Collaborative Leadership in Schools Leadership

Collaborative Leadership in Schools Leadership Development and School Improvement Effective schools are the key to America's future and the ability to maintain a competitive advantage. The future of America depends on the ability to maximize the student's ability to learn. Improving schools is an important goal that concerns everyone. School administration plays an important role in the ability to provide a learning environment that maximizes the learning potential of every student. The principal of the school is often viewed as the most important entity in achieving this goal.

When a school succeeds, the principal is often credited with leading the school to a successful outcome. However, when a school fails, they are often the one to blame. One cannot underestimate the importance of the principal in school outcomes. They set the policies and the tone that drives the staff in their daily routines. They set school vision and objectives. They oversee the implementation of plans to help schools achieve their goals. They are the one who is seen as shouldering the responsibility of school success or failure.

Older learning models placed emphasis on the school principal as the key to driving success in the school environment. Recent research diverges from traditional thoughts about the principals and their role as the one who is singularly responsible for success or failure of the school. New paradigms recognize that although one cannot minimize the role of the principal in building an effective school system, they are not the only members of the team.

Recent studies focus on the role of the principal as a facilitator of leadership among all members of the staff. They recognize the importance of the teacher and their role as a leader in the classroom. The effective principal uses the talents of their staff to reach their maximum potential. The following will explore current research into the ability of the principal to build effective school leadership by utilizing the talents of other staff members to their full potential.

It will examine the most recent studies in this changing paradigm about principals and their roles in developing the leadership skills of other staff members. It will support the thesis that effective leadership entails more than one's own leadership skill and that it involves the ability to make the most of other's talents as well.

It will examine ways in which principals and other school administrators can improve the leadership abilities of other staff members by focusing on a team approach to leadership, rather than only focusing on the leadership potential of administrative staff. Building School Capacity for Learning The purpose of this study is to help find ways to help build schools that are more effective by increasing the learning potential of the students.

It will focus on how principals can help to create an environment that will maximize the potential of the school for helping students to achieve their learning goals. The following research will explore the key elements in achieving the maximum learning goals of the school. Leadership is the key to building effective schools. Research focuses on the role of the principal as the key leader in the school. However, there are others whose leadership ability determines the effectiveness of the school system (Spillane, 2004).

Leadership in the schools goes beyond theory and is represented in the daily practice of the school setting (Spillane, 2004). Leadership is an active, rather than a passive force in the schools. Teachers interact with the students more than the principals and administrators. They play an active leadership role in curriculum development. Often it is the principal, or administrator that sets the curriculum. However, teacher interaction can enhance the perspective of the principals, so that the lessons become meaningful to the student (Spillman, 2004).

Listening to the ideas and perspectives of teachers is an important leadership task for principals. This type of interaction highlights the importance of other staff members besides the principals in terms of leadership duties. Often the principal and other administrators forms the vision, the teachers can provide practical feedback that makes the vision a reality in the classroom setting (Spillman, 2004). In practice, leadership is distributed among various levels of the staff. Many principals are defined by their managerial abilities, rather than their work in instructional improvement (Supovitz, 2000).

The principal does more than merely manage the budget. During the course of their day, they serve as a servant-leader, an organizational and social architect, an educator, a morale officer, moral advocate, child advocate, social worker, community activist, and crisis negotiator (Spillman, 2000). They must do all this while striving to raise student test scores and enhance the effectiveness of the school in academic achievement (Spillman, 2000). This is a lot for one person to handle in one day. Schools are beginning to adopt the idea of team leadership.

Under this model, leadership responsibilities and tasks are divided among staff. Each person is responsible for their little portion of the task, all under the guidance of administration to make certain that they are consistent with the goals and visions of the school. This approach makes teachers and other staff members a part of the team. It gives them ownership in the overall functioning of the school. Under this model, the principal acts as a shepherd to make certain that everyone stays on track (Spillman, 2000).

Competent teachers are necessary for effective classroom settings (Youngs & King, 2002). Every teacher adds to the capacity of the school to produce an effective learning environment. This learning capacity contains several different aspects. The first aspect consists of the teachers' individual knowledge, skills, and personalities that they bring to the classroom (Youngs & King, 2002). Teaching staff must be competent and current on their skills in order to provide the maximum learning environment. Teachers must be able to perform in an organized school atmosphere in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.

The school must have adequate resources for them to perform their job. The third component of school capacity involves the existence of coherent learning goals and a program that is directed towards achievement of those goals. School learning capacity is reduced when there is a lack of coherence among staff (Youngs & King, 2002). Everyone must be working toward the same goals in a consistent manner in order to achieve maximum school capacity. Youngs & King emphasize the importance of staff development in helping to achieve these goals.

Role Definition in Team Building Within any social organization, every member must seek to define his or her own roles and place within the structure of the organization. In the school setting, many view roles as predefined by long-standing traditions within the educational system. These roles are based on a hierarchical, authoritarian model where the teacher is subordinate to the principal and the principal is subordinate to superintendent, etc. Under this model, each level of the organizational hierarchy must submit to the whims of the level above them.

They have little chance for self-determination and can add little to the overall structure of the organization. Mandates and changes are passed from the top down. This model of school leadership survived well into the 1990s (Clabaugh & Rozycki, 1990). Sometimes, by the time a new policy makes its way into the classroom, it barely resembles the original concept. This structure makes for an inefficient system and makes for poor use of school resources and talent.

Yet, this is the structure that has survived in the school system almost since its inception. Until the 1990s, research focused on how to improve the leadership schools of principals and other school administrators. During the 1990s, the shift began to move away from the individual to focus on the school as an organizational system. It began to focus on social interactions and hierarchical relationships within the school system. During this time, it became accepted that the school system was not different from any other organization that produced a product.

Researchers began to apply corporate leadership principals to the school system, leading to the idea that the school is not unique and that the same principals apply to this setting that apply to any other organization that exists for a common goal. It is now recognized that school culture in which learning potential is maximized consists of several key elements. They include an inspired school vision that is clear, limited, and challenging (Brown, 2004). Instruction, learning opportunities, and assessments must be linked to the vision and mission of the school (Brown, 2004).

Teachers and students must have enough time to do their work well (Brown, 2004). Close relationships between the teacher and student, student peers and other staff members must be promoted and maintained (Brown, 2004). Data-driven decision making systems also form a necessary portion of the learning environment (Brown, 2004). Finally, the district must offer flexibility and support for the school system (Brown, 2004). These elements are recognized as the most important for building strong schools that provide an excellent learning environment for youth.

These key elements of a successful learning environment should make it clear that the school is learning organization, not just from the student's perspective, but also from the perspective of continually learning and refining educational techniques on all levels. Brandt (2003) offers ten ways to determine if a school indeed meets the criteria of a learning organization. The first characteristic of a learning organization is that it encourages adaptive behavior in response to differing circumstances. The second is that the learning organization has challenging, but achievable objectives and goals.

The third is that members of the organization can accurately identify the organizations' stages of development (Brandt, 2003). The learning organization can collect, process, and act upon information that fits their purposes (Brandt, 2003). Learning organizations have the knowledge base for creating new ideas. The learning organization has the ability to grow and adapt. They are dynamic and in a constant process of evolution. Learning organizations frequently exchange information with external sources (Brandt, 2003). This happens in educational workshops, in-services, and conferences.

Another feature of the learning organization is that is seeks feedback on their products and services (Brandt, 2003). In the school system, this means more than simply raising standardized test scores. It means gathering detailed feedback from teachers, students, and parents about their experiences in the school system. Learning organizations continually refine their basic process and integrate the information that they obtain from these various resources (Brandt, 2003). The learning organization creates a supportive, rather than a restrictive organizational culture where people are allowed to grow and express their ideas (Brandt, 2003).

The final characteristic of a learning organization is that it represents an open, rather than a closed system (Brandt, 2003). Old paradigms viewed the school as existing in a closed system where tradition often determined school policy and the integration of new information. This type of environment created followers, rather than leaders. The new learning organization emphasizes the development of leadership potential in every individual within the system. Every member of the staff is seen as an important member of the learning team with valuable experience and input to share.

This new paradigm is the basis for team leadership development in school systems. Under older educational paradigms, the student was viewed as a recipient of the educational system. The new school model views the student as an important part of the learning team (McLeod, 2003). Under this new paradigm, diversity is revered, rather than discouraged. The diverse attitudes and views of the students are taken into consideration in curriculum development and teaching methods (McLeod, 2003). Messages from popular culture have an impact on students and the way in which they learn.

Pop culture has an impact on student achievement and attitudes. Students in today's schools are concerned about rap music, social injustice, and resistance (Gause, 2004). Including the students as part of the learning team means the development of a curriculum and methods that are relevant to the student population and that reflect their interests. They are much more likely to want to learn if the material is interesting and relevant to the world in which they live.

Team Teaching and School Effectiveness Team teaching is the latest trend in curriculum development and cooperative education. Team teaching refers to a course that is taught by two or more teachers. In this model, both teachers take turns presenting the material and assisting with classroom duties (Leavitt, 2006). This teaching style forces teachers to come outside of their own walls and explore new methods of teaching material. They must interact with other members of the teaching staff. They cannot remain isolated inside of their classroom.

This model of classroom learning encourages staff development through active sharing of ideas and techniques. Team teaching places all members of the staff on an equal level and encourages the development of leadership skills among all staff members. They become active contributors to the evolution of teaching skills within the school system. Principals that encourage team teaching develop greater team cohesion and a sense of importance among staff members (Leavitt, 2006). Team teaching is an excellent way to encourage the development of leadership skills among staff members.

The concept of team teaching is not new and has been around sine the mid-1990s at the height of educational reform (Berenstein, 2006). However, in practice, team teaching is relatively new, as are many of the ideas expressed in research into school administration and the new leadership paradigm. Research is just beginning to appear regarding the effectiveness of these new educational approaches. Carpenter, Crawford, & Walden (2007) compared team teaching with solo teaching and found that there were no significant changes in student test scores between the two methods.

However, this study did find that students were more comfortable with the team approach. Several models of team teaching exist. The model references in the previous study involved the teaching of a single subject by one or more teachers. However, collaborative teaching has many forms. In some cases, it can mean integrating subject matter in courses so that there is consistency in the topics (Berenstein, 2006). It may mean the development of "themes" that help students to gain a whole, rather than wandering throughout their day to seemingly unrelated studies.

The principal can play a key role in achieving integration between various academic subjects so that they flow together to create an integrated whole, rather than a series of disconnected pieces. This approach to curriculum will help students to develop a sense of how the information relates in a real-world setting. Leadership and Empowerment The effective school leader has an understanding of the overall vision of the school system. Teachers are often more focused on what happens in the classroom.

It is a matter of perspective that must be reconciled if team leadership is to be achieved. The principal that wishes to enhance the leadership skills of other staff members must keep these differences in perspective at the forefront of structural changes within the school system. Research shows that the old style of authoritarian leadership is no longer an acceptable method of school administration. New leadership models encourage the development of a team model of leadership within the school.

This new approach of school administration means sharing leadership roles with many other members of the organization. Teachers and students are considered to be an integral part of the school leadership team. This means that the principal must be willing to listen to other opinions besides his or her own. They must be able to integrate information from others into the school vision and make it work as a whole entity with all of the parts connected so that they function as a unit moving towards a common goal.

This is not always an easy task, yet school administrators must face this challenge on a daily basis to make the new team leadership approach to school administration work for everyone. Stakeholders are always a concern in the introduction of new technology or innovation into the school system. Under a program called Participatory School Administration, Leadership, and Management (PSALM), various stakeholders participate in management of the school system (Gamage & San Antonio, 2006).

Research found that allowing teachers and other stakeholders to participate in school administration resulted in higher satisfaction, motivation, morale, and self-esteem (Gamage & San Antonio, 2006). Participatory management gives teachers as sense of ownership in school performance (Gamage & San Antonio, 2006). When discussion regarding administrative issues turns to stakeholders, it begins to sound more like a corporate boardroom than the traditional view of a school system. However, research has demonstrated that some of the principals that apply to effective corporations also apply to effective school systems (Beasley, 2008).

Team approaches improve teacher retention by giving them a greater sense of job satisfaction, just as it does in the corporate world (Beasley, 2008). This allows schools to keep the brightest and best, allowing them to grow professionally for the long-term (Beasley, 2008). Teacher retention improves student outcomes by building relationships and a support system (Beasley, 2008). This new focus on the collective good, rather than on the individual is a part of a larger social change that is occurring within society (Moos & Huber, 2007).

How can Principals Create Greater Levels of Leadership in Their Schools? The principal or other school administrator must be certain that the results of new leadership paradigms are quantifiable. Community involvement was and participate in school leadership improved test scores among primary schools in the United States (Anderson, 2008). Research into collaborative leadership in schools highlights the benefits of this type of learning and instructional environment.

Collaborative leadership that includes every member of the school as a leader with skills to develop has positive outcomes that reach beyond the school walls and into the community. The importance of honing leadership skills in students and staff should be apparent by now. Recent research contains several unique perspectives on how school administrators can develop the type of cooperative leadership environment that this research project discusses. We now understand the history and theoretical basis of integrated school leadership.

Now, we will examine some practical advice from current research on how to put these principals to work in the school system. The adoption of collaborative leadership represents an organizational change within the school system. One of the most difficult tasks is knowing how to get started in the change process. Halverson (2005a) examined several artifacts that principals used to start the process of developing collaborative leadership in school staff. The first artifact was the use of benchmarks for teachers.

These benchmarks went beyond academic scores and included items such as greater student participation, decreased tardiness, and other indicators of leadership success. The second artifact discovered by Halverson was the use of a diverse student population to develop greater cultural integration among students. Feedback was also used to help improve reading scores (Halverson, 2005a). These artifacts are not new, Halverson found them used in a new way that promotes leadership among teachers within the school systems examined.

Halverson (2005b) suggests that technology can play a role in developing leadership within schools. He suggests that games such as Rise of Nations and Civilization III can be used to develop leadership skills. These games can serve as leadership training simulations within the school system, according to Halverson. Schaffer, Squire, Halverson, & Gee, (2004) suggests that this concept has relevance as well, as it gives players the freedom to interact within the norms of a created societal structure, thus enhancing their ability to function within the school community.

Halverson, Linnekin, Gomez, & Spillance, 2004 found that multimedia online learning opportunity facilitates understanding of leadership principals in educators. Another recent innovation in school leadership was borrowed from research into organizational learning. Schools have a similar problem as corporate entities in communicating acquired organizational wisdom and putting it into action (Halverson, 2004). Halverson suggests building examples that illustrate how the principal, or wisdom could be applied in a typical classroom situation in order to make knowledge easier to put into practice.

Teacher evaluations that are affirmative and that emphasize strengths, rather than weaknesses are more effective in building leadership qualities in teachers than more negative evaluation methods (Halverson, Kelley, & Kimball, 2004). School leaders can use various artifacts, such as policies, programs and procedures to produce an atmosphere that promotes leadership development in the teaching staff. The educational community developed from these artifacts and they can be used to change the system and achieve effective educational reform (Halverson, 2003).

Halverson suggests that these artifacts can be purposefully manipulated to enhance the learning environment and to promote an atmosphere that develops, rather than stifles leadership. Borrowing from the Business World The changes that are now beginning to infiltrate school systems have been a part of the corporate world for quite some time. Businesses began to understand long ago, that empowerment of the employees resulted in higher productivity, fewer absences, and higher morale (Bryant & Terborg, 2008).

Companies began to shed the old hierarchical, authoritarian leadership style for one that was more collaborative. Corporate leaders began to focus on building teams and directing group strategies. They made the employee feel as if they were an important part of the organization with ideas that could be expressed. These changes are just beginning to leak into the school systems so that they too can experience the benefits that corporations have been experiencing for many years.

Why these changes are taking place has not been a topic of academic research to date. Researchers are just beginning to see the connection between trends in leadership style within corporations and changes in leadership style within the school system. Schools face many of the same problems that corporations face. They have budgetary concerns, problems with teacher retention, and difficulties putting new innovation into practice. However, many do not think of schools in the same manner in which they think about corporations.

Business entities either perform a service, or produce a product. Schools are typically viewed in the same manner. However, if one considers academic achievement of the students to be the "product" of the school system, then there are very few differences between the school and the business entity. It is not surprising that this research revealed that the schools are now beginning to adopt many of the strategies that have worked for businesses. Many of their problems are the same.

The educational field is continually making new discoveries and adding to their knowledge base. Likewise, businesses are continually researching new markets and designing ways to do what they do better and more efficiently. Both schools and businesses have a similar problem in turning new theory into action. The educational field continually expands its knowledge base, but disseminating this knowledge to the classroom level is one of the key problems that they face. The business world uses training and peer mentoring to help integrate new knowledge into the workforce.

This could also work in the educational world as well (Bryant & Terborg, 2008). Mentoring programs where more experienced teachers serve as mentors to newer ones is an excellent means to pass on organizational knowledge in a manner that makes it practical and easily applicable in classroom setting. Mentors can provide valuable feedback and stories of their experience that will help to disseminate knowledge. Experienced staff members cannot be replaced by machines or technologies.

Like corporations, schools must take full advantage or mentors, with the realization that when they retire, much valuable knowledge will be lost unless it is preserved within the organizational entity. Mentoring is an excellent means to achieve that goal. Many techniques for transferring and applying theoretical knowledge could be borrowed from the business world. The school operates much like the corporation and shares many common problems.

Schools can look to the business world, as they are doing now, to learn many strategies that will make them more effective in student education. Collaborative leadership is only one of the principles that the corporate world has to offer the educational system. Conclusion The role of the principal has changed significantly from hierarchical authoritarian power structure. Schools have begun to borrow leadership skills and theories from the corporate world and to incorporate them into policies and practices.

One of the most significant changes in school administration is the viewpoint that leadership goes beyond the administrative staff.