MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE COURSE

MODULE 8

The Leadership of Schools

ASSIGNMENT #1

NAME OF TEACHER: Sharon Williams

SCHOOL: Harmony Secondary
NAME OF MASTER TRAINER: Ms. Ava Chapman
(a) (i) In your own words, differentiate between the Head teacher as a Leader and the

Head teacher as a Manager. Make reference to practical examples.

“Managers are people who get things right and leaders are people who do the right thing.”
(Bennis and Nanus 1995)

A Manager is characterised as being task-oriented, they are generally responsible for the day-to-
day operations of an operation. They have people who report to them, they oversee their work,
and help make all of the projects run smoothly. They manage systems confidently and help their
workers feel understood and meaningful to the organization. Some other tasks are writing
reports, producing action plans, managing emails and various other administrative tasks. ‘A
Leader’ , on the other hand, is one who strategizes, and will involve tasks such as enhancing
teaching and learning, and feeding analysis and evaluation into priorities for development.
Whereas a Leader is all about building a vision for people to follow. They inspire and direct with
authority and intelligence. They help people feel confident and excited to follow their lead. If a
manager is a good leader, their workers will be willing to follow their lead, they will trust them,
and they will have a more positive work experience.

(ii) “Supervision is a necessary component of effective school leadership.” In today’s

education system, many believe that collaborative supervision is best suited but

many school leaders still use the directive style.

Compare and contrast these two styles of supervision with brief explanations.

Collaborative style of supervision can also be called the Democratic Supervision In this style of
supervision, group members are also considered as the part of decision making. The supervisor
negotiates with the team members, Ideas are exchanged freely and at last discussion is done to
make the final decision, all with one purpose of improving the classroom and school standards.
Team members’ are guided by the leader. This type of supervision can be applied to any
organization. This style of supervision is highly flexible. Leader has the authority to decide upon
the final decision.
Directive style of supervision can also be called the Autocratic supervision In this type of
supervision, leader takes decision without considering the viewpoints of other members, that of
the administrative staff. Here group members are not the part of decision making, the supervisor
feels that the best way is to make the standards clear and show teachers how to follow the steps
to accomplish the target. Here leader is completely responsible for the good or bad result
obtained. This type of supervision is rarely seen in any organization.

Directive /Autocratic style Collaborative/Democratic style

Comparisons Encourages self confidence Builds self-confidence of staff

Tasks completed on deadlines Achieves set targets

Make use of available skills and Influences members to get things

thoughts done

Systematic approach to all tasks after Must be knowledgeable as they

planning. plan ahead

Distrust among staff Resentment among staff

Contrast Less time consuming Time consuming

Supervisor takes on all the Delegates duties

responsibilities of the school

Supervisor prescribes, others

Collaborative planning and team
implement
work
Lack of staff participation
Staff members have a sense of
belonging

No time wasting Time wasting

(b) The Ministry of Education has accumulated data over the years that shows that teachers’

attendance and punctuality at school is very poor. As a Head teacher or senior leader in the

school, explain how you will attempt to mitigate this issue.

 Use at least five (5) points in your explanation.

Punctuality and attendance are important in the workplace because they maintain

productivity. Teacher absence is a common and serious problem, thus limiting the opportunities
for students to learn. Some strategies to mitigate the issue of teachers’ attendance and punctuality
are:

 The monthly absence returns record must be updated regularly and made available
to teachers to increase their aware on the level of absenteeism and lateness.

 In addition, records of teachers attendance and punctuality must be monitored on a

regular basis. According to Banerjee et al. (2008), increasing community involvement in
public schools will increase community members’ (especially parents’) ability and
motivation to monitor teacher behaviour, which in turn will promote greater teacher
effort (including both higher attendance and better performance) which will ultimately
lead to improved achievement.

 If principals stress the importance of attendance by building awareness among

teachers and tracking absences more closely, perhaps that culture could help promote
attendance.

 Principals must make use of every opportunity to remind teachers of the importance
of attendance and punctuality especially the effect on student performance .School
leaders must re-evaluate and improve their practices. In other words, school leaders must
be able to set a good example by arriving early at work and on time. When this is done,
only then can school leaders call for an improved absence and punctuality. Research has
shown that when Head teachers and senior staff set a good example, other teachers follow
the same pattern (Banerjee et al. 2008).

 A system of reward and sanction should be implemented in all schools. In other

words, when teachers make good attendance and punctuality, they must be recognized,
praised or rewarded in a school setting, for example, at graduation exercise, PTA
meetings and even at staff meetings. Studies have shown that when teachers are rewarded
for good practices, it increases their motivation to continue and it also motivates other
teachers to improve on their practices (Banerjee et al. 2008). In support of Banerjee et al.
(2008), Hansen and Quintero (2020) in their analysis of New York teachers showed that
teachers’ attendance increased during the first year of an incentive plan in which teachers
could receive monetary compensation for missing less than seven days. A study of
teachers’ absences in North Carolina determines that a policy that simultaneously raises
salaries and imposes small penalties on absences would both increase teachers’ expected
incomes and lower districts’ costs. Similarly, in Aldine Independent School District
 (Texas), for example, an incentive plan in which teachers with two or fewer absences can
receive additional contributions to their retirement plan has helped the school district to
reduce costs and increase the number of teachers with perfect attendance in a year.
(c) At Church Hill Primary School, the establishment of cliques on staff has led to serious
conflicts among teachers. Discuss how you will use the conflict resolution theory to
address this situation.

• Summon all staff members to a staff meeting. In doing so it will enable you to identify the
source of the conflict. The more information you have about the cause of the problem, the more
easily you can help to resolve it. To get the information you need, use a series of questions to
identify the cause, like, “When did you feel upset?” “Do you see a relationship between that and
this incident?” “How did this incident begin?” As a manager or supervisor, you need to give both
parties the chance to share their side of the story. It will give you a better understanding of the
situation, as well as demonstrate your impartiality. As you listen to each disputant, say, “I see” or
“uh huh” to acknowledge the information and encourage them to continue to open up to you.

• Explain the consequences for such behaviour, especially the effects it can have on others,
especially students. In doing such you need to look beyond the incident. Often, it is not the
situation but the point of view of the situation that causes anger to rile and ultimately leads to a
shouting match or other visible and disruptive result. The source of the conflict might be a minor
issue that occurred months before, but the level of stress has grown to the point where the two
parties have begun attacking each other personally instead of addressing the real problem. In the
calm of your office, you can get them to look beyond the triggering incident to see the real cause.
Once again, probing questions will help, like, “What do you think happened here?” or “When do
you think the problem between you first arose?

• Give the teachers a verbal warning and identify solutions both disputants can support.
You are listening for the most acceptable course of action. Point out the merits of various ideas,
not only from each other’s perspective, but in terms of the benefits to the organization. For
instance, you might suggest the need for greater cooperation and collaboration to effectively
address team issues and departmental problems.

• Rather than impose a resolution, look to the participants to come up with one together. This
is their problem to resolve, and you are simply a mediator. In doing so request solutions, after
getting each party’s viewpoint, the next step is to get them to identify how the situation could be
changed. Again, question the parties to solicit their ideas: “How can you make things better
between you?” As mediator, you have to be an active listener, aware of every verbal nuance, as
well as a good reader of body language. You want to get the disputants to stop fighting and start
cooperating, and that means steering the discussion away from finger pointing and toward ways
of resolving the conflict.
• Make it clear that you expect improvement and will monitor progress it can be called the
agreement. The mediator needs to get the two parties to shake hands and accept one of the
alternatives identified. The goal is to reach a negotiated agreement. Some mediators go as far as
to write up a contract in which actions and time frames are specified. However, it might be
sufficient to meet with the individuals and have them answer these questions: “What action plans
will you both put in place to prevent conflicts from arising in the future?” and “What will you do
if problems arise in the future? This mediation process works between groups as well as
individuals.
 References

(a) Banerjee A, Banerji R, Duflo E, Glennerster R, Khemani S (2008) Pitfalls of

participatory programs: evidence from a randomized evaluation in education in India.

Working Paper No. 14311. Cambridge: NBER.

(b) Bennis and Nanus, (1995) Management and Leadership

(c) [Link]

focusingon-absenteeism-among-teachers-not-just-students/

(d) Education Management Certificate (2009) The leadership of Schools, Module 8, Page

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 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE COURSE

MODULE 8

The Leadership of Schools

ASSIGNMENT #2

NAME OF TEACHER: Sharon Williams

SCHOOL: Harmony Secondary
NAME OF MASTER TRAINER: Ms. Ava Chapman

(a) (i)“Professional Development is essential for the sustained growth of a school.”

Name the personnel at three tiers in the Education System who share the responsibility

for such training and briefly justify your answer.

Three tiers in the Education System who share the responsibility for training in the area

of Professional development are 1. Regional Education Officer and District Education

Officers, 2. School Leadership teams 3. Middle leaders

 Regional Education Officer and District Education Officers: they are the ones who

share this responsibility in many ways but just to name a few, they should encourage

all members of staff to develop leadership potential. This can be done by them acting

as role models, mentors and assist with the training of staff. They are the ones who

should be giving support and encourage participation in related training opportunities.

Make available resources as well as time for development. Theu should aslo provide

constructive feedback and follow up support.

 School Leadership teams (head teacher and administrative staff): This tier must be

aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the teachers within their departments,

example of such- clinical supervision. Be up to date on their level/s of previous

training or required training as well as their qualifications, this can be done in a form

of a profile. Encourage teachers to create a portfolio of their professional

development credentials and areas of needed training.

  Middle leaders(level supervisors/Head of Departments):This tier establish close

relationships with their teachers and as such they are example setters, therefore it is

important that to aid in professional development they need to be good examples so

that the teachers can emulate. They also encourage teachers to create an atmosphere

of “ friendly but firm approach’ with the learners.

(ii) Identify and explain two methods of Leadership Training

Two methods of Leadership Training are the:

 Lecturing method: This is commonly used as a verbal training method. Proficient

leaders will lecture on various leadership topics based on experience. For example, a r

head teacher who has retired would have vast experience and may share the

experience and lessons learned in the area of improving teachers’ morale and conflict-

resolution. Lecturing is communicated using an outline with specific points and

organizational flow. Some people may use visuals or a note sheet to help listeners

grasp the concepts and ideas.

 Discussion groups: Discussion groups are a training method that allows a group of

leaders to share their personal wealth of knowledge and experience with one another.

These groups encourage feedback, suggestions, questions and opinions.

(b) “Good Leadership Skills contribute to improved learner performance and better school
management”.

(i) Describe five steps you would take in embarking on the process of training and
developing leadership skills in your Senior Leadership Team.

According to Lynton and Prateek (2002), the training process consists of well-planned
step by step process that should be adopted while deciding a training program. Training is
an investment made by an organization with the objective of achieving some desired
 results. If the training is effective then it can be very profitable for the organization.
Goldstein (1999)

Five steps I would take in embarking on the process of training and developing
leadership skills in my Senior Leadership Team are:

1. Needs Assessment: the training process is to assess the need for training the employees. It
analyse what are the long term requirements of the organization and what does the organization
expects from the employees. If there is a mismatch between the skills and knowledge required, it
means there is a learning gap. To assess this learning gap three elements is closely examined.

• Organization analysis: The objectives of the organization are studied. The end result
that a school wants to achieve is examined in context to how it uses its resources to
achieve the same. Organizations’ internal and environment is also considered.

• Operation Analysis: A job requires a combination of different activities for successful

completion. Operation analysis focuses on the needs, skills, knowledge, and attitude
required to efficiently complete the job.

• Person analysis: the focus is on the teachers who has to perform the job. It is analyzes
whether the performance of the teachers is satisfactory and he is being able to achieve the
organizational goal.

2. Defining Training Objective: After deriving the learning gap organizations should
define the learning objective. Goals and objective of training becomes the foundation of
the training initiatives. Hence determining the training objectives gives a direction to the
entire learning program.

3. Designing a Training Program: Once the objective of the training program is

determined, it is time to analyze the factors that need to be considered while
designing a training program. 1. Who will be the trainer: As per the skill and knowledge
required for effective training; it should be decided upon who will conduct the training
program. It can be from within such as a supervisor, university faculty or resource
personnel such as an Industrialist, HR staff, consultants etc. Who needs to be trained: It is
to be decided who all needs to be trained to fill the learning gap. It can be on the basis of
self-motivation, recommendation by supervisors of HR department itself. Training
Methods: Trainer should have complete information about the participants and their
profile so that he can choose the learning methods that best suits their requirements. The
training content is prepared based on the specific areas that need development.

4. Implementation of the Training Program: This refers to putting the training plan into
action. There should be a proper environment created which is conducive to learning. It
 should be preferably a participative approach and trainer should promote role-playing and
interactive games to keep the trainees involved.

5. Evaluation and Follow up Training Process: Explanation Needs Assessment. This is

done to check whether the goals and objectives of the training have been achieved or not.
Feedback needs to be taken from the participants on the training results. A follow up can
be done by asking the supervisors whether the participants are applying the skills learned in the
learning program on their day to day job.

(b) (ii) How building and empowering teams in schools can lead to improved school
management. Schools must address the challenges of meeting the needs of all learners. One way
to improve practices is to create a school team that will structure and lead processes designed to
transform teaching and learning. According to Fullan (2001), “the litmus test of all leadership is
whether it mobilizes people’s commitment to putting their energy into actions designed to
improve things” (p. 9). Further, Friend and Cook (2007) observe that “teaming is the most
frequently advocated structure for implementing school reform initiatives” (p. 58), and the
National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI, 2005) notes that “team leadership
helps to facilitate rapid and sustained change” (p. 2). Using a team approach is also a practical
way to ensure that the many leadership tasks that must take place in a successful school are
executed efficiently and effectively. Over 20 responsibilities for effective school leaders have
been identified (Cotton, 2003; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). Keeping abreast of
research-based practices in curriculum, instruction, and assessment; serving as a change agent;
and evaluating the effectiveness of practices in the school are just some of these leadership tasks.
Since “it would be rare, indeed, to find a single individual who has the capacity or will to master
such a complex array of skills” (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 99), many school leaders have found
that creating and guiding a leadership team helps to successfully distribute leadership tasks and
responsibilities. Such teams can provide leadership in the areas of problem-solving,
communication with colleagues, motivation, professional development, and coaching. Once
school leaders have decided to use a team leadership approach to guide improvement efforts,
much can be done to help the team achieve its goal of providing effective instruction and a
positive school experience for all students.

(c) Mr. Johnson is a newly appointed head teacher at Mt. Hope Secondary School. The
school Board requests that Mr. Johnson create a climate of open communication and
collaboration to make data for professional development available to everyone in
leadership position within the school. Identify and discuss five feedback strategies
towards the realization of this task.

Five feedback strategies towards the realization of the task.

Professional development is fundamentally about individual change. If teachers reject the need
to change, then all other elements of the process become irrelevant. Therefore, this element of
the process aims to assist teachers with the challenges of individual change and understanding
their own attitudes to it.

Observing Change and Attitudes to Change: this is another strategy for assisting teachers to
determine their professional development needs involves the appraisal and validation of these
needs. This element is based upon the proposition that some form of appraisal and validation of
needs ensures that the choices of options for growth are priority ones and reflect the individual‘s
needs rather than just his/her likes. Several writers argued that there is an essential link between
staff development and teacher appraisal (Lawton et al, 1986; Fessler & Burke, 1988; Stiggins &
Duke, 1988; Ingvarson, 1989; Scriven, 1989; Bollington et al, 1990; McQuarrie & Wood, 1991;
Hewton & West, 1992).

Consideration of a Holistic Taxonomy of Needs: this strategy determines professional

development needs which involves the teacher and considers an holistic taxonomy of possible
needs. This taxonomy, drew upon the writings of Houle (1972; 1980), Peters & Waterman
(1982), Riegle (1987), Metz (1988), Nowlen (1988), Little (1993), Schön (1983) and Spencer
(1996). The taxonomy goes well beyond traditional approaches to professional developments
that tend to focus specifically on teaching, learning and curriculum. Nowlen (1988), in
advocating a broader perspective for professional development, referred to a ‘performance’
model that involves research into all aspects that may influence a person‘s performance. These
can include not only work-based knowledge and skills, but also his/her personal attitudes and
motivations. Nowlen's performance model also includes the interaction of the individual and the
culture in which he/she works. Research instrument to gather data on teachers’ career needs and
responding to those needs with training and intervention Career Needs Schein (1990, p. 9)
defined career as ‘... how any individual's life develops over time and how it is perceived by that
person’. He referred to an external career that is the actual steps or path one follows, and may
include basic training and socialisation into an occupation, gaining an initial appointment after
training, tenure, promotion, career crises, levelling off and retirement.

Have a Personal and Interpersonal Needs Reference for teachers: this was made known by
authors such as Schein (1978) and Nowlen (1988) who questioned the limitation of perceiving
professional development only in terms of increasing the professional‘s technical work-based
knowledge and skills, and called for an ‘interaction within the total ‘life space’ of issues of work,
family and self-development’ (Schein, 1978, p. 17). Applying this concept to teaching, Levine
(1989), Burns (1991) and Diegmueller (1991) made the point that, as with children, adults bring
their whole being to the workplace and it is unrealistic to separate people‘s out-of school lives
from their school lives. Indeed, if teachers are expected to assist the intellectual and the affective
development of children, they should also have access to programmes that assist their own
growth in these domains. Hence, the teacher should be viewed as a whole person, and
professional development should adopt a similar approach. Burns (1991) elaborated on this when
putting forward the perspective that teaching is one of a number of professional activities
(including health, the social services and the public service), where the personal and
interpersonal dimensions of people‘s everyday responsibilities are significant. System and
School Needs Earlier references were made to the major role of education systems and schools in
the professional development of teachers. Schein (1978) and Fullan & Hargreaves (1992) called
for an integration of the needs of these organisations with the needs of the individual. Such
development of its employees has been seen as one way in which the organisations in which
teachers work attempt to respond to change. This change can be caused by ‘... a variety of such
factors as economic trends, historical events, different political parties coming into power, social
and cultural developments, demographic trends, or technological developments’ (Sikes, 1992, p.
37).
References

Cotton, K. (2003). Principals and student achievement: What the research says.

Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Marzano, R.

J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results.

Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; Aurora, CO: Mid-
continent Research for Education and Learning.

R. P. Lynton, U. Prateek, “Training for Development”, Sage Publications 2002.

Goldstein, “Training in Organizations”, Burr Ridge: McGraw Hill, Irwin, 1999.

Fitzgerald, W. (1992). Training versus development. Training and Development, 46(5), 81-84.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.