Providing Educational Leadership: First Nations Administration Handbook
Section One: The Principal’s
Role
The job of the principal is both extremely demanding and critical to the success of a
school. As Lease (2002) writes, “while the work of teachers and the interest of
parents contribute vitally to student success, make no mistake about the
fundamental ingredient – the ability of the principal to lead change and establish
direction.”
Principals are expected to make daily, often immediate decisions in the midst of
constant demands from a variety of constituents. Further, the decisions they make
can affect the lives of their students, teachers, other staff members, parents, and
community members. The principal is expected to lead the school, maintain
discipline, manage the budget, assist staff, respond to parental inquiries, and report
to the school governance board. As Sparks and Hirsh (2000) state:
Not only must school leaders perform the tasks of organizing, budgeting,
managing, and dealing with disruptions inside and outside the system,
today's instructional leaders must be able to coach, teach, and develop the
teachers in their schools. They must be steeped in curriculum, instruction,
and assessment in order to supervise a continuous improvement process
that measures progress in raising student performance. They must build
learning communities within their schools and engage the broader school
community in creating and achieving a compelling vision for their schools.
While those tasks alone may seem to constitute a full-time job, in many First Nations
schools, principals are also asked to sit on a variety of out-of-school committees, help
with programs for youth, participate in community planning, and often act as school
carpenter and plumber!
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In some ways, the various roles of school principals can be divided into management
and leadership responsibilities, although there is of course considerable overlap
between the two categories. Managers focus
on "running a smooth ship," while
Although the role of the principal as
instructional leader is widely
instructional leaders focus on learning and
advocated, it is seldom practiced;
instruction. Effective principals are both
principals still spend most of their
managers and instructional leaders,
time dealing with managerial issues.
recognizing that both roles are essential and
providing a balance between management
and instructional skills (Chell, 2002).
Often, management responsibilities can, if allowed, take up all of a principal’s time,
particularly because management issues are often very pressing and require
immediate action. The consensus in the literature is that, although the role of the
principal as instructional leader is widely advocated, it is seldom practiced;
principals still spend most of their time dealing with managerial issues. Stronge
(1988, cited in Chell, 2002) calculated that elementary school principals spent 62.2%
of their time on managerial issues and 11% on instructional leadership issues, even
after undergoing training or in-service emphasizing their role as instructional leader.
Thus, the image of instructional leadership has become entrenched in the
professional rhetoric but all too often is lacking in administrative practice.
Similarly, the FNSA annually collects data from First Nations schools to explore their
staffs, programming, and educational results. The 2005 data collection initiative
asked schools to indicate how their administrators’ FTE is allocated by estimating
the percentage of total work time that is assigned to a list of tasks. The results of that
question are shown below (FNSA, 2006).
Allocation of administrator’s time
Day-to-day administration
Financial administration
Instructional leadership
Classroom teaching
Out-of-school meetings
Other
Average % time per task
39%
16%
18%
11%
9%
7%
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Providing Educational Leadership: First Nations Administration Handbook
Total
100%
To be truly effective, principals must pay adequate attention to both their
management and leadership functions. Some of the management and leadership
responsibilities of a principal are outlined below, and more detail about many of the
key activities is provided in further sections of this handbook.
The participants at the FNSA sponsored workshops described the
balance between management and leadership functions in terms of a pie
chart. Principals are continually pushing to enlarge the time allocated to
leadership functions – a continual battle given the plethora of other
pressures they face. The workshop participants encouraged one another
to keep pushing the boundaries to find more time for their leadership
roles.
How a Principal's Time is Spent
9%
7%
39%
11%
18%
16%
Day-to-day administration
Financial administration
Instructional leadership
Classroom teaching
Out-of-school meetings
Other
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Providing Educational Leadership: First Nations Administration Handbook
1.1 A Principal’s Management Responsibilities
Most people are fairly familiar with the numerous management responsibilities of
principals. Principals are concerned with the overall functioning of the school,
including ensuring that it is operational for the commencement of each school term
and having a full school staff in place. Principals also manage the school budget and
ensure that the funding available will allow the school to operate for the duration of
the school year. Principals are responsible for having reasonable timetables in place.
In addition, principals are generally asked to oversee discipline, ensure school safety,
organize regular staff meetings, and maintain the school’s record keeping, busing
system, and instructional supplies.
Many of those issues will be discussed further in section four: managing day-to-day
operations. That section includes a review of topics such as file keeping, school
calendar, policy development, staff meetings, school budget and resources, school
safety, drug and alcohol awareness, scheduling, and technology.
Appendix Two of this document includes many sample school policies that relate
to a range of administrative issues. Principals should feel free to adapt the
samples to make them appropriate for their particular situations and needs.
1.2 A Principal’s Leadership Responsibilities
As mentioned above, while a principal’s management function can often seem to
constitute a full-time job, it is imperative that principal’s maintain a focus on their
role in “educational leadership” – that is supervision, ensuring quality curriculum and
instruction, and ensuring that the school is continually working towards its goals for
improvement. According to Robbins and Alvy (1995), “leadership practices of
principals in high-performing schools include helping to establish clear goals,
providing a vision of the good school, and encouraging teachers by assisting them in
finding the necessary resources to carry out their jobs.”
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While the leadership practices of principals are certainly central for all schools, they
have special relevance for First Nations schools, which are more autonomous and
usually not part of a broader educational
decision-making structure, such as a school
While the leadership practices of
principals are central for all schools,
district. That means that the principals of most
they have special relevance for First
First Nations schools are often responsible for
Nations schools, which are
leadership and decision-making functions that
particularly autonomous.
are otherwise undertaken by District personnel.
It also means that principals of First Nations
schools are more isolated in their decisionmaking, a fact that brings many unique challenges and opportunities.
Principals are, primarily, the instructional leaders of their school, meaning that they
shape the environment in which teachers and students succeed or fail. Although
teachers are absolutely critical to the learning that takes place at the classroom level,
the principal addresses school-wide issues in instruction and curriculum that relate
to classroom decisions, and as such they have a significant impact on all of the
teaching that takes place in the school. Principals, therefore, must understand every
facet of instruction at a high level (Lease, 2002). As the instructional leader, the
principal can affect every factor that encourages student learning in the school, and
the principal is also responsible for continually assessing the school’s operations and
programs to ensure that they are meeting community and school expectations.
One of the key components of instructional leadership, then, is knowing what the
community and school expects for its students, and maintaining a clear focus on the
goals or the “vision” for the school. Some schools may not have a clearly stated
philosophy or a defined vision of what the school can achieve. In those instances, the
principal can help the school and community to identify their educational values and
set out a vision.
If a vision has already been developed, the principal can ensure that it is shared,
understood, and that people commit to the vision so that it remains a real guide for
the school’s programs and activities. In this regard, principals act as planners and
prioritizers for their schools, sorting through the massive range of possible
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Providing Educational Leadership: First Nations Administration Handbook
approaches and programs and maintaining a focus on what matters for their students
and community. More information about creating and maintaining a school vision is
included in section two of this handbook.
Principals are also the shapers of the school culture, which can become either a
positive influence or a significant barrier to learning. The elements that make up a
school’s culture include all aspects of the school’s environment that have the
potential to influence the learning, discipline, and morale of all those who work and
study there. According to Pasi (2001), the ongoing challenge for principals is to
identify steps for enhancing school culture and the conditions under which students
can learn more, educators can teach more, and everyone can feel welcome and
respected.
Therefore, one of their critical roles of principals is that of “morale builder.” Ideally,
principals will create a school culture that celebrates growth and high achievement.
As Ramsey (1992) notes, “everyone in the
school community should know full well
Fundamentally, teachers must feel
that the principal is an unequivocal advocate
comfortable and safe at the school,
for excellence and that anything less is
regardless of what is taking place
unacceptable.” Principals also need to create
elsewhere.
a school culture in which teachers feel
supported, and principals must make every
effort to ensure that teachers are successful.
Fundamentally, teachers must feel confident and safe at the school. It is imperative
that, regardless of what is taking place in the wider community, the school culture
must remain positive and clearly aimed at making the school a better place for
students. The issues of creating a positive school culture and working with teachers
are discussed more in sections two and three of this handbook.
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1.3 Liaison With the Community
For all schools, but particularly for First Nations schools, another primary role of the
principal is to maintain strong and positive connections with the community. First
Nations schools operate completely within the context of their communities, and
effective principals understand and make the most of that context.
As mentioned above, it is the role of the principal to protect, as much as possible,
students and staff from anything negative that may be going on outside of the school,
and to maximize the benefits of positive and encouraging community developments.
At the same time, principals are primarily responsible for ensuring beneficial public
relations for the school, sharing the good things that are happening and fostering a
respectful, constructive relationship with Chief and Council, the school governing
authority, and the community at-large. The important connection of the school and
community will be discussed in more detail in many of the following sections of this
handbook.
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1.4 Other Duties
Anyone familiar with the role of a principal in a First Nations school recognizes that
there are numerous other duties associated with that position. Anyone phoning for
the principal will often be told that he or she is busy at the moment, fixing the school
roof, or helping to clear snow from the school playground, or helping the cooperative
education leader drive students to their work placement, or helping to build a
community garden.
The demands on a First Nations school principal can seem endless. Because of that
reality, it is critical that principals realize the importance of practicing good time
management, ensuring ongoing self-development, and making every effort to
maintain their own health and well-being. Those issues are discussed more in section
five of this handbook.
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The Canadian Association of Principals
Statement on Education Leadership
The Essential Tasks of School-Based Leadership
The purpose of this statement is to describe the qualities or capacities that
school-based administrators need to provide educational leadership in the school setting.
Strategic Leadership
Facilitate the development of a shared vision
of learning and the purposes of the school.
Create conditions in the school and
community to achieve that vision.
Resolve problems in achieving the school’s
vision.
Manage a planned change process and
action plan to improve the school and
learning.
Understand and critically examine
educational, social, and economic issues.
Understand the major historical,
philosophical, ethical, and economic
influences on schooling and learning.
Manifest a personal code of ethics or values.
Assessment and Evaluation
Conduct assessments of the needs and
achievements of students and staff.
Use data and surveys to monitor progress.
Engage school staff in the study of best
practices.
Analyze and present findings about trends,
issues, and applications of educational
strategies to school staff, parents, and the
community.
Instructional Leadership
Develop the school’s learning culture.
Create a school culture supportive of
learning and development.
Base decisions on research, applied theory,
informed practice, and recommendations
from experts.
Adapt curricula and develop programs to
meet the needs of students.
Help staff members to align their use of
teaching strategies with instructional goals
and recognized effective teaching practices.
Supervise the staff of the school based on
shared agreements of purposes and criteria
for success.
Make use of a variety of staffing patterns
and student groupings.
Ensure regular assessments of student
progress and communications of results.
Professional Development and Human
Resources
Identify the professional development needs
of all members of the school staff.
Use adult learning strategies in the
professional development including
authentic problem solving, mentoring, and
opportunities to practice.
Analyze the job requirements and work
processes of the school.
Encourage all staff to establish selfdevelopment plans and offer incentives such
as recruitment, induction, and
compensation.
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Student Services
Ensure that the school’s student services
include guidance, counseling, and
academic/vocational services.
Facilitate and ensure effective
communications with social, health, and
training agencies.
Encourage staff, parents, and other
organizations to organize extra-curricular
activities.
Management and Supervision
Ensure effective management and
administrative practices within the school
to maximize efficiencies.
Develop and assign staff roles and establish
criteria for effectiveness.
Interpersonal Relationships
Communicate well and often with different
audiences within the school.
Financial Management
Review financial and other resources to
identify savings and potential sources of
funding.
Assess the current use of technology in the
business operations of the school.
Establish and monitor a long-term
technology plan for the school.
Make extensive use of technology to assist
adult learners to stay or return to school.
Integrate the introduction of technology
with the School’s Improvement Plan.
Community and Media Relations
Secure the support of the community and
influential leaders for your school goals,
plans, and progress.
Describe the school’s goals, plans, and
programs effectively to parents, community
leaders, business groups, colleges,
universities, research institutions, and
others.
Link the school to local community learning
services such as libraries, museums, science
centers, agencies, and professionals.
Facilitate parent access through open
houses, workshops, newsletters, and
information meetings.
For more information, see
www.cdnprincipals.org
Establish a long-term plan for the
acquisition and updating of equipment and
facilities.
Make financial information accessible to
staff and parents.
Information Systems and Technology
Use technology to enrich curriculum and
instruction.
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