Download - Alma Harris
Distributed School LeadershipProfessor Alma Harris
Session covers
Why Distribute Leadership?
What is Distributed Leadership?
How Leadership is Distributed?
How do you distribute leadership in practice?
“How do we ensure success for all students in all settings?… “
How do we transform our school systems so all young people can succeed?
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Leadership and Transformation
Leadership and Transformation
Leadership is a key lever of high organisational performance.
Successful organisations have widely and carefully distributed patterns of leadership.
Effective leaders grow and manage talent
Impact of Leadership on Learning(Leithwood et al, 2007)
Leadership is second only to teaching and learning in its impact on student learning.
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Ten Strong Claims about Successful School Leadership(Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Harris and Hopkins ,2010)
School leadership has a greater influence on schools and pupils when it
is widely distributed Some patterns of leadership distribution are much more effective than
others
.
Schools in Difficulty(Harris et al, 2006)
The effects of successful leadership are considerably greater in schools that are in more difficult circumstances.
So is the impact of teachers.
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Highly Effective Leaders(Harris and Hargreaves, forthcoming)
Ordinary Leaders with extraordinary expectations.
Context matters -effective leaders understand their context and care about it passionately.
Organisational re-design as a critical element of ongoing improvement
Distributed leadership as a deliberate strategy but used in very different ways.
Performance Beyond Expectations(Hargreaves and Harris, 2010)
•Organisations that that perform beyond expectations, engage in distributed leadership underpinned by collaboration as well as competition.
•Lateral and vertical leadership
So Leadership Matters
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But its not enough to know thatschool leadership matters
We need to know what form(s) of school leadership transform organisational and student learning?
Individual Leadership?
Good to Great : Jim Collins
Level 1 Capable individual
Level 2 Team manager
Level 3 Competent manager
Level 4 Effective Leader
Level 5 Executive
Level 5 Leaders
Channel ego needs away from themselves
Focus on larger goals
Are ambitious for their institution and not themselves
Level 5 Leadership
• Leaders who developed other leaders, distributed leadership and shared power.
ACTIVITY 1 Paired Discussion
How far are you a level 5 leader?
What’s your evidence?
Technological Change
In five years, students will be using technologies which haven’t been invented yet
Leadership for Transformation
(Senge, 2006)
In a world of global networks, we face issues for which top down leadership is inherently inadequate
Central Argument
A shift to the leadership of learning.
From leadership as role to leadership as practice
Leadership Practices
Past Leadership
Hierarchical and Fixed
Role and Position
Located in one school
Problem based
Skills and Competencies
Control and Efficiency
Focused on Organisation
Linked to Remuneration
Current Leadership
Lateral & Interchangeable
Talent and Capability
Movement around Schools
Solution Focused
Practice
Capacity Building
Focused on Instruction
Linked to Professional Growth
Why Distribute Leadership?
• An organisation cannot flourish – at least, not for long – on the actions of the top leader alone. Schools need many leaders at many levels. (Fullan, 2002)
• Leadership that embraces collective effort, promotes a shared sense of purpose and mission, engages many in collaboration across roles, and develops organisational cultures that impact positively upon teaching and learning.
Why Distribute Leadership?
• Leadership succession therefore means distributing leadership throughout the school’s professional community (Spillane, Halverson and Drummond, 2001)
• Achieving equitable outcomes for all learners is beyond the capacity of individual highly talented leaders and requires the knowledge and expertise of others in the school working with a shared sense of purpose.
Leadership for transformation is distributed and lateral
So may Labels for Leadership
Transformational
Instructional
Distributed
Strategic
System
Passionate
But does DL make a difference to organisational/student learning outcomes?(Harris 2008)
Improved student outcomes
Better teacher morale and self efficacy
Improved organisational outcomes
Effects of Different patterns of Leadership Distribution
Schools with the highest student achievement attributed it, in part, to distributed sources of leadership (i.e. school teams, parents and students).
Distributed Leadership and Student Learning
Analysis of data suggest that distributed leadership impacts positively upon student achievement.
(Hallinger and Heck, 2009)
What is distributed leadership(Harris 2008)
Leadership shared and extended within and between organisations:
Distributed Leadership is concerned with two things (Harris, 2008)
1. The process of leadership – how leadership occurs within the organisation
2. Leadership activity- what people do that enhances and develops their leadership
Distributed Leadership(Harris 2008)
Doesn’t mean everyone leads but that everyone has the potential to lead under the right conditions.
What is distributed leadership?
Distributed leadership is not something done by one individual to others but is exercised by a range of people within a school, extending to teachers and support staff with no formal leadership status in the school hierarchy, and encompassing pupils and parents.
It may be a group activity as well as individual action and can emerge from a variety of sources depending on the issue and who has the relevant expertise or creativity.
Two fundamental Principles(Harris and Lambert, 2000)
Broad based involvement
Agency to influence and change
Distributed Leadership in action(Harris, 2006)
• Leadership shifts according to need
• The leader role generally resides with the person who has expert authority for the designated task
• Collaborative teams formed for specific purposes and then dismantled
• Teams have fluid membership, which changes according to the task, the roles, and the requisite talent.
•
How Far is Distributed Leadership
Simply Delegation by another name?
Leadership Approaches
Instruct- Staff are generally told what to do; initiative and ideas come only from the most senior levels of the school; decisions can appear arbitrary and unexpected.
Consult -The views of staff are actively solicited and listened to; people are informed about plans before they are implemented and given an opportunity for input; decisions are still largely made at more senior levels.
Delegate -Staff are given clear areas of responsibility within which they can take decisions and exercise initiative; they are held accountable (positively and negatively) for their actions.
Leadership Approaches
• Distribute -Staff are helped to make an impact more widely across the school; ideas from every level are taken up and championed; it is easy to share ideas and people are aware of what is happening elsewhere.
• Neglect- People are forced to take initiative and responsibility because nobody is interested in what they are doing; responsibilities are blurred and ambiguous; there may be competition and duplication; staff keep their heads down and get on with perfecting their own patch.
ACTIVITY 2Where are you?
Instruct High .............................................................Low
Consult
Delegate
Facilitate
Distribute
Neglect
Distributed leadership (Harris, 2008)
is fundamentally about connecting leadership practice more closely with teaching and learning practice.
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Distributed Leadership(Harris, 2007)
Is fundamentally about organisational re-design to generate greater leadership capacity.
What does it look like in schools?
Structures Roles
Teams
Ways of Working
Learning
Locating the Tipping Point
The crucial question is not whether leadership is distributed but how it is distributed?
Ways to Develop DL Capacity
Establishing PLCsEngaging in networks and
partnershipsMentoring, coaching and critical
friendships
But it looks Different in Different Schools
Patterns of DistributionLeithwood et al (2006)
The effects and impact of distributed leadership on organizational outcomes depends upon the pattern of leadership distribution.
How is Leadership Distributed?
Kanes Hill Primary School- Southampton
Distributed Leadership by Design
‘Distributed leadership is not just a nice thing to do it’s an absolute necessary thing to do’
Distributed Leadership by Design
Team members lead one area but also operate as a second or third tier in another
St Benedict's School
Distributed Leadership by Default
Interchangeable roles every six month
Shared decision making
John Cabot School Federation
Distributed Leadership by Demand
The SMT continued with top down leadership practices that were killing the school
Something had to change.
Distributed Leadership by Disaster
Central Boys School – a failing school facing closure
A federation of different schools shared leadership responsibility
Distributed Leadership: 3 Levels (Harris, 2008)
Superficial level – delegation
Subterranean level-new teams, new roles and responsibilities
Deep level- cultural- the way of working around here
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ACTIVITY 3 How far is DL in your school
Superficial?
Subterranean?
Deep?
DL can assist us in asking
Are we maximising leadership capacity? Are we actively developing lateral and vertical leadership?
Are leaders in the right places to positively influence instruction?
Are we abandoning leadership practices that are hindering organisational growth and change?
Wrong Question
The question to ask is not
“Does distributed leadership make a difference to student learning?”
BUT
How and in what form can we maximise the impact of DL on learning?”
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it differ from delegation?
Is the Head redundant?What if teachers don’t want to be
leaders or see themselves in this way?
How do formal leaders now see their role?
What are the barriers?
ACTIVITY 4 What are the barriers to Distributed Leadership?iers
Barriers
Leadership viewed only as a formal role
Culture is not conducive
Structures get in the way
Remuneration –pay me more
Teachers reluctance
Overcoming Barriers
Change StructuresIdentify potential – talent spot earlyFree up time Create Opportunities to lead/innovateFeedback and reward loopsNetworkingKnowledge sharing processesNo blame innovationBetter succession planning
Core Principle
The most effective way to manage change is to create it.
(Drucker,1995)
Paradox 1(Harris and Muijs, 2004)
Without stable, consistent leadership in schools distributed leadership will be incredibly fragile.
Paradox 2(Leithwood et al, 2006)
Distributing leadership to others does not seem to result in less demand for leadership from those in formal leadership positions
QuestionsHargreaves and Fink (2009)
Are such forms of leadership merely more subtle and clever ways to deliver standardized packages of government reforms and performance ?
ACTIVITY 4
Self Assessment Questionnaire
How do you distribute Leadership in Practice?
VIDEO CLIPS
Reflection and Discussion
Layers of Leadership Distribution
• Staff• Pupils• Governors• Parents
Professional Learning Communities within, between and across Schools (SEF, 2008)
High performing schools help teachers improve instruction by learning from each other.
(McKinsey 2010)
The Evidence Base on PLCs(Timperley et al, 2007)
Most reliable empirical studies are of school based PLCS Definition of PLCs varies Collaboration alone can reinforce the status quoChallenge and enquiry are key to effective PLCs
Features of PLCs that Impact on Learning (Timperley et al, 2007)
NEW UNDERSANDING Dialogue that challenges problematic beliefs and the efficacy of
competing ideas Expertise external to the group that brought in new
perspectives
ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF TEACHING ON STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers had high but realistic expectations and believed they could make a difference
Norms of collective responsibility for students
Two Messages(Timperley et al , 2007)
Simply giving teachers time to talk is not enough to promote their own learning or that of students.
Existing collaborations, partnerships and networks are not PLCs by default.
Qualities of a PLC that promote teacher and student learning(Timperley et al, 2007)
Participants were supported to process new understandings and their implications for teaching and learning
The focus was on analysing the impact of teaching on student learning
Why PLCs?
The ultimate goal of a professional learning community (PLC) can be summed up in three words:
improved student outcomes.
Harris and Jones (2010)
What is a PLC? Harris and Jones, 2010
Professional learning communities are based on the simple but powerful idea that if schools are to meet learner needs, they must provide opportunities for teachers to innovate, develop and learn together.
An effective professional learning community has the capacity to promote and sustain the learning of all professionals in the school community with the collective purpose of enhancing pupil learning.
Bolam et al (2005)
PLCs (Jones and Harris, 2010)Professional Learning Communities allow teachers to focus their professional development efforts in an area of collective interest
They allow teachers to work together within and between schools
Participants learn more through active construction of knowledge rather than through passive reception of information
Features of a PLC (Harris and Jones, 2009)
Distributed LeadershipFocus on Learner NeedsAttention to Instructional CoreEnquiry driven- outcomes lead to change in practice
2 Key Principles(Harris and Jones, 2009)
Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities
Shared values and vision Collective responsibility for
pupils’ learning Collaboration focused on learning Group as well as individual
professional learning Reflective professional enquiry Openness, networking and
partnerships Inclusive membership Mutual trust, respect and support
Bolam et al (2005)
Building Blocks of PLCs(Harris and Jones, 2009)
Distributed leadership (Harris, 2007)
is fundamentally about connecting leadership practice more closely with teaching and learning practice.
Different PhasesProfessional Learning Communities(Stoll et al, 2007)
•Emerging– acquiring information and beginning to use ideas
Developing – experimenting with strategies and enquiry
Extended – greater challenge, more rigour, different, configuration
Enhanced – – PLC as a natural school improvement process
Task
Where would you place your school on the PLC continuum?
What needs to happen in your school for teachers to work together more effectively?
What are the challenges to this way of working and how may these be overcome?
But...
What does a PLC look like in a school?
What does it do?
How is it formed?
Who is involved?
A PLC begins with a group of teachers and a Headteacher who is committed to building
professional knowledge. As they extend, professional learning
communities can merge across schools to form learning networks that include teachers from several schools and/or support staff, Governors and parents.
What happens in a PLC?
PLCs engage in processes of enquiry in order to improve student outcomes.
Through using evidence from school self evaluation, including data and teacher assessment, members of the PLC identify the strengths and needs of a group of pupils and then determine the knowledge and skill required to improve outcomes.
Harris and Jones (2010)
Phases of establishing a PLCHarris and Jones 2010
Establish
Enquire
Extend
Methods of enquiry/research
Peer ObservationLesson Study Learning Walks Other forms of action research
So what?
Outcomes result in change:Teachers Instructional Practice Pupils’ learning experiences /outcomes
All practitioners will be entitled and expected to collaborate with others to:
•Reflect regularly on their practice using nationally agreed descriptions of practice.•Use such reflections to identify areas for further development.•Participate in professional experiences, which will lead to further development in the areas identified, based on evidence of best practice.•At least annually, formally record and make available evidence of their participation in this process.
Teachers’ Professional Development
Pupils’ Focus
(School Effectiveness FrameworkWalWales 2008)
Pupil Leadership – Why?
‘Giving every single child the chance to be the best they can be, whatever their talent or background’
School Effectiveness Committee
Health and Eco
School Council
Play leaders
Peer Mediators
Progress so far
Moodle- VLE
Assessment for Learning
PDAs/ Mini LaptopsTopic choice
Pupils as Leaders
Peer Mediators
Eco Committee
School Council
Play leaders
Progress so far
Enrichment Weeks
Garden design
Health week
Fair Trade
Biodiversity week Medieval week
Progress so far
Beyond the classroom
Trips
Visitors
Clubs
Learning Logs The children
are given free licence to demonstrate their understanding of the target/s in a way that they find most suitable.
They have become an integral part of the curriculum and have had a major impact on our drive to develop a more independent learner.
Progress so far
Examples from yr 2 and yr 6 Learning Log
Next steps...
SEF Committee We are going to -
•Plan the themes we study in school.
•Upload our homework for discussion with other pupils and teachers
•Share our VLE with other schools around the counrty
•Manage a budget for our enrichment days.
•Award pupil to pupil merits for meeting targets
Marco Polo
Without stones, there is no arch.
So is there a Blueprint For DL?
Vision
Transparency
Making Connections: Relationships
Closing gaps
Distributed leadership (Harris, 2007)
is fundamentally about connecting leadership practice more closely with teaching and learning practice.
Wherever and Whenever we choose(Edmonds, 1979)
We can improve learning and life-chances of young people
You can accomplish anything in life, provided you do not mind who gets the credit (Truman)
Long haul: Two Vital Leadership Tests
Leadership that secures improved teaching and learning.
Leadership that develops other leaders, at all levels.
http://www.almaharris.co.uk