop excellent leadership continually waste significant resources because they are convinced by the fallacy that given enough training, things will eventually improve.
Establish a realistic leadership profile and stick to it
If asked to describe the ideal school leader, most people would do well to just read a list of positive character qualities: confident, authoritative, optimistic, passionate, can challenge oneself, self-aware, enterprising, supportive, loyal, outcome focused, can sustain changes, can build teams, can spread out tasks, committed, etc…
The first step to a successful recruitment is to know exactly what kind of leader is desired, which could involve little more than sketching out a list of requirements and traits. The difficulty however, is in setting the bar somewhere between requirements high enough to be met by the truly qualified but not so high that a leader is unattainable. Establishing a set of qualifications and requirements that go beyond the conceivable is difficult to avoid when you consider the large variety of tasks leaders have to accomplish, but doing so not only inhibits a careful and conscious sense of decision making, it also means every candidate chosen is accepted as an amiss. Such profiles are inevitably characterized by paradoxical requirements that can only lead to settling for less.
Alternatively, a profile that is realistic and achievable, i.e. one that thoughtfully measures the advantages against the limitations of potential candidates can result in a clearer discernment for the general qualities that are aligned with the company’s priorities. Establishing such profiles will make screening easier and allow interviewers to focus on questions that can elicit better responses. However, it is absolutely essential that whatever profile the company decides on be compromised as little as possible when making a final decision. Selecting an unsuitable candidate will have immediate unfavorable effects on the school’s performance and reputation.
Sticking to the originally desired profile is also important during evaluations. The profile acts as a set of criteria in which performances are measured against. Wavering will only result in lowered standards.
Do not underestimate the value of instructional leadership
I mentioned above that a profile for an excellent leader is inevitably characterized by paradoxical requirements. One of the paradoxes discussed at length in this practicum is the choice between instructional leadership and business management because very rarely does a leader come with the skills and expertise in both. Because SUIS is founded and run mainly on business principles, it seems appropriate to want leaders who are administratively adept first. And yet over and over, every article on effective leadership lists academic instructional ability as the most critical skill to possess (including the Wilson book on business and schools). Not only is this trait absolutely necessary for monitoring and improving student achievement, but it is the main contributor to making strong and binding relationships with teachers.
If I had to make one criticism about how SUIS manages its school leaders, it would be this. The company seems to underestimate the importance of instructional leadership. The principal’s job description treats academic achievement as a task rather than a strategy; and it is not listed as a major obligation for the leader to interact directly with the school’s teachers. This view is further supported by the interview questions found in the AISH interview handbook which only broadly addresses instructional leadership rather than focus in on the finer details that would reflect the leader’s competence in raising students’ standards. Finally, the SUIS principal evaluation although involving teaching and learning to a large extent, does not devote enough effort to the dynamic relationships with teachers, which is what takes up a significant portion of the school leader’s job and is crucial to the success of academic programs.
SUIS is established by an organizational culture which thrives on instruction, data, and results. It needs leaders who possess not only experience as senior educators, but those willing to be consumed with "instructional quality and the data by which to manage it" (Wilson 350). Leaders must be fluent in instructional programs so that they could coherently cite test results in support of whether said programs were gaining traction and aid those teachers who require assistance. And while SUIS is correct to want to emphasize business and financial capabilities in their leaders, the school simply cannot succeed financially if its leaders’ instructional guidance is unable to keep academic results high.
Have a systematic procedure in place for keeping track of job satisfaction
SUIS’s mission-driven culture and mandatory “East meets West” occupancy agreement means that there are prescribed limits to the amount of flexibility the school leader is permitted in the work environment; and yet SUIS needs leaders who are resourceful and proactive enough to fill in blanks and multitask without supervision. Conflicts of interest are sure to arise when charismatic and outspoken leaders are required to meet challenging objectives while restrained to certain company policies. Special measures must be made to keep leaders strongly committed to their job without coming at the expense of the company’s design and protocols.
We already know that SUIS employs a separate department for administering and analyzing evaluations. School leaders are given their first evaluation after six months and then subsequent ones each year after. These evaluations thoroughly cover almost every aspect of the leader’s job, but rather than focus solely on level of performance, evaluations would do well to also gather data on assessing the leader’s level of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is very likely related to job commitment, so it would be wise to track these attitudes early. By including it in a performance evaluation, SUIS will know whether a particular freedom or power has been rightfully earned.
The limited flexibility permitted by SUIS also means the head office will have to be readily available to offer support and issue new challenges to the school leader in order to preserve commitment. For instance, work exhaustion and frustration are feelings that seriously affect job satisfaction so evaluations should strive to detect them before they become problematic. In these cases, the company should apply support passively such as help in reprioritizing objectives and distributing tasks to other available staff so that school leaders still feel they are in control when the challenge is overcome. Leaders are more likely to commit if the head office offers support and shows understanding without applying too much direct control.
It feels highly audacious to make recommendations on an issue as complicated and formidable as school leadership to a company I only had e-mail contact with for the last seven months. Although the subject of this practicum surrounds the policies and actions made by Shanghai United International Schools, none of the research was conducted onsite at the company’s headquarters or any of its branches. Instead, inferences were drawn through what could be gathered from websites, company documents (accessed with permission), and lengthy e-mail correspondences with the director of the international stream.
Perhaps if given more time or another opportunity, this practicum would include interviews and surveys with some of SUIS’s senior educators and entrepreneurs in order to elicit the valuable insights that come from years of first-hand experience in hiring and working with school leaders. Until then I have only the assistance of a thoroughly conducted literature review to extend the depth of my arguments. Part of the advantages in conducting a literature review is that valid insights can be deduced by the reoccurrence of similar ideas made by several different authors. When these ideas do not correspond to the raw data provided by SUIS, it makes them worth looking into. The main intent of this practicum has from the beginning been little more than to extend some possibly overlooked ideas about increasing exceptional leadership to the SUIS head office.
When I began this practicum in September 2009, I was fully aware of the difficult and expensive conundrum that school leadership created for education companies. I knew that successful school leadership is an issue far too complicated for the pages of this practicum and there is more ground to be covered in areas such as psychology, and business theory. This understanding motivated me to avoid ideas that were too hypothetical and explore ones more grounded in reality. Overall, I feel I have delivered a project that honestly explores a complicated and sometimes controversial subject. School leadership will always be an important area of education theory and practice. This practicum has given me the opportunity to develop a firm foundation on it.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
IV. Conclusion
Companies such as SUIS need to be extra acute in who they eventually decide to hire for a school leader position. Even a “strong leader” who fits the profile flawlessly will come with some drawbacks. The type of individual able to lead a school to success is often engaging and forceful, willing to take orders during the initial period of induction, but eager for a less restrictive environment. Too little direction from the company may come at the expense of fidelity to the organization’s model. Too much direction will generate bitter conflicts of interest. The company must take consideration in how it will gradually prescribe power and how a mutual exchange of trust and respect will develop.
Training begins as a period of intense mentoring that gradually phases into less direct support. Although SUIS follows training as recommended by several theorists, its effects will not be revealed until after the new leader begins managing the school unsupervised. Few leaders are ready-made for success and it is the responsibility of the company to keep close checks and administer thorough and consciously designed evaluations at regular intervals. Problems must be identified early and accurately so that they can be dealt with to conclusion.
Aside from keeping leaders sharp, they must also be kept committed. Strong leaders mean nothing if they are not dedicated to the job. The school leadership position should have a sense of worth and purpose to it. SUIS must ensure that its design is made to be challenging and that a supportive network is available when tasks begin to overwhelm. The assurance that the company they work for is aware and understanding of their concerns allows school leaders to maintain dignity and a sense of respect for their employer.
Training begins as a period of intense mentoring that gradually phases into less direct support. Although SUIS follows training as recommended by several theorists, its effects will not be revealed until after the new leader begins managing the school unsupervised. Few leaders are ready-made for success and it is the responsibility of the company to keep close checks and administer thorough and consciously designed evaluations at regular intervals. Problems must be identified early and accurately so that they can be dealt with to conclusion.
Aside from keeping leaders sharp, they must also be kept committed. Strong leaders mean nothing if they are not dedicated to the job. The school leadership position should have a sense of worth and purpose to it. SUIS must ensure that its design is made to be challenging and that a supportive network is available when tasks begin to overwhelm. The assurance that the company they work for is aware and understanding of their concerns allows school leaders to maintain dignity and a sense of respect for their employer.
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