1. Leadership for Learning
Helen Timperley
Professor Education
Faculty of Education
The University of Auckland

2. FIVE DIMENSIONS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Derived from Quantitative Studies Linking Leadership with Student Outcomes
(Robinson et al., 2009)
Leaders can be instructional leaders in many different ways. Focus of today’s session is 4. 2

3. The Process of Professional Development
For far too many teachers, staff development is a demeaning, mind numbing experience as they passively “sit and get” [and] evaluate it by “happiness scales”.
As one observer put it, “I hope I die during a PD session because the transition between life and death would be so subtle’.
(adapted from Sparks, 2004).

4. And the impact …
Hurricane winds sweep across the sea tossing up twenty foot waves … while on the ocean floor (of the classroom) there is an unruffled calm.
(Cuban)

5. Focus on Valued
Student Outcomes
Worthwhile content
Integration of
knowledge and skills
Assessment for
professional inquiry
Multiple opportunities
to learn and apply
Approaches responsive
to learning processes
Opportunities to process new
learning with others
Knowledgeable expertise
Active leadership
Timperley, H. (2008) Teacher Professional Learning and Development. International Academy of Education. International Bureau of Education. Paris: UNESCO
Maintaining momentum

6. The Application: Professional Development Project in Literacy
Over 300 primary schools in New Zealand
Writing: Average gains 2.5 to 3.2 expected rate over two years
Lowest 20% 5-6 times expected rate
Reading: Average gains 1.5 to 1.9 expected rate over two years
Lowest 20% 3 times expected rate
Continued for at least three years after project finished

7. How to achieve it Bringing together
Personal, interpersonal and organisational capabilities
Consistent with how people learn
Through focused inquiry and building knowledge throughout the system using tools that convey important messages and conversations with professionals within the system.

8. “How People Learn” (Bransford et al., 2000)
Engage preconceptions about students and how best to teach them;
Develop a deep foundation of factual knowledge organised into conceptual frameworks
Encourages a self-regulatory approach so teachers can take control of their own learning 8

9. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle
to promote valued student outcomes
What knowledge and skills do our students need?
What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?
What has been the impact of our changed actions?
Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills
Relate to 3 findings of “How people learn” and adaptive expertise
Emphasise worthwhile content in deepening PK and refining skills
Engage students in new learning experiences

10. Identifying Students Knowledge and Skills:
Where do we want them to be?
What do the students already know?
What do the students need to learn and do?
How do we build on what they know?

11. Within the LPDP Project
Students assessed using curriculum-based assessment
Facilitated interpretation of how to score it and what the results mean with teachers and leaders
- at the same time as…

12. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle
to promote valued student outcomes
What knowledge and skills do our students need?
What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?
What has been the impact of our changed actions?
Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills
Engage students in new learning experiences

13. Finding Out about Teachers’ Knowledge and Practice
How we have contributed to existing student outcomes?
What do we already know that we can use to promote improved outcomes for students?
What do we need to learn and do to promote these outcomes?
What sources of evidence / knowledge can we utilise?

14. Within the LPDP Project
With expert facilitators, the leaders and teachers:
Relate student data to programme emphases;
Respond to a scenario of (mostly ineffective) practice and discuss results;
Discuss strengths and weaknesses of practice from classroom observations.

15. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle
to promote valued student outcomes
What knowledge and skills do our students need?
What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?
What has been the impact of our changed actions?
Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills
Engage students in new learning experiences

16. Deepen Professional Knowledge and Refine Skills
Important considerations:
Consider research findings about different approaches
Integrate knowledge, skills and theory
Curriculum, assessment, pedagogy
Focus on the teaching / learning links;
Discuss existing ideas about students, assessment, curriculum and how to teach it
All evidence is interpreted in terms of own frame of reference

17. Within the LPDP Project
Students are the “touchstone” throughout;
Build knowledge of theory and practice in ways that are consistent with how people learn
All conversations engage teachers’ beliefs about how the world works;
Develop a deep foundation of literacy knowledge and how to teach it
Self-regulatory learning approach through learning goals and monitoring progress.

18. Promoting change in teachers’ beliefs and assumptions

19. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle
to promote valued student outcomes
What knowledge and skills do our students need?
What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?
What has been the impact of our changed actions?
Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills
Engage students in new learning experiences

20. Judging Impact
What evidence is there of change in classroom teaching and learning?
What evidence is there that any changes made promote our students’ learning and well-being?
What reasons lie behind improvement or lack of it?
Means the ongoing use of evidence on a daily, weekly, term by term and annual basis
Using a range of assessment tools

22. What it means and doesn’t mean (the focus)
What it doesn’t mean
Start with a new idea about teaching
Have separate courses on the three areas
Just focus on the practice (or the theory)
Students are talked about separately from teaching
Start with student outcomes
Integrate assessment, curriculum and how to teach it
Integrate theory (why) and practice
Always talk about teaching in terms of its impact on students;
Always talk about students in terms of how to teach them more effectively

23. What it means and doesn’t mean (the process)
What is doesn’t mean
Teachers need multiple opportunities to learn and apply new knowledge
Approaches are responsive to teachers’ learning needs
Those who work with teaches have expertise and understand them as learners
Going to one-off workshops and forgetting it all the next day
Approaches based on the “one size fits all” principle
Teachers are expected to understand immediately and get it right

24. Beliefs, knowledge and Skills of School Leaders
Teachers cannot do it alone
To lead effectively, leaders must know enough themselves to:
Work through the inquiry and knowledge building cycles with their teachers to improve the outcomes you are your community value for students

25. What has been the impact of our changed actions?
What knowledge and skills do our students need?
What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?
What has been the impact of our changed actions?
How can we as leaders promote the learning of our teachers to bridge the gap for our students?
Deepen professional knowledge, engage students in new learning experiences

26. All leaders of learning have a class
Who is your class?
Who is the class of those in the schools you are working with?

27. Small schools
Principal
Teachers

28. Larger schools
Principal
Senior managers
Curriculum leaders
Teachers

29. A more collegial structure

30. Task in groups Identify your class (as a leader)
Draw a diagram of layers of classes for members of your class
Include informal as well as formal leaders
Think about some major challenges you are likely to face in working with your class

31. Within the LPDP Effective leaders Less effective leaders
Learned to work with their teachers using evidence of student learning and teaching practice
Developed necessary pedagogical content knowledge
Learned to have challenging conversations
Recognise their need to learn in order to teach others
Less effective leaders
Focused on structures and processes to promote others’ learning

32. What knowledge and skills does “my class” already have and need?
Leader inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued teaching and student outcomes
What knowledge and skills does “my class” already have and need?
What knowledge and skills do I as leader need?
What has been the impact of my changed actions on “my class”?
Deepen facilitator knowledge and refine leadership skills
Engage “my class” in new learning experiences