AIS Executive Conference
October 2011
Professor Helen
Timperley
The University of Auckland

FIVE DIMENSIONS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Derived from Quantitative Studies Linking Leadership with Student Outcomes
(Robinson et al., 2009)
1. Establishing Goals and
Expectations
0.42
2. Resourcing Strategically
0.31
3. Planning, Coordinating and
Evaluating Teaching and the
Curriculum
4. Promoting and Participating in
Teacher Learning and
Development
0.42
0.84
5. Ensuring an Orderly and
Supportive Environment
0.27
0 0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Effect Size
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

When Do School Leaders Promote
Professional Learning and
Development?
• Formal professional development
“events”
• Conversations throughout the school day
– Staff meetings focused on PL
– Analysing student learning
– Addressing difficult issues by focusing on teaching and learning interactions
– Analysis of leadership and teaching practice

The Evidence Base

The Evidence Base in Practice:
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.
Sustained over the three year monitoring period

How are we doing?
Where are we going?
Where to
Next?

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

• What do the students already know?
• What sources of evidence have we used?
• What do they need to learn and do?
• How do we build on what they know?

Within the LPDP Project
• Students assessed using curriculum-based assessment (gives a focus, provides diagnostic information and a baseline for assessing improvement)
• Facilitated interpretation of how to score it and what the results mean with teachers and leaders
at the same time as…

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

Finding Out about Teachers’
Knowledge and Practice
Investigate together:
• 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 use?

With expert facilitators, the leaders and teachers :
– Related student data to programme emphases;
– Responded to a scenario of (mostly ineffective) practice and discussed ratings;
– Discussed strengths and weaknesses of practice from classroom observations
– Set personal professional learning goals

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

Deepen Professional
Knowledge and Refine Skills
Important considerations:
• Base it on first two parts of the cycle (creates the
“need to know”)
• Consider research findings about different approaches with a track record of what works

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

How are we doing?
Where are we going?
Where to
Next?

Beliefs, knowledge and Skills of
School Leaders
• To lead effectively, leaders must know enough to:
– Work through the inquiry and knowledge building cycles with their teachers to improve outcomes in relation to your SIP goals

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, engage students in new learning experiences
How can we as leaders promote the learning of our teachers to bridge the gap for our students?

All pedagogical leaders have a class
• Who is your class?
• Who is the class of others in the schools you lead?

Principal
Teachers

Principal
Senior leaders
Curriculum leaders
Teachers

• Identify your class (as a leader)
• Draw a diagram of layers of classes for you and members of your class
• Identify what each class needs to learn to improve
• Think about some challenges you are likely to face in working with your class

• Effective leaders
– Used outside experts to help them to learn how to work with their teachers using evidence of student learning and teaching practice
– Recognised their need to learn in order to teach others
• Less effective leaders
– Focused on structures and processes to promote others’ learning

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 leader knowledge and refine leadership skills
Engage “my class” in new learning experiences

Keeping it all Going through Ongoing Inquiry
Refocusing
New challenges
Students ’ needs
Professional inquiry
Students ’ needs
Professional inquiry
Checking outcomes
Student opportunities
Knowledge
Skills
Checking outcomes
Student opportunities
Knowledge
Skills