The role of the head in school improvement

The role of the head in school improvement

By Michael Fullan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

 On the principalship itself, the opportunity to learn on the job through problem-based conferences, networking and linking to the big picture will make the position exciting and uplifting (see Elmore and Burney, 1999, for one example at school district level). In short, school leadership must be doable and rewarding. It must offer opportunities to learn on the job and to give heads the feeling that they are part and parcel of a larger effort to make a difference in society as a whole.

對於校長本身，在工作中學習的機會，通過問題導向的討論，建立關係網絡和結合大圖像會使校長職位更有趣與振奮的。總之，學校領導必須是可行的和有意義的。必須給予校長在工作中學習的機會，並讓他們感覺到，對於改變社會的工作上，校長扮演非常重要的角色。

One last caution. As important as the principal is, quality teachers are obviously even more important. Thus, policy development must enhance the status, role and accountability of the teaching profession. First, quality teachers make quality heads. The stronger the pool of good teachers, the stronger that future heads will be as they come from the pool. In numbers, heads will be only as strong as the teaching force is in the first place. Secondly, because schools are organisations and because the principal is the head of the organisation, it falls to him or her to focus on school-wide capacity which is essential to bringing out the best in teachers.

最後的提醒是，對於學校的發展，校長是很重要的，但優質教師更重要。因此，在政策制定方面，必須提高教學專業的地位，角色和責任。首先，有優秀教師就會產生優秀校長。有更強的教師來源，就會有更強的校長。在數量上，只有站在首位，校長方能與教師們一樣強。其二，由於學校是一個組織，校長是組織的領導者。因此，集中全校能力，培育出最好的教師，是校長不可或缺的責任。

Ironically, up to the present everyone acknowledges how crucial school heads are, but there has been little attention paid to making them more effective. This will have to change if we are to "go to scale" in seeing the majority of our schools do well.

諷刺的是，現在大家都承認校長是多麼重要，但卻一直很少關注，以使他們更有效。如果我們想要看到大部分的學校都發展得很好，這必須要改變。 

資料來源：

http://www3.nccu.edu.tw/~mujinc/teaching/9-101principal/refer6-1%28kpool-evidence-fullan%29.pdf

New Leaders Trains New Principals

10月21日的報告部分：

Hoping to change urban education one school at a time, Jonathan Schnur and some colleagues founded New Leaders for New Schools, a training program for principals. By meshing coursework, on-the-job training, and mentoring from administrators and executives, New Leaders hopes to produce principals who can turn schools around.

Jonathan Schnur 和一些同事成立了「給新學校新的領導者」(New Leaders for New Schools)，一個針對校長的培育方案，希望藉此改善都市教育。經由調和課業，及時工作訓練，以及從行政 人員到經理主管人員的輔導，New Leaders 希望培養出可以重整學校的校長。

As a member of the U.S. Department of Education’s staff a few years ago, Jonathan Schnur said he found a common denominator among great schools: they had great principals. So, after leaving the Department of Education, Schnur and some colleagues came up with a plan to train people -- both from inside and outside the field of education -- to staff the principals’ offices of America’s schools.

幾年前曾任美國教育部成員的Jonathan Schnur說：他發現好的學校都有一個共同起源：那就是他們有一位傑出的校長。所以當Schnur離開教育部之後，他和一些同事想到了一個培育人才的計畫，培育教育界的內外人士，為美國學校提供校長。

“We wanted to create an urban principals’ corps,” said Schnur, co-founder and chief executive officer of the two-and-a-half-year-old New Leaders for New Schools. “We developed a business plan, and three out of five of us decided to do this full-time.”

身為已經成立兩年半的New Leaders for New Schools的共同開創人及執行長，Schnur 說他想要建立「一個都市校長的團隊」。我們建立了一個商業計畫，然後我們五個人當中有三個人決定全職地來做這份工作。

New Leaders recruits, trains, and mentors individuals to serve as administrators in urban schools. Mentors come from both the education and business world; among New Leaders’ newest and most prominent corporate mentors is Boeing Company chief executive officer Phil Condit.

New Leaders 徵募、培育和輔導人才，作為都市學校的行政人員。輔導老師來自於教育界及商業界，在New Leaders 當中，最新就任的而且最有名的企業輔導老師就是波音公司的CEO, Phil Condit。

New Leader programs operate in Chicago, New York City, and California. Participants, or "fellows," begin their training with a summer of intensive coursework, followed by an academic-year-long “residency” at a school. Each resident works with the school's principal and meets with his or her corporate mentor. The mentoring continues for two years after the residency ends.

New Leader 計畫在芝加哥、紐約市以及加州都有運作。參與者或夥伴，從一個暑假的密集作業開始他們的訓練，接下來是一整個學年住在學校。每一位居住者和學校的校長一起工作，也和他的企業輔導老師碰面。這種輔導方式在住校結束後持續兩年。

Currently, the principal corps has 48 fellows; 15 working as assistant principals or principals and 33 as residents. Most participants have an educational background, although people with no education training can apply.

目前為止，校長團隊共有48名夥伴，其中有15位從事副校長或校長的職位，其他33位是居住者。大多數的參與者都有教育背景，但是沒有教育背景的人也可以申請受訓。

New Leaders’ hopes to recruit 65 people for the program that will begin in the summer of 2003, Schnur said. Last year, 600 people completed applications for 48 openings. “[The response] demonstrates that a lot of talented people are interested in changing schools, given the right opportunities,” Schnur told Education World. “We think this [program] has significant implications.”

Schnur 說New Leaders 希望為2003年暑假展開的課程徵募65人，去年的48個空缺有600人完成報名手續。Schnur 告訴 Education World雜誌說，「如此熱烈的反應，證明了許多有才華的人在被賜與適當的機會下，對改變學校都很有興趣」。因此，此培育方案有重要的啟示。

Top heads to be 'chief executives'

10月14日報告部分：

Top heads to be 'chief executives'

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This tough approach would be backed by the carrot and stick of funding. A £125,000 per year "leadership incentive grant", aimed at 1,400 inner-city schools, would only go directly to those schools with effective heads.

此艱難計畫得到「蘿蔔與棍子」的資金 (the carrot and stick of funding)支持。每年將有125,000英鎊的「領導獎勵津貼」(leadership incentive grant)支配給1,400市內學校，經由較有效率的校長，這些津貼資金才能直接到學校。

Where there were doubts about the quality of the leadership, the money would not be passed directly - but would be dependent on improvements.

"Where necessary these plans will include the replacement of the head teacher, if this is in the best interest of the school and its pupils," she said.

那些領導品質被懷疑的學校，此津貼金無法直接支付給學校的，它要看學校的改善程度。她認為哪裡有需求，若是學校及學生的需要，此一計畫是包括替換校長的。

掃蕩曠課Truancy sweeps

"This is a vital new principle, using the best schools and heads to lever up achievement in the rest."

Flanked by the prime minister, Ms Morris called for the modernisation of the comprehensive principle.

「這是一個非常重要的新規則，用有效能的校長及有效率的學校來提升其他學校的績效」。由首相墊背，Morris呼籲推動一個全方位規則的現代化。

There would no "two-tier" system, she promised, but there had to be a wider variety of secondary schools, better leadership and improvements in pupil behaviour.

她承諾沒有雙軌制(two-tier system)的問題，卻有較多樣的國中學校，較好的領導及改善學生行為。

As well as more specialist and advanced specialist schools, the education secretary announced 33 further city academies and more "extended" schools, also providing social and health services.

英國教育部長宣佈，有許多專業及更專業學校，三十多個城市學院及「擴展學校」，都能提供社會及保健服務。

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資料來源：翻譯於：http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2131935.stm

Top heads to be 'chief executives'

Top heads to be 'chief executives'

                                                               Head teachers will be more accountable for results

Failing head teachers will be sacked from schools, says the Education Secretary, Estelle Morris.

Education spending 2003-2006

£14.7bn extra per year £50,000 extra for secondary schools £10,000 extra for primary schools £125,000 for 1,400 secondary schools in tough areas Children's centres with 300,000 places Education maintenance allowances £1,500 per year Spending per pupil up 50% since 1997

And presenting a tough message of reform for secondary schools in England, she announced a "zero tolerance of indiscipline" with more police in schools.

The massive funding increase for education, announced in the spending review, must be followed by a "decisive break with those parts of the comprehensive system that still hold us back".

"Progress at secondary level has not been fast enough. I don't think anyone can say that what we've got now is as good as we want," she said.

In a speech to the House of Commons, announcing details of how an extra £12.8bn would be allocated, Ms Morris said secondary schools must have more incentives to improve.

The best head teachers would become "chief executives", overseeing local schools which were struggling.

These head teachers would take charge of 300 "advanced specialist" schools - which would be created alongside a higher target of 2,000 specialist schools by 2006.

And head teachers who underachieved would lose their jobs.

This tough approach would be backed by the carrot and stick of funding.

A £125,000 per year "leadership incentive grant", aimed at 1,400 inner-city schools, would only go directly to those schools with effective heads.

Where there were doubts about the quality of the leadership, the money would not be passed directly - but would be dependent on improvements.

This is an appalling example of double standards. If teachers miss a target, the teacher gets sacked. If ministers miss a target, the target gets sacked

Damian Green, shadow education secretary

"Where necessary these plans will include the replacement of the head teacher, if this is in the best interest of the school and its pupils," she said.

Truancy sweeps

"This is a vital new principle, using the best schools and heads to lever up achievement in the rest."

Flanked by the prime minister, Ms Morris called for the modernisation of the comprehensive principle.

There would no "two-tier" system, she promised, but there had to be a wider variety of secondary schools, better leadership and improvements in pupil behaviour.

As well as more specialist and advanced specialist schools, the education secretary announced 33 further city academies and more "extended" schools, also providing social and health services.

The tough line on discipline will see an extension of schemes to place police in schools and to carry out more truancy sweeps.

And she said that special units for disruptive pupils could be opened in any school that needed one.

Teachers responding to the spending review said that reforms would not succeed unless the government targeted money at resolving the staff shortage.

And that was linked to resolving the longstanding dispute over teachers' workload.

But although the education secretary warned that the extra funding would need a "flexible, diverse workforce" - she said that details of workload changes would not be available until the autumn.

Teachers told it is time for change.

University delay

Universities and students will also have to wait longer to hear how much they will receive.

A 10-year strategy for higher education and a review of the student loan system will not be published until the autumn.

But in the meantime the education secretary announced £200m extra for university research.

Further education colleges have been promised a 1% increase in core funding.

The Association of Colleges said this "should mean substantial extra sums to enable colleges to meet their basic costs".

'Sham'

The shadow education secretary, Damian Green, said that there was "a gap between the rhetoric and reality" - and he dismissed claims to diversity as a "sham".

"We are not in principle opposed to spending more on education, but money without real reform will be wasted - as it has been over the past few years," he said.

Mr Green also accused the education secretary of double standards in her plans to sack staff in failing schools - saying that she had missed her targets for reducing truancy.

"Will she accept that this is an appalling example of double standards? If teachers miss a target, the teacher gets sacked. If ministers miss a target, the target gets sacked."

Small print

The Liberal Democrats, while backing the extra spending on education, said that there were now worries about the small print of the announcement.

"Managing every single school from your office is not the way to actually improve what is happening," said Mr Willis. 

Resourse: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2131935.stm

布萊爾開幕校長培育學院

10月7號 報告部分：

The school leadership college has been running in the University of Nottingham for two years, but now has purpose-built premises, providing conference facilities and residential courses for up to 20,000 delegates a year.

學校領導學院已在諾丁漢大學經營兩年了，但現在要蓋建築物，一年中可提供給兩萬學員會議設備及留宿課程。

Opening the new building, Tony Blair said:"Leadership is something learned. Good schools need good heads."

在建築物落成典禮上，布萊爾說：「領導是要受培育的，好學校必須有好校長」。

He said there was a need for vision and values and a strategy to deliver them and the need for a "national standard" among head teachers.

他認為課程需提供給學員願景，價值及策略，亦須培訓出有「國家標準」的校長。

Blair opens college for heads

Blair opens college for heads

Tony Blair has formally opened a training academy for teachers known as the Sandhurst for teachers.

In a speech at the National College for School Leadership in Nottingham, he said there had been great improvements in education and he spoke of the importance of good leaders in schools.

The college runs a course for would-be head teachers.

It is thought the government will announce that the course will be made compusory for new heads of primary and secondary schools in the state sector.

The college aims to provide up-to-date training for head teachers and senior staff, as part of the government's campaign to make teaching a more modern and professional career.

Training is also offered to subject and departmental heads, year heads, local authority advisors and schools bursars.

Tony Blair opened its new £28m headquarters on the Jubilee campus at Nottingham University.

The college was set up to provide this support and professional development for heads and senior staff.

The school leadership college has been running in the University of Nottingham for two years, but now has purpose-built premises, providing conference facilities and residential courses for up to 20,000 delegates a year.

Opening the new building, Tony Blair said:"Leadership is something learned. Good schools need good heads."

He said there was a need for vision and values and a strategy to deliver them and the need for a "national standard" among head teachers.

The college has taken over the running of three national training programmes - the National Professional Qualification for Headship, the Leadership Programme for Serving Heads and the Leadership and Management Programme for New Headteachers - from the Department for Education.

Tony Blair told head teachers at the opening ceremony: "People of my father's generation 50 or 60 years ago would have been staggered at the progress we have made but I know that we can make more progress."

Resource: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2356447.stm