improving school leadership policy and practice, north and south deborah nusche oecd education...

Improving School Leadership

Policy and Practice,

North and South

Deborah Nusche

OECD Education Directorate

SCoTENS Annual Conference

Belfast, 9-10 October 2008

• School leadership can improve teaching and learning, by influencing the motivation and capacities of teachers, as well as the school climate and environment

• OECD countries face pressing issues of attracting, training and developing the next generation of school leaders

• Priority: Improving School Leadership activity ranked 3/29 activities for the OECD Education Committee Programme of Work (2007-2008).

School leadership: a policy priority

Today’s presentation

Background: The OECD Improving School Leadership activity (2006-08)

AustraliaAustriaBelgium (French)Belgium (Flanders)ChileDenmarkEnglandFinlandFranceHungaryIreland

IsraelKorea The NetherlandsNew ZealandNorthern IrelandNorwayPortugalScotlandSloveniaSpainSweden

Network of experts

International organisations

An international perspective on school leadership policy and practice

To provide policy-makers and others with timely analysis to help formulate school leadership policies leading to improved teaching and learning:

Background: Activity objectives

School leadership: the challenges

The role of school leaders has changed dramatically

The super principal ?

More and more tasks have been added to school leaders’ workload.

Most of the leadership tasks are carried out by one individual

School leadership: the challenges

Role expansion & intensification

Need to define and prioritise core tasks

Need to distribute tasks

School leadership: the challenges

Approaches to leadership training and development (2006)

Insufficient preparation and training

School leadership: the challenges

Unattractive working conditions

Difference between maximum principal and teacher salaries (2003)

• Inflexible and hierarchical career structures

• Few opportunities for career development

• Principal burnout

• Lack of opportunities to move up to new tasks

School leadership: the challenges

Unattractive working conditions

Few people are interested in moving up to leadership

Application numbers are decreasing

15 out of 22 participating countries report difficulties in finding a sufficient number of qualified candidates

School leadership: the challenges

Shortages in leadership personnel

School leadership: the challenges

Lack of diversity in the workforce

Percentage of female principals (2006)

School leadership: the challenges

Percentage of principals aged over 50 (2006)

A “retirement boom”

The main challenges to be addressed

• Role intensification

• Insufficient preparation and training

• Unattractive working conditions

• Concerns about the recruitment of future leaders

School leadership: the policy

School leadership: The policy

School leadership: The policy

School leadership: The policy

School leadership: The policy

School leadership: the policy

A ‘Toolkit’ for Policy Makers and Practitioners

• Facilitate interpretation of OECD findings• Move from recommendations to policy

formulation and practice development• Make connections between OECD

findings and users’ own experience and context

Next steps: How can we make it happen?

Thank you!

deborah.nusche@oecd.org

www.oecd.org/edu/schoolleadership