JELPP – Volume 32, Issue 2 (Dec 2017)
Editorial
Michele Morrison
Who will lead? Principal succession in New Zealand’s faith-based integrated schools
Francine BennettBethlehem Tertiary Institute, Tauranga, New Zealand
Abstract
One of the most challenging tasks for any school’s board of trustees is leading the process to employ a new principal when a principal change is impending. The importance of this task cannot be underestimated as there is an integral relationship between school leadership and student achievement. Globally, research indicates that this task is becoming increasingly difficult as an aging population of principals is heading towards retirement and fewer teachers and middle managers are aspiring to lead a school. This challenge is further complicated if the school has specific employment criteria such as those found in integrated faith-based schools. The pool of applicants is smaller than for state schools and this requires that strategic succession planning occurs to develop a well-prepared leadership pipeline for future leadership roles. This paper draws on doctoral research focused on principal succession in faith-based schools in New Zealand and suggests a model to successfully manage the principal succession process.
Keywords
Principal; succession; leadership; special character
O le Tautai Matapalapala: Leadership strategies for supporting Pasifika students in New Zealand schools
Tufulasifa’atafatafa Ova Taleni, Angus Hikairo Macfarlane, Sonja Macfarlane and Jo FletcherUniversity of Canterbury, New Zealand
Abstract
One of the most challenging tasks for any school’s board of trustees is leading the process to employ a new principal when a principal change is impending. The importance of this task cannot be underestimated as there is an integral relationship between school leadership and student achievement. Globally, research indicates that this task is becoming increasingly difficult as an aging population of principals is heading towards retirement and fewer teachers and middle managers are aspiring to lead a school. This challenge is further complicated if the school has specific employment criteria such as those found in integrated faith-based schools. The pool of applicants is smaller than for state schools and this requires that strategic succession planning occurs to develop a well-prepared leadership pipeline for future leadership roles. This paper draws on doctoral research focused on principal succession in faith-based schools in New Zealand and suggests a model to successfully manage the principal succession process.This article addresses effective school leaders so that leaders may navigate robust, vigorous and well-thought through changes and supports in schools to raise the engagement and achievement of Pasifika learners. From a Pasifika perspective, a “true leader” in education is an effective leader, a leader with high integrity (aloaia) and standing, who is driven by culturally responsive principles, values, aspirations and world views of the students. Such a leader utilizes a personal humanitarian approach with the self-belief, courage, determination and perseverance to wholeheartedly take students from where they are currently at in learning, to where they need to be. This research used Talanoa methodology to explore the perceptions of four principals on supporting Pasifika students in primary and secondary New Zealand schools. This research found a significant need for effective leadership by principals to navigate educational changes that genuinely make a difference to unlock doors of opportunities in every school to raise achievement and wellbeing for all Pasifika learners.
Keywords
Pasifika; schooling; leadership; supporting achievement; culturally appropriate practices
Effective leadership practices leading to distributed leadership
Rachel Denee and Kate ThorntonVictoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract
Leadership within the early childhood education (ECE) sector in New Zealand is both positionally assigned and a required practice of all teachers. Within this context, distributed leadership – where all team members have the opportunity to lead – is increasingly seen as an effective leadership model. This article reports on a study whose aim was to discover practices of effective positional leaders in facilitating distributed leadership. A nationwide survey was carried out in Aotearoa New Zealand to capture a picture of current perceptions of ECE teachers and positional leaders about distributed leadership for professional learning. Subsequently, leadership practices for distributed leadership in three previously-identified high quality ECE services were investigated through individual and group interviews. The analysis of literature, survey and interview findings from this study led to a framework of effective leadership practice, consisting of: mentoring and coaching; fostering relational trust; and creating vision and designing supportive structures.
Keywords
Distributed leadership; early childhood education; professional learning communities; coaching and mentoring; relational trust; professional learning
Teachers’ perspectives of the school leadership strategies for a successful change initiative
Tamara ShillingOklahoma State University, Stillwater: OK, USA
Abstract
This exploratory case study examined the role of leadership in the context of curriculum mapping implementation to determine leadership approaches and strategies needed for the initiative success. Twelve participants shared their experiences concerning the “phenomenon” of the study through semi-structured interviews. The study results confirmed findings from previous research about the critical role of leadership in the initiative success and provided leadership strategies for implementing sustainable educational initiatives.
Keywords
Case study; curriculum mapping initiative; implementation; leadership strategies; leadership types
The integration of the functions of principals and deputy principals in the management of secondary schools
Claudia Navarro-Corona1 and Charles Slater21Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, 2California State University, Long Beach, USA
Abstract
This paper presents and compares the results of two qualitative studies about leadership roles in secondary education. Both studies were conducted in the northwest of Mexico. The results show that in the first instance principals and deputy principals do not form work teams and show little concern for participation with one another. The functions of the deputy principals focus on the control of the institution, while the principals address the broader dimensions of administration, organization, social participation and pedagogy. This difference could lead to problems of sustainability of leadership because there is no platform for preparation and promotion. In addition, the absence of training programmes in Mexico limits the professionalisation of deputy principals. It is recommended that the functions performed by the principals and deputy principals be integrated.
Keywords
Sustainability of leadership; principal; deputy principal; school administration
Local logics versus centralisation: A possible dilemma for the boards of trustees of New Zealand’s small primary schools
Denis Slowley
Abstract
This article reports the findings of a study into the boards of trustees of two small primary schools in New Zealand, the boards of which had been deemed by the Ministry of Education to be “at risk”. Both boards also fitted into a broad band of schools identified by the Ministry of Education as most likely to have difficulty gaining a competent board. The study found that, while there were some issues about the understanding of the board’s governance role by individual trustees, the key concern appeared to be a conflict in the perceptions about the board’s role between the localised views held by the parent trustees and the centralised views held by the government and its advisors. The study also found that the centralising policies of the government had placed increasing compliance and regulations on the boards which were too complex for non-professional educators to adequately fulfil. Therefore, the article suggests that the government’s centralising policy initiatives are a key factor behind the growing number of boards of small primary schools being declared ineffective. The article also suggests that those policy initiatives are having an especially negative impact on boards where there are few parents available for the board or there is a small pool of parental expertise.
Keywords
Boards of trustees; lay governance; board effectiveness; compliance; centralising policies; primary schools
Book Review
Rachel McNae, Michele Morrison, Ross Notman
School principal perceptions of the school counsellor’s role: Traditional or transformed?
Olcay Yavuz1, Carol Dahir2 and Ali İlker Gümüşeli31Southern Connecticut State University, USA; 2New York Institute of Technology, USA; 3Okan University, Turkey
Abstract
There is a continued emphasis on the importance of building collaborative working relationships between school principals and counsellors to address the growing academic, career and college readiness, and social-emotional needs of students in K-12 schools. This study explored and analysed 1466 school principals’ perceptions around important school counselling priorities, perceptions, and activities that are carried out in Turkish public and private schools. The study additionally explored school principals’ expectations of school counsellors’ roles and responsibilities as aligned with traditional and transformed school counselling programmes and practices. This study may be of value to school leaders, policy makers and educators interested in revising and improving their school counselling services to meet the complex academic and counselling needs of students in contemporary schools.
Keywords
Collaborative leadership; transformed counselling; principal and counsellor partnership