A Model of Successful School Leadership from the International Successful School Principalship Project

Abstract

Abstract:The International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) has been actively conducting research about the work of successful principals since 2001. Findings from four project books and eight models derived from this project are synthesised into a model of successful school leadership. Building on Gurr, Drysdale and Mulford's earlier model, the work of school leaders is described as engaging within the school context to influence student and school outcomes through interventions in teaching and learning, school capacity building, and the wider context. The qualities a leader brings to their role, a portfolio approach to using leadership ideas, constructing networks, collaborations and partnerships, and utilising accountability and evaluation for evidence-informed improvement, are important additional elements. The model is applicable to all in leadership roles in schools.

Successful school leadership: case studies of four Singapore primary schools

“…Incorporating more principals from different school sectors (early childhood, primary and secondary), incorporating survey data (which the current research of the ISSPP is doing; Gurr, 2015), and developing the 6E model in a survey form are all avenues for further research. Nevertheless, the research is important because it adds to the extensive literature from around the world on successful school principal leadership, provides an important study to the emerging literature on successful school leadership in Singapore, and reduces the overreliance of Asian educators on Anglo-American paradigms and perspectives (Dimmock, 2011 …”

“…Whilst it is presented to make sense of the complex data from the multiple perspective case studies, it is by no means a generalised model of leadership in Singapore. Nevertheless the labelling as the '6E Singaporean model of successful school leadership' is useful to distinguish it from other models derived from the ISSPP (see Gurr, 2015 for a discussion of these and a synthesised model of successful school leadership).…”

Collegiate Principal Structures in Implementing a School Behaviour Support Program: The Role of the Local Management Group Model

“…McCormick (2001) also discovered that strong leadership encouraged higher levels of performance by others and a willingness to accept and engage with organisational change. These findings suggest that principals' confidence level and self-belief can have a positive effect on the staff in their schools through creating positive organisational change, supporting staff in changing their professional direction, creating opportunities for staff in connecting with current research, and implementing consistent approaches for behaviour (García Torres, 2019;Gurr, 2017).…”

“…of support led by an effective leader can address communication deficits between staff and local communities to improve learning and reduce problematic behaviour. Attention to both learning and behaviour can improve the outcomes for school students and their relationship with their families and their community (Gurr, 2017).…”

“…Research into personal self-efficacy of leadership in organisations such as schools has found that leaders with a high sense of self-efficacy and confidence have a positive effect on the work environment and their colleagues (Gurr, 2017;Luthans & Peterson, 2002;McCormick, 2001). Further, the researchers of a longitudinal study of 3,675 principals across Australia investigated whether changes in social support from colleagues affected principals (Beausaert, Froehlich, Devos, & Riley, 2016).…”