School Leadership in India Mapping Challenges but with a silver lining Rashmi Diwan NUEPA rashmidiwan19@gmail.com

What is leadership in the most simplistic terms?

Do you consider yourself a leader in your school and why?

How one looks at Leadership?

The Current Reality Leadership - an important factors influencing school effectiveness – yet little attention paid so far to develop effective school leaders School leaders senior teachers - ageing; newly appointed or prospective leaders with little orientation: Range of schools with high PTR to feeble PTR, multigrade teaching , multiage situations to big issues and issues linked to big schools – makes school leaders’ role very challenging Functionaries supporting the school have an ‘inspection’ mindset rather than a supporting approach - Tend to be reactive instead of proactive Ownership? The element that the school belongs to me missing Different sets of administrators in a State- cycle of accountability in question Political interference in the school affairs; the head teachers and even other education functionaries act helpless - with no accountability

SCHOOLS -MUST IMPROVE- Immediate Concerns SCHOOLS -MUST IMPROVE- MUST TRANSFORM Shift in the role of School Heads: from principalship to a broader role of leadership Leadership Development : SPOTLIGHT FOR SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT To pursue transformative agenda

National University for Educational Planning and Administration National Centre for School Leadership

Two Pronged Approach LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT NEW, CURRENT, ASPIRING SCHOOL HEADS TO DEVELOP SCHOOLS OF TODAY LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION FUTURE LEADERS TO GOVERN NEXT GENERATION SCHOOLS

VISION AND MISSION Vision: To develop new generation leaders to transform schools so that every child learns and every school excels Mission: To enhance leadership capability at school level for institution building to deliver quality education

COMMITMENT TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS Build leadership capacities for change and improvement through LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Continuous Engagement New, current, aspiring school heads team of teachers system level officials professional learning communities Community (SMCs, SDMCs, and other leaders)

Operational Framework Collective learning Experience NCSL National Level SYNERGY National Advisory Group, National Resource Group, Mentors State Nodal Institution SRG, Partner Institutions, State Leadership Academies, Critical Mass of Experts as extended arms of Leadership Academies 11

THE FOUR STRANDS Capacity Building Networking and Institution Building Research and Development Curriculum and material development Delivery of programme through a critical mass (teams of SRG and facilitators) at the State/UT level Curriculum Framework and Handbook for SRG- Translated and Contextualized Networking with State Level Institutions, NGOs, Expert, Universities National and International Organizations Establishing Regional Leadership Academies Drawing learning and facilitating policy dialogue on School Leadership

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK 6.LEADING PARTNERSHIPS 7.LEADING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION Has Special Focus areas mainly on the learner, learning and teaching and all actions by the school 2.DEVELOPING SELF 1 PERSPECTIVE ON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 5.LEADING INNOVATIONS 3.TRANSFORMING TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS 4.BUILDING AND LEADING TEAMS

NCSL- Perspective Leadership begins with changing self Leading to change in the school- nurturing climate conducive for improving core functions. Contextual leadership by sharing, collaboration ensuring equity and inclusion across schools. Success of the school system

SELF AND SCHOOL IN THE FIRST INSTANCE Is it that simple?

1 year Engagement to build School Head’s capacity Reflective, Preparatory exercise that the School Heads bring before attending the workshop Pre-capacity building 10 day residential capacity building programmes 2 Review-Feedback workshops (4th & 8th month) 1 Retreat (12th month) Practicum to be carried out in the school Capacity building workshops Onsite support from block, cluster level by SRG Peer Visits Developing Professional Learning Communities Continuous Engagement PLC - 16

Therefore we begin from Perspectives on School Leadership