Leadership in Education: A Journey International School Leadership: a division of the Ontario Principals’ Council Dr. Joanne Robinson

Focus for Today 1.Background information about OPC and the Ontario education system 2.Principals as the key to student success 3.The changing role of the principal 4.Challenges and opportunities for school leaders

Ontario has: 40% of Canada’s 33.6 million people (it is the most populous province) 60% of 225,000 immigrants who come to Canada annually Over 1 million square kilometres of land 2.1 million students Almost 126,000 teachers (unionized teaching and support staff) About 5,000 schools in 72 school districts Funding of $20.2B (CDN) in (40% increase compared to ) Principals are not unionized but supported through OPC Budget announced this spring allocates $22.8 billion for education – 45% increase since

What is the Ontario Principals Council? 1.A professional association representing elementary and secondary vice-principals and principals in the public education system in Ontario. 2.Three main roles on behalf of our members: Advocacy Consultation, advice and legal support when necessary Professional learning and training 3.Relatively young organization, since April 1, Not part of the government, political but non- partisan

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 From 65 countries, only Shanghai, China scored significantly better in reading. In mathematics Ontario scored very well. In Ontario, the difference in achievement between students in the top socio-economic quarter and the lowest quarter was half the OECD average. Within Canada, Ontario has the highest proportion of immigrant students.

6 Elementary Outcomes: Achievement Results 4 key levers for elementary reform: 1.Improving classroom teaching and learning 2.Improving school effectiveness 3.Leadership capacity building 4.Research and evaluation 150,000 more students at provincial standard

6 key levers for secondary reform: 1.Leadership infrastructure 2.Engaging and relevant programming 3.Effective instruction 4.Focused Interventions for students at risk of not graduating 5.Legislation and policy development 6.Research, monitoring and evaluation 7 Secondary Outcomes: Achievement Results

Ontario The exemplar for high performance is established and transparent:  District Effectiveness Framework  School Effectiveness Framework  Leadership Framework  Standards of Practice for Teaching  Curriculum Expectations  Growing Success (Assessment) 8

Professionalism Ontario College of Teachers:  Teacher certification  Principals qualification program  Supervisory Officials qualification program  Additional qualifications 9

Ken Leithwood’s Theory of Action LSA Initiatives Leadership Practices Rational Path (Academic press, Disciplinary climate, TLCPs) Emotions Path (Efficacy, Trust) Organizational Path (Time, PLC,TLCPs)) Family Path (Expectations, Reading School-wide Experience Classroom Experience Student Learning

Ontario Leadership Framework Leadership is the exercise of influence on organizational members and diverse stakeholders toward the identification and achievement of the organization’s vision and goals.

 Setting Direction  Building Relationships and Developing People  Developing the Organization  Improving the Instructional Program  Securing Accountability Personal Leadership Resources  Cognitive  Social  Psychological Ontario Leadership Domains

Leadership Frameworks Inspire a shared vision of leadership in schools and boards Promote a common language that fosters an understanding of leadership and what it means to be a school and system leader Identify the practices and competencies that describe effective leadership Guide the design and implementation of professional learning and development for school and system leaders

Setting Direction Build a shared vision Identify specific, shared short-term goals Create high expectations Communicating the vision and goals

Building Relationships and Developing People Providing support and consideration for individual staff Stimulating growth in the professional capacities of staff Modeling the school’s values and practices Building trusting relationships with and among staff, students and parents

Developing the Organization Build collaborative cultures and distribute leadership Structure to facilitate collaboration Building positive relationships with families and communities Connect the school to wider environment Maintain a safe and healthy environment Allocate resources to support the vision and goals

Improve the Instructional Program Staffing the instructional program Providing instructional support Monitoring progress in student learning and school improvement Buffering staff from distractions to their work

Securing Accountability Building staff members’ sense of internal accountability Meeting the demands for external accountability

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP RESOURCES COGNITIVE RESOURCES: PROBLEM-SOLVING EXPERTISE KNOWLEDGE OF EFFECTIVE SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES THAT AFFECT STUDENT LEARNING SOCIAL RESOURCES: PERCEIVE AND MANAGE EMOTIONS ACT IN EMOTIONALLY APPROPRIATE WAYS PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES: OPTIMISM SELF-EFFICACY RESILIENCE

 Specifies the importance of a strong sense of purpose  Talks enthusiastically about what needs to be accomplished  Talks optimistically  Describes a compelling vision for the future Principals and Student Achievement Vivane Robinson Dimension One: Establishing goals and expectations

 Expresses confidence that goals can be achieved  Talks about their most important values and beliefs  Includes setting, communicating, and monitoring of learning goals, standards, and expectations  Involves staff and others in the process so that there is clarity and consensus about the goals Dimension One: Establishing goals and expectations

 Includes aligning resource selection and allocation to priority teaching goals  Includes provision of appropriate expertise through staff recruitment  This may be particularly important in regions where there is a chronic resource shortage and the principal influence will be critical Dimension Two: Strategic resourcing

 Direct involvement in the support and evaluation of teaching through regular classroom visits and formative and summative feedback to teachers  Direct oversight of the curriculum through school-wide coorfination across classes and year levels and alignment to school goals Dimensions Three: Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum

 Discussions about explicit achievement standards for the subjects they teach  Asking for evaluation results or progress of their students in a subject (like reading)  Make suggestions about the choice of instructional methods in the subject  Encourage collaboration among teachers  Initiate professional development for teachers  Make suggestions about the content that must be covered in the subject How?

 Effective leadership not only promotes but is actively involved in professional development; the leader participates as the lead learner  Principals are more active participants in teacher learning and development and discussions of teaching and learning  Effective leaders are more accessible and knowledgeable about instructional matters Dimension Four: Promoting and participating in teacher learning and development

 Reduce distractions and external pressures and interruptions  Clearly and consistently enforced social expectations and discipline codes  Establish an orderly and supportive environment both inside and outside the classroom  Protecting time for teaching and learning Dimension 5: Ensuring a safe and orderly environment

 The ability to apply relevant knowledge to the appropriate situation  Taking complex problems and seriously engaging others in solutions  Mentoring and coaching others to lead complex problem-solving processes  Building relational trust and building trust while tackling tough situations Student-Centred Leadership

Tri-Level Focus LEADING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP SCHOOL Professional Learning Communities DISTRICT Principal Learning Teams PROVINCE LSA STEERING TEAM (ADFO, CPCO, OPC, EDU, CSC)

29 Leadership and capacity building related to instruction – Focus, alignment and coherence

Levers to successful improvement systems 1.A small number of ambitious goals 2.A guiding coalition at the top 3.High standards and expectations 4.Investment in leadership and capacity building related to instruction 5.Mobilizing data and effective practices as a strategy for improvement 6.Intervention in a non-punitive manner 7.Reducing distractions 8.Being transparent, relentless and increasingly challenging 30

Three Main Findings:  It’s a system thing, not a single thing  Prescribe adequacy, unleash greatness  Common but different

Good to Great – focus on building professional capacity Great to Excellent – focus on learning through peer collaboration and innovation Ontario: sustained improvement, from moved from “good” to “great”, now moving from “great” to “excellent”. McKinsey Report (2010)

◦ Assessment for, as and of Learning ◦ School and Classroom Leadership ◦ Student Voice ◦ Curriculum, Teaching and Learning ◦ Programs and Pathways ◦ Home, School and Community Partnerships School Effectiveness Framework

School Improvement Planning Needs Assessment Student achievement data Demographic data Program data Perceptual data Analysis of data 2. Smart Goals 3. Targeted, Evidence Based Strategies 4. Resources 5. Professional Learning 6. Monitoring 7. Responsibility 8. Evaluation

Benefits of a Framework Common Language Flexible Approach Platform for Team-Building Guide for Professional Learning Powerful Self-Reflection Tool

ONTARIO LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK SETTING DIRECTION BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE DEVELOPING THE ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT DESIRED PRACTICES IMPROVING THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM SECURING ACCOUNTABILITY

Core Leadership Capacities:  Developing Expertise in Using Data: - Gathering, Analyzing, and Making Decisions  Setting Goals Collaboratively  Promoting Collaborative Learning Cultures  Engaging in Courageous Conversations: - Providing and Receiving Feedback Effectively  Aligning Resources with Priorities

Professional Learning Cycle Plan Act Observe Reflect

High Yield Strategies (School Wide) Differentiated Instruction Three Part Lessons Higher Order Thinking Skills Moderated Marking Assessment for Learning

Principal as Instructional Leader Think, Pair, Share Using the outline of the Ontario Leadership Framework, identify what you already do in one domain. Identify the greatest challenge to being an instructional leader in that domain Identify two specific things you will implement immediately and track the success