School Leaders Shaping Professional and Student Learning AIS Executive Conference October 2011

1. School Leaders Shaping Professional and Student LearningAIS Executive Conference October 2011 Professor Helen Timperley The University of Auckland

2. FIVE DIMENSIONS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP Derived from Quantitative Studies Linking Leadership with Student Outcomes (Robinson et al., 2009)

3. When Do School Leaders Promote Professional Learning and Development? • Formal professional development “events” • Conversations throughout the school day • Staff meetings focused on PL • Analysing student learning • Addressing difficult issues by focusing on teaching and learning interactions • Analysis of leadership and teaching practice

4. The Evidence Base

5. The Evidence Base in Practice: Professional Development Project in Literacy Over 300 primary schools in New Zealand Writing: Average gains 2.5 to 3.2 expected rate over two years Lowest 20% 5-6 times expected rate Reading: Average gains 1.5 to 1.9 expected rate over two years Lowest 20% 3 times expected rate. Sustained over the three year monitoring period

6. Teachers Leaders Students

7. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued student outcomes What knowledge and skills do our students need? What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need? What has been the impact of our changed actions? Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills Engage students in new learning experiences

8. Identifying Students’ Knowledge and Skills • What do the students already know? • What sources of evidence have we used? • What do they need to learn and do? • How do we build on what they know?

9. Within the LPDP Project • Students assessed using curriculum-based assessment (gives a focus, provides diagnostic information and a baseline for assessing improvement) • Facilitated interpretation of how to score it and what the results mean with teachers and leaders - at the same time as…

10. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued student outcomes What knowledge and skills do our students need? What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need? What has been the impact of our changed actions? Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills Engage students in new learning experiences

11. Finding Out about Teachers’ Knowledge and Practice Investigate together: • How we have contributed to existing student outcomes? • What do we already know that we can use to promote improved outcomes for students? • What do we need to learn and do to promote these outcomes? • What sources of evidence / knowledge can we use?

12. Within the LPDP Project With expert facilitators, the leaders and teachers: • Related student data to programme emphases; • Responded to a scenario of (mostly ineffective) practice and discussed ratings; • Discussed strengths and weaknesses of practice from classroom observations • Set personal professional learning goals

13. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued student outcomes What knowledge and skills do our students need? What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need? What has been the impact of our changed actions? Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills Engage students in new learning experiences

14. Deepen Professional Knowledge and Refine Skills Important considerations: • Base it on first two parts of the cycle (creates the “need to know”) • Consider research findings about different approaches with a track record of what works

15. Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued student outcomes What knowledge and skills do our students need? What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need? What has been the impact of our changed actions? Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills Engage students in new learning experiences

16. Teachers Teachers Students

17. Teachers make the difference But they cannot do it alone

18. Beliefs, knowledge and Skills of School Leaders • To lead effectively, leaders must know enough to: • Work through the inquiry and knowledge building cycles with their teachers to improve outcomes in relation to your SIP goals

19. What knowledge and skills do our students need? What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need? What has been the impact of our changed actions? How can we as leaders promote the learning of our teachers to bridge the gap for our students? Deepen professional knowledge, engage students in new learning experiences

20. All pedagogical leaders have a class • Who is your class? • Who is the class of others in the schools you lead?

21. Small schools Principal Teachers

22. Principal Senior leaders Curriculum leaders Teachers Larger schools

23. A more collegial structure

24. Task for you • Identify your class (as a leader) • Draw a diagram of layers of classes for you and members of your class • Identify what each class needs to learn to improve • Think about some challenges you are likely to face in working with your class

25. Within the LPDP • Effective leaders • Used outside experts to help them to learn how to work with their teachers using evidence of student learning and teaching practice • Recognised their need to learn in order to teach others • Less effective leaders • Focused on structures and processes to promote others’ learning

26. Leader inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued teaching and student outcomes What knowledge and skills does “my class” already have and need? What knowledge and skills do I as leader need? What has been the impact of my changed actions on “my class”? Deepen leader knowledge and refine leadership skills Engage “my class” in new learning experiences