Papercode: CAR04142

DEVELOPING SCHOOL LEADERS WITH

THE COMMITMENT AND CAPACITY TO

PURSUE THE COMMON GOOD

Paul Carlin & Helga Neidhart, Australian Catholic University

Paper presented at the AARE Conference Melbourne Nov/Dec. 2004

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Abstract

In an era of relentless global change and threats of terrorism, communities are struggling with issuesrelated to the public good such as democracy, human rights, equitable distribution of wealth andresources, and a sense of meaning and security. Many writers from various fields argue thateducation (and therefore schools) must be in the frontline of responding to these opportunities andchallenges. As a consequence, more is being asked of schools by all key stakeholders:governments, employers, universities, parents and communities. These demands are being made ata time when successive research reports are confirming that an increasing number of senior leadersin schools, especially women, are reconsidering their decisions on career progression. This paperreports on the implications of a major study of leadership undertaken in Catholic primary andsecondary schools in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania (VSAT). It also outlines a LeadershipFramework which has been developed to enable the development of leaders with the capacity andcommitment to guide schools through these challenging times.

INTRODUCTION

The global world, nations and communities is struggling with issues such as democracy, human rights,equitable distribution of wealth and resources, and a sense of meaning and security. Thus, multipleopportunities and challenges confront governments and citizens of the twenty-first century. How theyrespond is critical.

… the twenty-first century faces the task of developing a suitable form of government for that singleworld. It is a daunting moral and intellectual challenge, but one we cannot refuse to take up. Thefuture of the world depends on how well we meet it. (Singer, 2002: 219)

If governments and community leaders are to respond to these challenges and re-establish a public good,then the role of education in developing leaders and citizens is vital to make sense and sound moraljudgements in these uncertain circumstances.

This requires that education is seen as much more than a private consumable item, and what Hirschterms a ‘positional good’, but rather, as Grace (1994: 214) argues, as ‘a public good’, developing ‘amoral sense, a sense of social and fraternal responsibility for others’. (Bottery, 2004 : 10)

The ways in which state and federal governments, define curriculum through standards frameworks andassessment requirements, and provide resources for education, will be powerful indicators as to howcommitted they are to education, beyond human capital purposes, as a public good and entitlement for allcitizens.

Research from countries across the world indicates that increasing numbers of people in the workforce arerevising the criteria they apply in making choices about career progression. Issues such as ‘work-life’balance (Ipsos-Reid, 2003; Neidhart and Carlin, 2003), and ‘Downshifting’ (Hamilton and Mail, 2003), arebecoming more important factors in the decisions employees make, and in their willingness to take on seniorleadership positions. Durant and Morley (2002) suggest that different generations apply different prioritieswhen making decisions about career and life goals. This, together with a prevalent perception that teachingis a high stress occupation, is the key reason why teacher retention rates are of an increasing concern(Manuel, 2003; Graham, 2003; Guerrera, 2003).

All of this has serious implications for the development and retention of school leaders when many claim thechallenges are significant. Research from different disciplines confirms that, as the responsibilities of leadersin many walks of life become more complex and demanding, increasing numbers of people are reluctant toapply for senior positions. In relation to leadership succession, Fullan (2202, 3) argues that:

There is no more neglected topic in research, policy or practice. Researchers should investigate theoptimum conditions for successful succession as much as we focus on new leaders and start-ups.

We yearn for strong leaders so we can borrow their strength. We wantleaders with integrity because we know their example can inspire us and

expand our own capacity for honesty and moral clarity. We admireleaders with passion because they radiate the kind of commitment, the

charisma, the emotional force and courage we wish we had.(Mackay, 1999:137-138)

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Responding to this challenge, the paper presents a Leadership Framework developed by members of theFlagship for Catholic Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) to enhanceleadership in schools at all levels.

CONTEXTIn a world characterised by intense market competition, instant communication and financial transactions, awidening gap between rich and poor, and the growing scourge of terrorism, many writers (Leithwood & Riehl,2003; Caldwell, 2003; Marginson, 2002;) assert that education is a critical element of any purposefulresponse. In addition to these tensions, there is evidence of increasing fragmentation and hardship withinfamilies and communities. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (Australian Social Trends 2003) reports one-parent families have increased by 53 per cent between 1986 and 2001. As a consequence of these factors,many families are struggling:

They find themselves running out of coping strategies: sending two people into the labour marketinstead of one; getting more education; delaying fertility; moving in search of a better job; and then,when all that runs out of steam, going into too much debt. (Pusey, 2003: 6)

Consequently, various stakeholders place different, and sometimes conflicting, expectations on schools.Governments require improved learning outcomes to develop a smarter workforce to take advantage ofinternational markets, “Australia needs a culture of continuous innovation to be competitive in a ‘newknowledge’ global economy” (Graham, 2003: 1). Parents, on the other hand, look to schools to instildiscipline and responsibility, as well as provide an education that will meet their children’s needs and providethe best opportunities for them to enter preferred university courses. Finally, social welfare groups assert thatpoor education, high unemployment, and minimal levels of social capital are consigning to “No Go Zones” anincreasing number of families living in urban, rural and remote communities (Vinson, 2004). The priority andscope of these demands were summed up as follows:

Adapting to the changing environment is not only a matter of reshaping institutions and applying newtechnologies. It is equally vital to ensure that students are equipped with the core values necessaryto live as responsible citizens in complex democratic societies. A meaningful education for theTwenty-first Century should stimulate all aspects of human intellectual potential.

(World Bank, 2001b: 18)

Writers including Fullan (2002) have argued that waves of educational reform have done little to redress keyconcerns. Others such as Sirotnik (1999: 607) argue that important differences exist between reform andrenewal, and claim that it is renewal that is required:

Renewal is about the process of individual and organizational change, about nurturing the spiritual,affective, and intellectual connections in the lives of educators working together to understand andimprove their practice. Renewal is not about a point in time; it is about all points in time – it is aboutcontinuous, critical inquiry into current practices and principled innovation that might improveeducation. (Italics in original)

As a result, the agenda for teachers and school leaders has become very demanding, complex and constant.Schools are places where national and state policies and priorities meet local expectations, needs andvalues. It is in schools therefore, that leaders have the responsibility and the challenge of responding to theserequirements. As Hallinger (1997: 29) points out however, “A fundamental pre-requisite to developing thecapacity for change in individuals, institutions, or societies is a healthy sense of community”. It is in thiscontext that teachers and school leaders are expected to be sources of strength and knowledge that sustainthese communities with their diverse and often chronic needs.

Another factor that has become prevalent over the past decade is the readiness of parents and formerstudents to bring legal actions against schools for such matters as alleged child abuse or unsatisfactoryresults, which they claim, have impaired their life chances.

These circumstances require better prepared leaders if schools are to respond to these expectations in acoherent and effective way. But succession processes need to be clear about the attributes andcompetencies required of leaders faced with these challenges. According to Heifetz (2004: 39), leadershipcompetencies are insufficient:

Leadership couples emotional intelligence with the courage to raise the tough questions, challengepeople’s assumptions about strategy and operations – and risk losing their goodwill. It demands acommitment to serving others: skill at diagnostic, strategic and tactical reasoning; the guts to getbeneath the surface of tough realities; and the heart to take the heat and grief.

As leaders experience these expectations and reflect on their likely impact on professional and personal lives,increasing numbers are revising key life and career decisions by giving preference to career choices thatenable them to better manage their life preferences.

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THE VSAT STUDY

The VSAT project Leadership Succession for Catholic Schools in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania(2003) was a major study, which included all Catholic primary and secondary schools across three states.Questionnaire and interview data were analysed from approximately 400 senior leaders (deputy principals,religious education co-ordinators and curriculum co-ordinators) focusing on:

• pathways to principalship of current principals;• intentions of senior leaders regarding application for principalship of Catholic schools;

• identification of factors which encourage or discourage senior leaders in decisions regarding applicationfor principalship; and

• programs provided by Catholic education authorities to support the continuing development of principals.This paper focuses on the intentions of senior leaders regarding application for principalship, and the factorsthey nominated as encouraging or discouraging them to apply.

Methodology

Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from male and female senior leaders in Catholic primary andsecondary schools across the three states, using a questionnaire, and follow-up focus interviews. Data oncareer aspirations of the respondents were obtained using one salient item on the questionnaire. Sixcategories were used for data collection:ß I have applied for a principalship in the past but will not do so in the future.ß I have never applied for a principalship and do not envisage doing so in the future.ß I have applied for a principalship in the past, but am unsure if I will do so again.ß I have not yet applied for a principalship, but envisage doing so in the future.ß I am actively seeking a principalship.ß I would only apply for a principalship if the school were in a suitable location.

In addition, senior leaders were asked: What are the most significant factors, which encourage or discourageyou from actively applying for principal positions?

A set of fixed-response items was developed to identify the disincentives to applying for principalship, and afive-point response format was used for each item: Strongly Discourage, Discourage, No Influence,Encourage, Strongly Encourage. Responses were factor analysed using the SPSS statistical package. Eightinternally consistent scales were identified, based on item groupings. Each scale was named to reflect theitems in that group, and comprised eight items. Negatively worded items were reverse scored. Table 1shows these scales, their descriptions and corresponding questionnaire items.

In addition to these disincentives to principalship scales, data were collected on the reward structure ofsenior leaders. Scales to assess internal and external rewards formed part of the questionnaire (see Table1).

TABLE 1: Descriptive information for eight disincentives to principalship and two reward scalesScale Name Description Questionnaire ItemsPersonal and FamilyImpact

The extent to which the role of principalimpacts on personal and family life.

1,10,19, 28, 37, 46, 55, 64

Unsupportive ExternalEnvironment

The extent to which the external schoolenvironment is unsupportive of theschool.

2,11, 20, 29, 38, 47, 56, 65

Religious IdentityDemands

The extent to which the principal isexpected to be the faith leader of theschool

4,13, 22, 31, 40, 49, 58, 67

Recruitment Problems The extent to which the interviewprocess is perceived to be fair.

5, 14, 23, 32, 41, 50, 59, 68

Systemic Accountability The extent to which schools are heldaccountable by external systems ofadministration

6, 15, 24, 33, 42, 51, 60, 69

Lack of Expertise The extent to which the principal lacksexpertise on school matters.

7,16, 25, 34, 43, 52, 61, 70

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Perceived Male Bias The extent to which women areperceived to have a lesser chance ofprincipalship.

8, 17, 26, 35, 44, 53, 62, 71

Loss of CloseRelationships

The extent to which the role of principalis lonely with limited future prospects.

9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72

Internal Rewards The extent to which internal rewardsencourage career aspirations.

80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 93,94

External Rewards The extent to which external rewardsencourage career aspirations.

81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91

All scales had very sound internal consistency, with Cronbach coefficient alpha ranging from .74 forRecruitment Problems to .91 for Perceived Male Bias. Accordingly, aggregated scale scores, rather thanindividual items, were used in subsequent analyses.

Structure of Focus Interviews

Focus interviews were conducted with 8-12 senior leaders in each of the seven dioceses in the three states.Their purpose was to:1. validate the findings derived from questionnaires;2. extend and deepen data obtained from questionnaires; and3. invite participants to recommend preferred solutions to the issues raised in questionnaires.

The recommendation by Kreuger & Casey (2000) that two people conduct the interviews was adopted: oneto lead the questions, and the other to record responses and note interactions and non-verbal responses.Data from interviews were analysed to identify where they:1. reinforced the findings,2. contradicted them, and/or,3. added new insights.

Population

Questionnaires were distributed to 1380 to senior leadership staff, and 390 returns were received – aresponse rate of 29 per cent. Of these, 234 (60 per cent) were female, 147 (39 per cent), and 9 wereincomplete. The demographic data from respondents included location of current school, current position,other leadership experience, gender, and school type (primary/secondary).

Findings/Reflections

Data were analysed and interpreted in relation to:1. the intentions of staff in senior leadership positions with regard to applying for principalship; and2. the factors identified by senior leaders, which encourage or discourage them from applying for

principalship.

The positive and negative perception of factors, which influenced leaders in their decisions, was derived fromthe literature and questionnaires, and was explored further in focus interviews. The researchers attempted toensure there was a reasonable balance between the numbers of negative and positive items in thequestionnaire. Participants responded to each item using a five-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5(Very strongly). Table 2 provides data on the breakdown of percentages of senior leaders regarding theirintention to apply or not to apply for principalship.

TABLE 2: Senior Leaders Career Aspirations regarding Application for Principalship

Category Frequency Percent

a) I have applied in the past, but will not do so in the future 24 6.1

b) I have never applied, and do not intend applying 141 36.1

c) I have applied in the past, but am not sure if I will in the future 33 8.4

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d) I have not applied yet, but I do envisage applying in the future 109 27.9

e) I am actively seeking principalship 26 6.6

f) I will apply for principalship, but only if it is in a suitable location 63 16.1

D ata we re the n ca te go ri se d as : ‘W il l i ng ’, ‘ Un wi ll in g’ a nd ‘ Un su re ’ by c om bi ni ng twos im il ar c ateg or ie s in T ab le 2 a bo ve , to fac il itate th e re po rt in g of the r es ul ts i n Ta bl e3 b el ow .

T ABLE 3 : Senior Leaders Aspirations for Principalship (Combined Categories)

Category Fre qu en cy Perce nt

Have no t ap plie d previo usly, OR, do n ot inten d to a pp ly in th efuture(UNWILL ING)

1 65 4 2.2

Have ap plie d previo usly, bu t no t su re if I will in th e fu tu re , OR, Iinten d to a pp ly b ut o nly in p re fe rred locat io ns(UNSURE)

9 6 2 4.5

Have no t ap plie d ye t, b ut I d o in te nd to do so in the future, OR, Ia m active ly a pp ly in g fo r prin cipa l po sition s(WILL ING)

1 35 3 4.5

Analysis employing cross-tabulations revealed further insights into leadership intentions. Table 4 shows theresults of a ‘gender-by-leadership intention’ cross-tabulation. This indicates that the proportion of femalesunwilling to apply for a principalship (56 per cent) is much higher than that of males (25 per cent). In addition,Table 9 shows that females are much more polarised in their leadership aspirations than males.

TABLE 4: Gender by Leadership Aspiration Cross-TabulationLeadership Aspiration (row percentage)

Gender Unwilling to apply Unsure about applying Willing to apply

Male 24.8 29.9 45.3Female 55.9 17.1 27.0

Total sample 44.6 21.2 34.2

This was followed by a cross-tabulation ‘gender by school-type by leadership aspiration’, see Table 5.

TABLE 5: Gender by School Type by Leadership Aspiration Cross-TabulationLeadership Aspiration (row percentage)

Gender & School Type Unwilling to apply Unsure about applying Willing to apply

MalePrimary 12.5 26.8 60.7Secondary 34.2 30.1 35.6

Male total sample 24.6 29.1 46.3

FemalePrimary 58.0 14.7 27.3Secondary 52.6 17.5 29.8

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Female total sample 56.2 16.7 27.1

These findings highlight critical differences between the genders. In the category ‘Unwilling to Apply’ (Table5), the percentage of women was more than twice that of males. Conversely, in the category ‘Willing toApply’, nearly 20 per cent more males were willing to apply. The contrast is even more stark when ‘school-type’ is added, particularly in Catholic primary schools, where the percentage of females unwilling to apply isnearly five times that of males. Some explanation for these differences is offered in the findings for thesecond research question.

Disincentives

The second question referred to data on factors, which encourage or discourage applicants from applyingfor principalship. Table 6 shows data relating to the ten scales developed for the VSAT study.

TABLE 6: Data from Scales to assess disincentives to applying for principalship

Ran k by Sch oo l Type Ran k by Inten tion to Ap ply fo rP rincip alsh ipSca le Name

Ran k bySca le Mea n(fu llsample) P rim Sec P-1 2 Unwilling Unsure Willing

Perso na l an dFamily Impa ct

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recru itme ntP ro blems

2 2 2 2 5 2 2

Unsup po rt iveExterna lEnviron me nt

3 3 5 5 2 4 5

L oss of Clo seRelat io nships

4 6 3 4 4 5 3

Syste micAccou ntab il it y

5 4 4 3 3 3 6

Male Bias 6 5 6 6 6 6 4

L ack ofExp ertise

7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Relig io usIde nt it yDeman ds

8 8 8 8 8 8 8

With the exception of the ‘Unwilling” respondents, there is unanimous agreement from all other respondents(male and female), that ‘personal and family impact’ and ‘recruitment problems’ are ranked first and secondas disincentives. ‘Lack of expertise’ and ‘religious identity demands’ received the lowest rankings.

Incentives: Perceptions of Reward Structures for Senior Leaders

The following sections report the result of three analyses involving the internal and external rewards scales:the relationship between rewards and disincentives to leadership succession, and the influence of position,school type and gender on rewards.

To investigate the relationship between rewards and disincentives, simple correlations between the tworeward scales, (Internal Rewards and External Rewards and the eight disincentives to principalship) werecomputed. Table 7 sets out the results.

Table 7: Correlations between two reward scales and eight disincentives to principalship scalesScale Internal Rewards External RewardsPersonal and Family Impact -.11* -.04Unsupportive External Environment -.22 -.02

Religious Identity Demands -.32* -.16*

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Recruitment Problems .28* .28*Systemic Accountability -.17* -.02

Lack of Expertise -.31* -.12*Perceived Male Bias .07 .08

Loss of Close Relationships -.06 .01

*p<.05

To examine the influence of position (deputy principal, REC, other coordinator), school type (primary,secondary) and gender on rewards, a multivariate analysis of variance was performed. The effects ofposition and school type were significant (p<.05).

Summary data from focus interviews

The three major facto rs d isco urag in g ap plicat io n id en tified b y se nior lea de rs (ma le a nd female)were:

ß perceived negative impact of the role on the quality of life of the principal, and its significantintrusion into family life;

ß high levels of uncertainty and diversity of responsibility entailed in the role, for which many feelunprepared and which they consider to be beyond their capacity; and

ß disadvantages of an unsuitable location, usually regional or rural areas.

Much of the d iscu ssio n ce nt re d on the n eg at ive impa ct o f prin cipa lship on p erso na l an d fa milylife. Interviewee s re po rted tha t th e pressu re s an d expe ctat io ns were of te n exce ssive. Whe nlea de rs h ave scho ol-age d ch ildren , a wo rkin g sp ou se , an d pe rh aps olde r pa re nts re qu irin g ca re ,the ir cap acity to fulfi l th eir ro le a s sp ou se a nd /o r pa re nt , as well as p ro fe ssio na l du ties, iscon side ra bly diminish ed . Se nior lea de rs rep orte d th ey wou ld b e re lu ctan t to a pp ly forp rincip alsh ip b ecau se this is a too h ig h a price.

DISCUSSION

The f in ding s do n ot sug ge st the re is a cris is in te rms of a pplica tion s fo r prin cipa lship of Catho licsch oo ls a t th is t ime. Ove r 34 p er cent of sen ior le aders were ap plying or intending to apply, a nd afurth er 2 5 pe r ce nt reporte d th ey wou ld b e like ly to ap ply if the schoo l me t sp ecif ic criteria such a ssuita ble lo ca tion a nd size. Whe n th is is co mp ared with th e pe rcen ta ge who curre nt ly h old th ep osit io n of p rincip al o r de pu ty in Au stra lia, which a ccording to Presto n (2 002, p .1 ) is less th an 1 0p er cen t, the n th e 34 .5 p er cen t wh o re sp on de d in the “Will in g” categ ory se ems a re la tive lyh ea lthy n umbe r. However, th ese da ta p ro vide n o in fo rmat io n ab ou t th e qu alit y of a pp lica nts tolea d Ca th olic sch oo ls in th ese un ce rtain time s.

In te rms of the major incen tive s no mina te d by those willing to ap ply, the d ata co nf irme d th at thep rima ry mot ivators are in te rn al rewards, as e vide nced b y th ose with the h ig he st f re qu en cies:ß o pp ortu nity to wo rk with staf f to make a differen ce in th e life cha nces o f stud ents a nd familie s;ß cha nce to con trib ute to Catho lic ed ucat io n an d th e missio n of the Chu rch;ß o pp ortu nity to bu ild a co mp eten t an d co mmit te d le ad ersh ip tea m.The ran king o f th ese in ce nt ives ind icate th at respo nd ents a re committed to th e co mmon g oo d asthe y se e it . Fin an cial a nd o th er e xterna l re wa rd s did no t ra nk in th e high est freq ue ncie s.

With re ga rd to disincen tive s, it is c le ar tha t fo r bo th p rima ry a nd secon da ry sen io r le ad ers,p erso na l an d fa mily imp act fa ctors an d re cruitmen t issu es were th e two high est disincen tive s.For tho se in th e Un will in g ca te go ry, a pe rceive d un su pp ortive e xterna l en viro nmen t wa s th esecon d mo st s ig nificant d is in ce nt ive. The key issue s nomina te d un de r pe rsonal a nd family impa ctwere:ß con se qu en ce s fo r pe rson al t ime an d qu alit y of l ife issu es;ß reg ular int ru sion into fa mily t ime;ß imp act of sch oo l lo ca tion o n ed ucat io na l op po rtun it ie s fo r ch ildren a t se co nd ary an d te rt ia ry

level, employme nt o pp ortu nities for spo uses, an d th e lo ss o f va lu ed socia l ne tworks.

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The issue o f re cruitmen t, h owever, did emerge a s a co nsiste nt a nd sig nifica nt issue . Th isinclu de d, for e xa mp le , co ncern ab ou t th e tran sp aren cy a nd fairn ess of the p rincip al selectionp ro ce ss, la ck o f co nstructive fee db ack to u nsucce ssfu l ca nd id ates, a pe rcep tion a mo ng femalesen io r le ad ers th at males were ad va ntag ed , an d a co ncern wh ethe r pa ne l me mb ers ha d th ea pp ro pria te kno wled ge a nd q ua lifica tion s to make re co mmen da tion s. This wa s also raise d infocus interviews. I t wa s ackn owle dg ed tha t, whilst mo st d io ce se s provid ed varying d eg re es o ft ra in in g fo r pa ne ls, training was o ften n ot compu lsory an d, for some in te rvie we es, it was n otsuf ficien t to inspire con fide nce in the p ro ce ss.

" Un su pp ortive Externa l En viro nmen t" was ran ke d as the third h ig he st d is in ce nt ive overall. I tsho uld be n oted tha t th e two groups that ra nked it high est we re prima ry sen ior le ad ers an d th osewho d id not intend to a pply for princip alsh ip . Seco nd ary se nior lea de rs, an d th ose wh o classifiedthe mselve s as 'Will in g" , ra nked it fifth. Dimen sion s of this scale in clud ed lit ig at io n, ind ustria lrelat io ns, an d a crit ical n at io na l me dia.

The f in ding s also con firm that th ese th re e fa ctors in combina tion a re major d is in ce ntives for man ylea de rs, bu t espe cially women a s re flecte d in the follo wing sta tist ics. In th e ca te go ry ‘Will in g toa pp ly ’, the n umbe r of p rima ry males is ne arly two a nd a h alf time s th e nu mb er o f fe ma le s.Con ve rsely, in th e ca te go ry ‘Un will in g to a pp ly ’, for e ve ry male th ere are five females. Th is is avery unhe althy state of affairs, pa rt icularly g iven tha t wo me n co nstitu te app ro xima te ly 7 0 per ce nto f th e te aching force . It see ms rea so na ble to con clud e in l ig ht o f th e find in gs a bo ve , th at thecomplex and d emanding n ature of the p rincip alsh ip is on e impo rtant fa ctor. Of more interest is at re nd which ind icates tha t an incre asin g nu mb er o f wo me n are ma king caree r an d life styled ecis io ns, wh ich en ab le the m to lead mo re a uthent ic a nd h ea lthier l ives. (Neidh art & Carlin , 20 03 )

Wha t are th e implicat io ns o f th ese find in gs for the cap acity of sch oo ls to provid e an e du ca tiontha t go es b eyon d hu ma n ca pita l ou tcomes, an d en ab le s grad ua te s to b ecome in fo rmed a nde nlig hten ed cit izen s, who can h elp sh ap e a mo re just, mea ning fu l an d pe aceful g lo ba l wo rld?Becau se o f th e un ce rtaint ie s occu rrin g in most fa ce ts o f life , espe cially the e mp lo ymen t se ctor,g overnmen ts a nd familie s are ma king g reater d eman ds o n scho ols in g en eral, an d prin cipa ls a ndo th er lea ders in pa rt icular. As socie ty h as b ecome mo re f ra gmen ted re su lt in g in g re ater levels ofstress, sch oo ls h ave be co me imp orta nt commu nity cen tres for a ll sta ke ho ld ers. Incre asin glyg overnmen ts a re u sing sch oo ls for the imp le me ntat io n of major h ea lth prog ra ms such as h armmin imisat io n, and in area s of d isad vantag e, man y scho ols are of fe ring b re akfa st a nd a fter-sch oo lp ro grams to cater for p aren t(s) working lon g ho urs.

In re co gnit io n of the increasin g nu mb er o f stud en ts with be ha viou ra l and emot io na l diso rders, a lle du ca tion autho rities a re tra in in g and employing mo re sta ff with stud en t we lfare qu alif icat io ns a nde xp erie nce. Whilst th is is a le gitima te respo nse to e me rg in g ne ed s, it is l ikely to b e a process ofcon ta in me nt rathe r th an o f re ne wa l.

As a co nseq ue nce, the role of sch oo l prin cipa l ha s expa nd ed b eyon d ed ucat iona l le ad ersh ip , toe ncompa ss incre ased man ag eria l an d acco un ta bility funct io ns, as well as more co mp lex le gal an dcomplia nce re sp on sibilities. Flockton (20 01 : 20 ) claims tha t:

Many of today’s schools feed, counsel, provide health care for body and mind, and protect students,while they also educate and instruct. The principal is expected to be legal expert, health and socialservices co-ordinator, fundraiser, diplomat, negotiator, adjudicator, public relations consultant,security officer, technological innovator and top notch resource manager, whose most important jobis the promotion of teaching and learning. (International Principals’ Conference)

In ad dition to all these re sp on sibilities, prin cipa ls o f Ca tholic sch oo ls h ave the ad dition al role ofb eing the relig io us lea de r of the sch oo l co mmun ity. This ha s always b ee n a ce nt ra l pa rt o f th eirrole, h owever, with cha ng es o ccurring in th e Church , an d in the a tt itud es a nd p ra ctices o f many o fstu de nts an d th eir fa milies, se nior lea de rs rep orte d th at :

a) for an in crea sing numbe r of stu dents an d th eir fa milies, scho ol h as become th eir grea te st ,a nd in so me cases, th eir on ly e xp erie nce of Chu rch; a nd

b) the a ge in g of p riests, an d the de clin e in their n umbe rs, mo re p rincip als are be ing expe ctedto be relig ious lea de rs n ot o nly of the sch oo l co mmun ity, b ut a lso th at o f th e pa rish . On ee xa mp le , cite d by several p rincip als in the focused interviews, was tha t th ey h adcon du cted more th an o ne fun eral d urin g th e pa st twe lve mo nths.

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In th ese co mp le x time s, con ce pts of p ub lic go od a nd ren ewal strug gle fo r re co gn it io n an dsusta in ed a ct io n. A recen t re po rt , Commu nity Adversity a nd Resilie nce, argu es tha t fo r th eb uild in g of commu nity:

… such building of conn ection s be twee n th e re side nts of d isad vantaged are as n eeds to bea ccompa nied b y th e crea tion o f new op po rtun it ie s in e du ca tion , training a nd e mp lo ymen ttha t op en u p life o pp ortu nities. (V in so n, 2 00 4: 1 )

In ma ny localit ie s scho ols ha ve b ecome th e primary co mmunity ce nt re , of te n with the sup po rt o flocal g overnmen ts. Wh ilst such pa rtne rships make se nse, the y also u nd erline a cha ng in g ro le forsch oo ls a nd the ir lea de rs, an d co nseq ue nt ly req uire d if fe re nt lea de rship an d ma na ge me ntstructu re s for th e co mmunity. As a resu lt man y senior lea de rs e xp re ssed a con ce rn that th ey feltu ncomfo rtab le a nd u np re pa re d fo r a re -d ef in ed a nd e xp an de d ro le .

Recen t re se arch is of fe ring o th er e xp la na tion s. Hamilto n an d Ma il (20 03 ) de scribe a relat ivelyrecen t ph en omen on terme d “d ownshift in g”, wh ich th ey d ef in e as p eo ple ma king a lon g-te rmcha ng e to the ir l ifesty le which results in a lo we r in co me . Find in gs sug ge st tha t 23 p er cen t ofAustralia ns h ave do wn sh if te d in the last te n ye ars. Duran t an d Mo rley (20 02 : 5) in th e Mt E lizaL ea de rship In de x re ve al tha t Ge ne ra tion X lea de rs a cross Au st ra lia listed the ir top threelea de rship ch alle ng es a s:

• Man ag in g yo ur o wn caree r de ve lo pmen t• Build in g po sitive relat io nships with othe rs• Being f le xible in respo nd in g to n ew ide as a nd cha ng e.

The e xten t to which Gen X tea ch ers se e scho ol lea de rship as b eing a tt ract ive in terms o f th esep riorit ie s re ma in s un an swered a t th is sta ge .

I t is wid ely ackn owle dg ed tha t th is cha ng in g co ntext, a nd a con ce rn to protect th e pu blic g oo d,req uire s no t on ly n ew lea de rship st ru ctures, su ch a s dist ribu te d le ad ersh ip , (Spillan e, Halve rson& Dia mo nd , 20 01 ), b ut a lso th e de velo pment of new leade rship frameworks to be tter p re pa re n ewlea de rs (le ad ersh ip succe ssio n) a nd sup po rt curre nt sch oo l le ad ers.

L EADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

An earlier version of this framework (see Appendix) was developed by the Flagship for CatholicEducational Leadership for the Lutheran Church of Australia to assist the development of Lutheranprincipals. It was later revised and customised for use in Catholic schools (Duignan, Kelleher & Spry,2003). It has further potential to be adapted for other specific groups or systems, as has been done by theQueensland dioceses (Spry 2004). This framework has three key components:• Context of Catholic Education• Leadership Dimensions and• Key Capabilities of Leaders.

Context of Catholic EducationThe mission of the Catholic Church provides the ethos and purpose of Catholic schooling, and is the priorityfocus for the formation of school leaders. The changing context of Catholic education - societal, governmentpolicies and church – has important implications for principal preparation.

Leadership DimensionsThe framework lists six dimensions as being central to the identity and practices of Catholic schools in thethird millennium. It is designed to assist Diocesan education authorities to develop effective leadershipsuccession processes for the preparation of future leaders. The six dimensions are:

• Leading and Developing Self• Catholic Ethos and Identity• Teaching and Learning• School Culture• Human Management• Financial Management and Accountability.

It is appropriate that Leading and Developing Self is the first dimension as it emphasises the importance offormation of leaders as being foundational for Catholic schools, and underpins the other dimensions.Leading and Developing Self is a pre-requisite for the second dimension, Catholic Ethos and Identity. Thesesix dimensions are the basis for the claim that Catholic schools are distinctive. The other five dimensions,which apply to all schools, complete the framework for the preparation and continuing development ofleaders in Catholic schools.

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Key CapabilitiesThe final component is the three key capabilities of leaders, which enhance the abovedimensions. These are:• Personal - intellectual, intuitive, spiritual• Relational - ethical, emotional and cultural capabilities of leaders; and• Professional - strategic, management and professional aspects.

This leadership framework is the product of research conducted by the Flagship for Catholic EducationalLeadership (ACU) with Lutheran principals and leaders across Australia. It has been designed to articulateand integrate dimensions and capabilities required by current and future leaders to develop the ethics andcompetence to lead schools in a context characterised by continuing change, fragmentation, uncertainty anddilemmas. The centrepiece is the dimension “Leading and Developing Self”. It is the person of every leader,with his/her values, vision, integrity and professional knowledge who leads and influences other members ofthe community, manages crises and resolves disputes. For this to occur, this dimension should have priorityin the continuing development and review process. Leaders should model, articulate and promote thepurpose and values of the institutions they lead. As Heifitz (2004: 39) reinforces, “Leadership couplesemotional intelligence with the courage to ask the tough questions …”, and by inference to take and defendthe tough decisions. Leadership has never been easy, and there is mounting evidence that leadership ofschools has become more complex, challenging and demanding. This framework has undergone initialtrialling in particular contexts. It is being offered with an invitation to trial, with or without adaptation, in orderto test it in a wider range of contexts as a basis for further development and improvement.

CONCLUSION

As schools work with their communities to make sense of continuing change andfragmentation, uncertainty and insecurity, governments, employing authorities and leadersin all walks of life will need to come to greater agreement about what constitutes the publicgood. All will need to work strategically and collectively to develop citizens and leaders tobecome community advocates and contributors. The current research suggests that, ineducation, the resources and commitment to pursue the public good in the medium term arediminishing, as are the number of school leaders, especially women, available for theprincipalship. Already a shortage of teachers exists, and research evidence indicates that,in excess of twenty per cent of new teachers leave teaching in the first five years(Guerrera, 2003). Similarly, increasing numbers of employees in other sectors are givinghigher priority to health and lifestyle factors when making decisions about careerprogression. Where will the critical mass of professional and community leaders be found,who will fight to enhance and protect the public good? Only true servant leadership and realselflessness will point the way.

As you work to become all you can be, you can start to let go of your petty self-interests.

As you give back give back some of what you have been given, you can reconstruct

your communities.

As you serve the values of freedom, justice, equality, caring, and dignity, you can constantly

renew the foundations of democracy.

As each of us takes individual responsibility for creating the world of our dreams, we can all

participate in leading.

John Gardner (Kouzes and Posner, 1995: 338)

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Figure 1: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLING (Duignan, Kelleher and Spry, 2003)

Appendix

MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

TeachingAnd

Learning

Leading andDeveloping Self

HumanManagement

CONTEXT OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION

SchoolCulture

Financial Managementand Accountability

Catholic Ethosand Identity

RELATIONAL• Ethical• Emotional• Cultural

PERSONAL• Intellectual• Intuitive• Spiritual• Critical

PROFESSIONAL• Management• Strategic• Professional

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