Successful strategies for secondary succession 27 July 2011 Presenter Christine Cawsey President NSW Secondary Principals’ Council Principal Rooty Hill HS LEAP Conference 2011 NSW SECONDARY PRINCIPALS’ COUNCIL

Scenarios for the Future Succession planning is a major issue for NSW government secondary schools, the regions and the system. It is estimated that 40% of principals will retire between 2012 and The average age of deputy principals is higher than principals and 67 new secondary deputy principals were appointed for 2011 in NSW. There are significant shortages of teacher and leader expertise in some parts of the state. LEAP Conference 2011

As a school leader you knew that you would need to replace 12 teachers for 2012 as senior teachers retired or moved to other schools? As a systems leader you had to advertise 5 times to get sufficient applicants for a remote school principal position? As a systems and school leader you were faced with replacing 5000 expert and experienced teachers and leaders in the next five years. What would you do if? LEAP Conference 2011

Where are you now? Where do you want to be? Succession secured + Things that will help you get there. strategies, etc. - Things that will hinder your progress What would you do? Strategies, actions

Pipelines, pools, reservoirs – how do Dean’s metaphors apply to secondary schools in NSW? Your school? Your system? Secondary education? The strategic choice: recruit and reward the few or leverage the whole profession through standards…… You would get serious about succession planning LEAP conference 2011

The skills shortage….. Middle managersTeachers

The Application Rubric- rate skill levels Masterful: fluent, flexible and efficient. Able to use knowledge and skills and adjust understandings in novel, diverse and difficult contexts. Skilled: Competent using knowledge and skills and adapting understandings in a variety of demanding contexts. Able: Able to perform well with knowledge and skills in a few key contexts with limited repertoire, flexibility or adaptability to diverse contexts. Apprentice: Relies on limited repertoire of routines. Able to perform well in familiar or simple contexts, with little or no coaching needed. Limited use of personal judgment and responsiveness to specific feedback or situations. Novice: Can perform only with coaching or relies on highly scripted, singular, “plug in” (algorithmic, mechanical) skills, procedures, approaches.

Area of need% Novice% Experienced (more than 5 years) % Expert Curriculum & assessment Teaching Student welfare Faculty leadership School leadership Other? Rate your own team – 2011 & 2015 LEAP Conference 2011

What is a school of professional practice? It is a school that has Improvement in student learning & teacher learning at its heart. 1.Academic & professional goals focus on learning not performance Personalised learning 3.Teacher & leadership expertise is built & sustained 2.Data & evidence underpin planning, programs and practices.

What do leaders do in leading a school of professional practice? In a school that has improvement in student learning & teacher learning at its heart, leaders… 4. Act strategically Leadership learning 6. Build & sustain their own pedagogical and leadership expertise 5. Manage change With people

Strategic leadership & stupidity prevention Observables, behaviours, practices, activities, content, professional learning, artefacts Rituals, stories, myths, principles, processes, skills, conversations, sociofacts, espoused values Values, beliefs, vision, culture, concepts, ideas, reflection, mentefacts, underlying assumptions HAVE DO BE Strategic leadership links.

Mapping professional learning – building teaching capability

What expert teachers do…. Louden, 2006 Expert teachers have “complex repertoires” and almost all of the following 33 elements would be seen in any one lesson: 1.High levels of participation –attention, engagement, stimulation, pleasure and consistency 2.Deep knowledge focus – environment, purpose, substance, explanations, modeling and metalanguage 3.Orchestrating the demands of the classroom – awareness, structure, flexibility, pace and transitions. 4.Strong scaffolds – constant formative assessment and working from where students are at, scaffolding tasks, quality feedback, responsiveness, explicitness (of words and texts) and persistence. 5.Targeted and differentiated instruction – intellectual challenge, individualisation within the full class, inclusion, variation, connection 6.Mutual respect – warmth, rapport, credibility, attention to citizenship, independence.

Mapping professional learning - for secondary leaders

The skills of expert school leaders  Expert leaders use quality tools for planning, implementing and evaluating  Expert leaders get permission to lead  Expert leaders understand positional and personal leadership  Expert leaders ask powerful questions and have powerful conversations  Expert leaders have emotional intelligence  Expert leaders have clever ways of thinking  Expert leaders know how to lead for change  Expert leaders manage ideas  Expert leaders use diagnostic maps

Focus on preparation not induction Recognise that the school is a critical and powerful learning place…so make it work. Give real life experience in real situations..internships, mentoring, coaching and all those skills of leaders. External programs have a place..but your leaders need to be able to “hit the ground running” in times of shortage. Build teaching & leadership capability at the same time …don’t wait. Not everyone will be a leader…act strategically as though they will…focus on the whole team. Succession strategies that work LEAP Conference 2011

Details Christine Cawsey Principal Rooty Hill HS President NSW Secondary Principals’ Council PO Box 70 Rooty Hill 2766 Phone: Fax: Learning for Leadership: Building a school of professional practice ACER 2008