Leading, learning and aligning keys to sustaining school improvement

CRICOS QLD00244B NSW 02225M TEQSA:PRF12081
Leading, Learning and Aligning:
Keys to sustaining school
improvement
International Congress for School Effectiveness
and Improvement Conference
Glasgow, Scotland – 6-9 January 2016
Symposium Presented by members of the
Leadership Research International (LRI) team
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
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Members of the Leadership Research International
(LRI) team
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Chair: Dr Joan Conway
Associate Professor Dorothy Andrews
(Director LRI)
Dr Cheryl Bauman (Ottawa, Canada)
Shauna Petersen
Dr Lindy Abawi
Dr Joan Conway
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Symposium overview
4 presentations. . .
Leading Sustaining school improvement
through Cultural-Relational
Leadership (Bauman)
Learning A Teacher Leader Capacity Building
Model (Petersen)
Aligning The language of school alignment:
Contextualised meaning systems in
action (Abawi)
Deepening 3-Dimensional Pedagogy: A new
professionalism in educational
contexts (Andrews & Abawi)

LEADING: Sustaining School
Improvement Through
Cultural-Relational Leadership
• the relational nature of leadership for leading
learning: “School cultures. . .purposefully created
by distributed leadership efforts that outlast the
current leaders.”
Presented by: Dr Cheryl Bauman
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P
Heightened
Job
Satisfaction
Positive
School
Culture
Cultural-Relational
Leadership
Enhanced
Student
Achievement
TeachersPrincipal
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Autonomy & Collaboration
Teachers and principals believed that
through their autonomous and
collaborative planning efforts and
purposeful practices, they could make
a positive difference in the lives of
their students.
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Autono-Collaboration (AC) is a term that was
created by Cheryl Bauman (2014).
It is defined as the motivation of an individual
being able to act with choice, thus being
autonomous, and the individual is also agreeably
motivated to be collaborative with others.
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Autono-Collaboration:
Effective teacher leaders combine both autonomy and
collaboration in their work settings.
The relationship between autonomy and collaboration is
dynamic and circular in nature.
Collaborative roles actually enriched the autonomous
practice in the classroom that engage students
academically, socially and emotionally.
Both the elementary teachers and the principals were the
collective forces that autonomously and collaboratively led
meaningful, long-term changes through sustainability in
their leadership practices.
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What was the result of this
collective action?
This collective action between
teachers and principals captures
the relational nature of leadership
in a model titled Cultural-Relational
Leadership (CRL) (Bauman, 2014).
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Culture of Belonging
Culture of Advocacy Culture of Expectations
Culture of Learning
Autono-
Collaboration
Positive
Relationships
Social
Responsibility
Creative
Motivation
Cultural-Relational
Leadership
Culture of Advocacy
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What impact does this CRL Model have
on sustaining school improvement?
-the importance of collective action and
distributed leadership (parallel leadership)
- sustaining change to further enhance student
learning outcomes
- improved and sustainable student achievement
-sustainable leadership that encompasses the creation
and on-going evolution of a culture
-collective forces that collaboratively led meaningful,
long-term changes through sustainability in their
leadership practices.
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LEARNING: A Teacher Leader
Capacity Building Model
• rethinking the importance of sustaining leadership
processes: “building teacher leader capacity
across all levels of an education community.”
Presented by Shauna Petersen
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The Teacher Leader
Capacity Building Model
Leadership for organisation as ‘community’
©Shauna Petersen, 2015

Sustainable teacher leadership:
The Culture Guardians
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‘The right ingredients’
Culture Guardian Laura: We’ve got a
whole band of teachers who are showing
they are here for something else.
We have a lot more younger staff who
have their Masters … one of the English
teachers has a PhD, and another one’s
doing a PhD … so it’s about recognising
that.
Culture Guardian Laura: We’ve got a
whole band of teachers who are showing
they are here for something else.
We have a lot more younger staff who
have their Masters … one of the English
teachers has a PhD, and another one’s
doing a PhD … so it’s about recognising
that.
Acknowledging aspirations
Culture Guardian Jenny: ‘… to
acknowledge (teacher leader) aspirations,
and that to have aspirations is a good
thing. But then you need to find
opportunity for them to develop those
skills and that whole notion of parallel
leadership is essential for that to happen …
it’s highly collaborative.
Acknowledging aspirations
Culture Guardian Jenny: ‘… to
acknowledge (teacher leader) aspirations,
and that to have aspirations is a good
thing. But then you need to find
opportunity for them to develop those
skills and that whole notion of parallel
leadership is essential for that to happen …
it’s highly collaborative.
Targeted funding for teacher leader PD -
$5000 annual bursary
Culture Guardian Laura: I wrote a paper for
an Arts and Society conference in Europe
and it was about how (our school) and
particularly in the Arts, reflected the
community’s values.
Targeted funding for teacher leader PD -
$5000 annual bursary
Culture Guardian Laura: I wrote a paper for
an Arts and Society conference in Europe
and it was about how (our school) and
particularly in the Arts, reflected the
community’s values.
Dream Believer Liza:. I knew (the project)
was worthwhile. It really fed for me the
need to assist children and educate children
and break them out of poverty cycles – to
empower them really. I think it had all the
right ingredients to attract me to it.
Dream Believer Liza:. I knew (the project)
was worthwhile. It really fed for me the
need to assist children and educate children
and break them out of poverty cycles – to
empower them really. I think it had all the
right ingredients to attract me to it.
Relational leadership and the role of the
principal
Strategic Career Mover Lucy:
I don’t think I would be here in this position
today if it wasn’t for her and her belief in me.
Relational leadership and the role of the
principal
Strategic Career Mover Lucy:
I don’t think I would be here in this position
today if it wasn’t for her and her belief in me.
Fulfilling potential
Realist Shelley: Meaningful work is (being)
connected to something bigger; it’s making a
difference. (Something where) I can reach
my potential.
Fulfilling potential
Realist Shelley: Meaningful work is (being)
connected to something bigger; it’s making a
difference. (Something where) I can reach
my potential.
My Sleeping Giant awakens
Realist Eva: I’ve learnt so much over the last
few years and I’m itching to put it into
practice. It’s kind of the ‘sleeping giant’ I
think.
My Sleeping Giant awakens
Realist Eva: I’ve learnt so much over the last
few years and I’m itching to put it into
practice. It’s kind of the ‘sleeping giant’ I
think.
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Networks to ‘talk teaching’
Alignment of schools and
systems
Realist Shelley: How do
we actually work
together to get the best
outcomes for kids? We’re
not building, connecting
and understanding.
We’re not all on the same
page.
Alignment of schools and
systems
Realist Shelley: How do
we actually work
together to get the best
outcomes for kids? We’re
not building, connecting
and understanding.
We’re not all on the same
page.
Role of principal
Battle-Scarred Warrior
Fred: Key lessons from my
experience over the last
decade or so, has been the
difficulty, if not the
impossibility, of an
individual teacher to
change things within a
school. It’s very difficult to
get other teachers and
admin to buy into that
without the support of the
principal.
Role of principal
Fred: Key lessons from my
experience over the last
decade or so, has been the
difficulty, if not the
impossibility, of an
individual teacher to
change things within a
school. It’s very difficult to
get other teachers and
admin to buy into that
without the support of the
principal.
The role of the system
Angela: I see very dynamic
teachers walking away to
other jobs. They’re not
waiting. I think generally
the system needs to look
at aspiring leaders and …
They need a definition (of
teacher leadership) from
the system viewpoint.
The role of the system
Angela: I see very dynamic
teachers walking away to
other jobs. They’re not
waiting. I think generally
the system needs to look
at aspiring leaders and …
They need a definition (of
teacher leadership) from
the system viewpoint.
External and internal
networks
Culture Guardian Jenny:
The establishment of
networks within my school
and externally to ‘talk
teaching’ … has enhanced
my understanding of
effective practice.
External and internal
networks
Culture Guardian Jenny:
The establishment of
networks within my school
and externally to ‘talk
teaching’ … has enhanced
my understanding of
effective practice.
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‘Teachers working with other teachers’
Envisioning our school
Realist Karl: It’s that idea of envisioning – what’s different about
this place (our school)? That’s gone from schooling now, there’s a
one size fits all.
What do our kids need? What we can do is the crucial thing.
Envisioning our school
Realist Karl: It’s that idea of envisioning – what’s different about
this place (our school)? That’s gone from schooling now, there’s a
one size fits all.
What do our kids need? What we can do is the crucial thing.
Professional Conversations
Dream Believer Liza: I think that (Professional Conversations) is
one of the most powerful tools that you could ever have in a
school system … that would survive change, because of the
communication and that trust and respect that builds through
those professional conversations.
Professional Conversations
Dream Believer Liza: I think that (Professional Conversations) is
one of the most powerful tools that you could ever have in a
school system … that would survive change, because of the
communication and that trust and respect that builds through
those professional conversations.
Professional Learning
Realist Eva: Professional learning processes are so important to
enhance leadership, to build leadership capacity, in any position
people are in.
I think the most valuable professional learning and teacher
leadership comes from teachers working with other teachers.
Professional Learning
Realist Eva: Professional learning processes are so important to
enhance leadership, to build leadership capacity, in any position
people are in.
I think the most valuable professional learning and teacher
leadership comes from teachers working with other teachers.
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ALIGNING: The language of school
alignment: Contextualised
meaning systems in action
• the glue that aligns cognitive and structural
processes in an organisation: “a contextually
created meaning system is a powerful force
creating long term alignment and sustainable
improvement.”
Presented by Dr Lindy Abawi
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Cognitive and structural alignment is built upon the establishment of a shared meaning system. It flows out of a
process of contextually significant capacity building and reflection by a distributed leadership team and
continuous value adding.
Focused collaboration and reflection
(collaborative-individualism)
Teacher leadership and learning nurtured on rich discussions
(data-based and context specific – PLC enabled)
Shared language of ‘knowing and being’ based on Vision and SWP
(cultural artefacts - visual, oral, aural, spatial & relational reminders)
Schoolwide Pedagogical Practices development
(SWP – agreed ways of working together)
Shared meaning = aligned practice
The EnablersThe Enablers
Shared Meaning and AlignmentShared Meaning and Alignment
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Schoolwide Pedagogy (SWP) is a school’s expression of its
priority teaching, learning and assessment principles.
An SWP....represents teachers’ agreement regarding pre-
eminent teaching, learning and assessment processes for their
school; reflects the school vision and extends it into the life of
classrooms; and provides a vehicle to enable teachers to
develop heightened connectivity in the learning experiences of
students across year levels and subjects. (Crowther, Andrews
& Conway, 2013, p. 4)
Schoolwide pedagogical principles
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Case Study – St Monica’s
“Today I flew my kite to the highest height when I
got 10/10
for my spelling test.” student
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SWP helps teacher professionals within professional learning communities when:
– Selecting teaching strategies
– Choosing resources
– Identifying and accessing support
– Aligning behaviour management practices across a school
– Interacting with the community
– Determining PD needs
– Prioritising demands and imperatives
– Identifying organisational ways of working and creating or implementing
policies ….
All these and more are underpinned by a framework for making meaning of a
school’s core business within each unique context and results in
shared understandings. (Abawi, 2013)
An SWP – organic, intuitive and
contextualised
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An aligned meaning making system
…leads to whole school alignment
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Cognitive and Structural Alignment
Cognitive Structural
Shared Vision and SWP
Clearly articulated goals
Data driven planning
Multi-modal message making
Articulated norms and assumptions
Reflections against agreed frameworks
Horizontal and vertical planning
Targeted professional development
Rigorous assessment and moderation
Induction and support
Timetables include sharing times
Meeting protocols
Process-led reflection (RBF)
Distributed Leadership (parallel)
Feedback loops
Professional learning communities
Coaching and feedback sessions
Broad learning partnerships
Social skills program
Induction and support
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DEEPENING: 3-Dimensional
Pedagogy: A New Professionalism
in Educational Contexts
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• New Professionalism – new Image in a transformed context.
• In 21st
Century, sustainable workplaces need to enable
meaningful work to happen
• Teaching is essentially driven by moral purpose and teacher
leadership enhancing pedagogical improvement is a reality
Presented by
Associate Professor Dorothy Andrews & Dr Lindy Abawi

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3-D.P and Neopedagogy
We conceptualise the work of the 21st
century professional teacher as
‘three-dimensional’ encompassing the integration of personal pedagogy
(PP), schoolwide pedagogy (SWP) and authoritative pedagogy (AP).
3-D.P represents a neopedagogical world of teacher professionalism –
where teaching enhances the lives of children through the creation
of new knowledge, the assertion of sustainable values, and the
development of futures-orientated capabilities. Neopedagogy
derives from the power of teachers’ collective engagement in
processes of holistic school development and the realisation in
their workplaces of their talents and gifts as individual
professionals. (Andrews & Crowther, 2006)

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Three Dimensional Pedagogy (3-D.P)
Adapted from Andrews & Crowther,
2003

Micro-Pedagogical Deepening (MPD) is a construct of capacity
building (Crowther & Associates, 2011, p. 98) defined as:
Micro (depth) –Pedagogical (Teaching and Learning) Deepening (rich
meaning and significance in teachers work) happens in schools when
teachers engage in three forms of pedagogical inquiry and
application:
1. Personal reflection on and nurturing their gifts and talents in
relation to their teaching
2. Conceptual development of the school’s pedagogical principles
3. Streamlining of individual and schoolwide strategies for
teaching, learning, and assessment to accommodate students’
needs as 21st century learners.
Micro-pedagogical deepening
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Case Study – Greenfield MPD
SWP
Student Version
Unpack each principle e.g.
Collaborative Learning – “Learning from other
people while helping other people learn!”
Justification: Y Gen; 1+1=3; collective
intelligence and shared cognition
Core strategies: engaged listening; mentors
and mentees; learning circles
• strengthened relationships
• rethinking teaching approaches ‘fit for context’
• poverty PD
• collective responsibility
• Student talk reflected teacher talk
• Collaborations across year levels
What did it look like?
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Metastrategic thinking and action
The metastrategic principal is the key to building
organisational capital and crafting sustainable and
aligned practices through the conscious development of:
•Teacher leaders
•Student and community leadership
•Pedagogical expertise
•Policy shaped action according to context
•Developing and strengthening productive partnerships

Case Study: Forrester Hill
The Jacaranda Tree - A metaphor for learning
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Welcome audience discussion
Cognitive and structural alignment is built upon the establishment of a shared meaning system. It flows out of a
process of contextually significant capacity building and reflection by a distributed leadership team and
continuous value adding.
Focused collaboration and reflection
(collaborative-individualism)
Teacher leadership and learning nurtured on rich discussions
(data-based and context specific – PLC enabled)
Shared language of ‘knowing and being’ based on Vision and SWP
(cultural artefacts - visual, oral, aural, spatial & relational reminders)
Schoolwide Pedagogical Practices development
(SWP – agreed ways of working together)

References and Key Publications
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Abawi, L. (2013). School meaning systems: The symbiotic nature of culture and 'language-in-use'. Improving Schools, 16(2), 89-106.
Andrews, D., & Crowther, F. (2003). 3-dimensional pedagogy: The image of 21st century teacher professionalism. In F. Crowther (Ed.), Australian College
of Educators Yearbook, 2003. Teachers as leaders in a knowledge society (pp. 95-111). Deakin West, Australia: Australian College of Educators.
Andrews, D., & Crowther, F. (2006). Teachers as leaders in a knowledge society: Encouraging signs of a new professionalism. Journal of School
Leadership, 16(5), 534-549.
Andrews, D., & USQ-LRI Research Team. (2009). A research report on the implementation of the IDEAS Project in Victoria, 2004-2009. Retrieved from
http://ideas.usq.edu.au/Portals/1/Vic_research_FINAL.pdf
Battle-Scarred Warrior [image]. Retrieved 28 November 2015 from: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/
54/8a/39/548a39b41fed415c71a83b967b95a8d2.jpg
Bauman, C. (2014). An exploration of the interconnectedness between elementary teacher job satisfaction, school culture and student achievement: A
study in two Canadian elementary schools. (Doctoral thesis), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.
Bauman, C. (2015). A refreshing perspective on teacher leadership: How teacher leaders effectively combine the use of autonomy and collaboration to
enhance school improvement. Leading & Managing, 21(2), 46-59.
Conway, J. (2008). Collective intelligence in schools: An exploration of teacher engagement in the making of significant new meaning. (Doctor of
Philosophy), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba.
Conway, J. M., & Andrews, D. (2015). A school wide approach to leading pedagogical enhancement: An Australian perspective. Journal of Educational
Change, 16(4). doi:10.1007/s10833-015-9258-0
Crowther, F., Andrews, D., & Conway, J. M. (2013). Schoolwide Pedagogy: Vibrant new meaning for teachers and principals. Lessons from a successful
school system. Moorabbin, Victoria: Hawker Brownlow Education.
Crowther, F., Andrews, D., Morgan, A., & O'Neill, S. (2012). Hitting the bullseye of school improvement: The IDEAS Project at work. Leading & Managing,
18(2), 1-33.
Crowther, F., & Associates. (2011). From school improvement to sustained capacity: the parallel leadership pathway. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Crowther, F., Ferguson, M. & Hann, L. (2009). Developing teacher leaders. How teacher leadership enhances school success (2nd
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Dream believer [image]. Retrieved 28 November 2015 from:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/73ac5d853dc0237d6790adb4f49b4a3e/tumblr_mf0z5pTHlB1ribhi6o1_250.jpg
Dr Seuss quote [image]. Retrieved 29 November 2015 from: http://www.iaam.com/artimages/careers/Dr.-Suess-Quotes.jpg
Follow your passion [image]. Retrieved 29 November 2015 from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ellevate-app-uploads-production/
blog_posts/6173/featured_image/large/ThinkstockPhotos-178515203.jpg?1429566222
Guardians of Middle-earth [image]. Retrieved 29 November 2015 from: http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/ files/styles/
article_large/hash/62/1c/621cb0f66f8c2284e6581f14f5ecbc3a.jpg?itok=gNL3OfBV
Lambert, L. (2003). Leadership capacity for lasting school improvement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Landscape [image]. Retrieved from Twitter feed ‘retweet’ 1 July 2015.
Petersen, S. (2015). Re-imaging teacher leaders leading school improvement: The untapped potential. Leading and Managing, 21(2), 1-28.
Ring [image]. Retrieved 29 November 2015 from: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MU93TnJwgRs/mqdefault.jpg
Think, pair, share [image]. Retrieved 7 July 2015 from www.pinterest.com

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