This document summarizes three pieces of research on school leadership: 1. Research by Professor Helen Wildy identified five domains of effective school leadership: teaching and learning, people management, strategic leadership, administrative, and community. 2. Research by Vic Zbar et al. found that schools achieving extraordinary success had strong and stable leadership, high expectations of students and staff, an orderly environment, and a focus on literacy, numeracy and attendance. 3. A study of 22 schools in Australia that underwent a "Snapshot" review found that improved student outcomes were most influenced by developing staff expertise through coaching and mentoring, focusing on struggling students, and building pride and partnerships in the school community.

1. Leading and Mentoring
Yamaiyamarna Paitya
Teachers are Deadly!
2012
Associate Professor Robert Somerville AM
Principals Australia Institute

4. Review three pieces of research that identified;
1. the characteristics needed for good school
leadership,
2. the necessary preconditions of leadership
necessary for change and
3. what leadership changes made a difference in
improving Aboriginal outcomes.

5. So what did this research
find?

6. Professor Helen Wildy:
Research into the domains of leadership
necessary to be an effective Principal.
Department of Education, Western Australia
2010

7. Effective School Leadership?
1. Teaching and Learning (Curriculum)
2. People Management (Staff)
3. Strategic Leadership (Direction, culture)
4. Administrative (Finances)
5. Community (Parents)

9. Vic Zbar etal:
Research for Victorian Education Department
(Pub 2009).
‘Schools that achieve extraordinary success:
Punching Above their Weight’

10. 1. Strong Leadership (stable, skilled at resource
allocation and could draw out staff expertise).
2. High expectations (of students and high
efficacy between teachers and students).
3. Orderly Environment (consistent messages not
petty rules but consequences).
4. Focus on Core Priorities (literacy, numeracy,
attendance).

13. Snapshot?
• Over 300 schools have undertaken a ‘Snapshot’
in Australia ie a collegiate review of the health
of the school.
• 22 Schools located across Australia were
revisited 3-4 years to identify what differences
had been made and what was the major
catalyst to change.

15. 1. People Management:
• Developed middle level leaders through coaching
and mentoring.
• Gaps in staff expertise were identified and filled.
• Encouraged disengaged staff to move on.
• Developed leadership competence across all Wildy
domains using mentoring and coaching (through
the profession) as the key change agents.

16. 2. Teaching and Learning:
• Attention to struggling students
• Apply explicit teaching (through a coaching,
mentoring model)
• Use system supplied data to enhance
teaching
• Real not token professional learning

17. 3. Strategic Leadership
• System initiatives tailored to school priorities.
• School displays pride in its:
• Buildings and grounds,
• Students work
• Cultural diversity and
• Celebrated and recognised staff and
students often.

18. 4. Community
•Parents were valued partners in the learning process.
• They were informed, involved and a part of the
schools very being.
• Parental/community involvement up-skilling of
school leaders was effectively accomplished
through a mentoring/coaching model.
Note that Snapshot found…

19. • Mentoring and coaching are powerful tools for
self development.
• Leaders develop leaders.
• School leadership is complex.
• Only care givers, teachers and school leaders
have a direct and causal impact upon student
outcomes.

20. Yes.. You do make a difference
and it is to lives such as these

21. Zbar

22. 1. Strong Leadership
(Administrative-Human)
2. High expectations
3. Orderly Environment
4. Focus on Core Priorities