mEROLESAND RESPONSIBILITIESOF AN EFFECTIVESCH OO L PRINCIPAL
AN INTERNSHIPREPORT
By
Paul G.Edwards,B.Ed.
An internshipreportsubmitted tothe SchoolofGradua teStudies in part ialfulfillment of the requ ire me ntsfor
the Degree of Mast er of Educat ion
Facult yof Educati on Mem orialUniversityof Newf ou ndland
Feb ru ary 2000
51.Jobn's Newfou ndland
ABSTRAcr
Toda yineduca tion,wefindourselves amidmuch change and diversity.Itis a timeofnotonlyunrest in the educationsystembutatimewhenpositive changescan take place.Ongoingeduca tio nal refonniniti atives placemoreresponsibilityfordeci sion making onindividualschools.Thus,expectations forschools have changed and so has therole of theprincipal.This internship report focuses on effectiveleadership, especiallyeducationalleadership,asitreflec tsthe rolesand responsibilitiesofa schoo l administrato rin our changingand deman di ng systemofeducatio n.
Therole of theprincipal is indeedmultidimensional.There appears to be a consen sus thattheroles and responsibilitiesofa schoolprincipal are as multifacetedand complexas the school organi zationisitself. The responsibilitiesseem everevolving and never absolute.
Anabundanc eofcurre nt literaturefromthelast two decadesexiststodescri be the varioustasksand dailyfunctions of theprincipal.Thisreport focu sesonwhatSybouts and Wendel (1994)contend to bethe critical functions andtasksof school administra tors:(i)instru ctionandcurriculumdevelopment;(ii)pupilpersonnel services ; (iii)staff personnelservices;(iv) community-schoolleadership;and (v) organization, structu re,coordination andmanagem ent of :school finances.
Critical reflection sinthe formof a descri ptive narra tiveof dail y experiences observed by theinternare included.These reflection sservetoindicatethat many
functionscharacteristicof an effective lead erwereevidentinthis particularinte rns hip setting. It is throughthese reflections that the intern hasdeveloped a deeper andmore thorou g h understanding andappreciation for the many rolesa principalmustassume in order tomeet the needs ofthe:many stakeholdersin our educationsystem.
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ACKNO WLEDGMENTS
Thecompletion of this reportwouldnot have been possiblewithoutthe continued support, understandingand encouragement of my wife, Regina,my two children , Matthew and Ellen,andmy parents,HarryandShirleyEdwards.
The staff andadministration oftheschool inwhich theintern shipwasconducted are tobe commended for the professional mannerinwhichlhe internwastreated.They aretobe thank edfor their kindnessandsupportthroughoutthe ten-weekduration.
I wish togivespecial thankstoDr.Amarjit Sing h forhis assistance . direction and continuedsuppo rtthroughout thisendeavor.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
ABSTRACT••• •••.• ••.•••••• •••• •••.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS " .
CHAPTER1:OVERVIEWOFTHE INTERNSHIP
iv ..1 RationaleforIntern shi p Option ...•... . .... . . ....I InternshipSetting ..• • . ••... •. • . . . . ... ... . .... 1 Goalsand Objectives of Internship ... .. .. . .... . ••... . .. . . 2 Strategies forRealiza tionof Goals .•.• . . . . ...•• • • •....•• • •• •. 3 Organization ofRepo rt.• • • .. . . .. . . ._ .... ... .. .... 4 CHAPTER2:ROLESANDRESPONSIBILITIESOF AN EFFECT IVE
SCHOOLPRINCIPAL.. ... ..6
Introduction ... .... .•. . 6
Defining Leadership • . .. ••. . . ... ... ... 6
TheRole andRespon sibility of the Principal 8
Instructi on and CurriculumDevelopment •. ,_.. .•.•.•.. 8 PupilPersonnel Services .. . ... . . . . ... .. .. .. .... 10 StaffPersonnel Services •.•. . . . ...• • . • .... . •. 12 Community-SchoolLeadership... ... . ... ... 17 Organization ,Structure,CoordinationandManagementof SchoolFinances .21
Conclusion ... •.. .. .... . •.26
CHAPTER 3: PERSONALREFLECTIONS.... 28
Introduction 28
Observationsand Internship Experience:
Curriculu mandInstruction ...• . • •.. 29
PupilPersonnelServices 31
StaffPersonnelServices ... .•. . . ... ..•. 3S
Community-SchoolLeadership 39
Organizati on,Structure,Coordinationand
ManagementofSchool Finances.. .. ... ... .... . . 42
Conclusion 46
APPENDICES REfERENCES
48 ... ..•. .. . . ..• ... . . .. •. .. • .59
CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEWOF
ras
L"IITERNSUl PRationalefor'Inteenshlp Option
TheMaslen of Education (Educational Leadership)studies require students10 completea course of study that includestheoretical groundingin current paradigms, pedagogies andresearch in Educational Leadership,combinedwith practical experience.
Students completi ngthisprogra m have theoption ofcompletinga minimumof18 credit hoursplus a thesis,or 24credithou rsplus aninternshipreport,a projector paperfolio.
My choice of theinternshipoptionreflectsmybeliefthatto effec tively preparea graduatestudentfortheleadershiprole, an effecti ve,practicalexperience isessential.
Theinternshiprouteprovidesforthisfull-timepracticalexpe rienceandhelps to develop personaland pro fessional competencies, highligh tsthemany andvaried leadership theories studied throughoutthe coursework,anddevelop s the creativeandreflective perspective of the intern.
InternshipSelli n&:
lbe site selected for my internship report isX Elemen tarySchoolloca.ted in a suburbanarea of Newfoundland.Thisschool hasawell-developed administrativeteam in whichtherolesofprincipal and vice-principalare wellestablished.Thisteam has workedtogetherin this setting(or nine years.This has provided,andcontinuesto provide, the opportunityfor both members of thetea mtorea chtheirfull potentialina collaborativesetting.
Thisschool isaGradeIthroug h Grade 8configu rationwithtwoandthroe stream gradelevels.Ithas astudent populationof783stud ents and 38professi onal teaching staff.The prognmu offered at theschoolarealso supportedwith six studentassistants.
Thisparticularschoolwaschosen for the internshipsettingforanumberof reasons.First,the principalwassuggestedasa suitabl esupervisor becausehepossesses extensive leadershipexperience.Second , whenapp~edto actassuperviso r, he appearedquiteinterestedinworkingwithme in amentoring capacity.Third ,because of thisprincipal ' s owncareer aspirations andextensi vestudy intheareaof Educa tio nal Administration,Ifel t thatIcould gainmuch practicalexperie nce and creativityfrom this enthusiasticind ividual.Finally,giventhe size and fast -pacedenvironme ntofthis school,Iwasprovided theopportunityto study and todocumenttheman y facets of Educatio nalLeade rship.The primary ,elementary,and juniorhighsetting of this school coincides with mydesire to be invo lved in primaryeducation,my traininginelementary methods,and my teaching experience inthejunior hig harea.Suchasetting has providedfurtheroppo rtunity to observe abroader administrative approach.
Goals andObjectivesofInlernship
Theprimary goal ofthisinternshi pwasto allowme to become part of the administra tive team ofmy cooperati ngschoolin the role ofobserver and participant.
Mymain focuswastoobserve the roleof theprin cipal in anattempttoconstru cta leadershiprolefromthesocialconte xt.
The initialgoalsandobjectivesforthis experience: includedthefollowing:
1. To gain insightinto the various roles of the educational leader in a school setting.
2. To developamenloringrelationshipwith the principalandpositive relations with staffand studentsthrough whichmean ingful skill developmentandlearn ing could
3. To documentthe roles and responsibilitiesof the schoo l principal and tocompare theserolesand responsibilitieswithcurr en tresearch literatu re trends.
4. Toreflecton.and refine. my orientatio nto education and educationalleadership.
5. To gain insight into. and engage in. acti vities forsclfdevelopment.relatedto leadership inan educational organization.
Stratq iesfor Rea liza tion of Goals
As anticipated. this experience gaveme the opportunityto be involved in many relevantleadership activities. Throughout the internship.Iemployedseveral stra tegies to help me achieve a thoroughunderstandingof themanycomplexitiesinvolvedin schoo ladministrati on.Several strategiesused were as follows:
1. Iavailedof daily journal writing asameans of documenti ngmy observations and reflecting on dailyexperiences.Thesejournal entriesserved as a basisfor discussion with the principal,aswellasbeing used toreflect onmy own philosophies.
2. I observed thedaily interactionsof theadministra tor withteachers.students.
parents, board personnel , suppo rtstaffand the community.Iexamined these
interactionsinrelationtothe varioustheoriesof administr.ationthatIhave studied.
3. I anendedstaffmeetings,meetingswithteaehen, and/or student/parentmeetings.
schoolboardmeetings, school councilmeetingsand meetingswithmembers of the community,where confidentialityallowed, to viewtheprincipal' srole through a broadercontext.
4. Iparticipatedinissues concerning the restructuringofthe school district.These issues includedstaffing, reconfigurationof schoolsand/ or classes,and the necessary changesneeded for scheduling.
S. Throughshadowingand observingthisprincipal,Igainedspecificknowledgeof the rolesand responsibilities ofthisposition.I becameinvolvedinand participatedin various dutiesof the principal on adaily basis.Manyofthese functions were routine,whileotherswereresponsestosituations that arose sponraneously.Some of these dutiesincluded:
planningofa teachers'two-dayprofessionaldevelopment Inservlce:
organizingschoo lassembliesaspartofschoolimprovementinitiatives ; assisting withfundraising initiatives;
planning a publicspeaking competition; and
assistingin the administrationof the school'sdiscipline policy.
O,,&3niza lionortheReport
This report is organizedintothreechapten.Chapter1 provides the readerwith thegoalsandobjectives of theinternship, aswell as anoverview of the report.
Chapter2 is theresearchcomponent,whichexamines currentliteratureof theroles and
responsibilitiesof an effective leader.Chapter3 is a reflectionon theintern ship experience and the practicesthatillustrate effectivelead ership.
ChaptersIand 3 havebeenwritteninthe firstpersonbecause of the experiential andreflective nature ofthecontents.Chapter-2 ispresented in a formal mannerin the sensethatit is written in the third person.
CHAPTER 1
ROLES ANDRFSPONSIB JL mES OFAN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL [nlrod uclion
With the current demands placed on our education system by society,there are evolving changes occurring in education.Thecurrent shift in paradigmshas resulted in muchdecen tral ization of power,and more schoolidministrato rsbecomingresponsible for decision-makingprocessesandfunctions that were previous lythe focus of central boardofficesorregulating agencies suchas theDepartmentof Education.
As a result of suchtrends ,the roleofthe schoolprincipalhasbroadenedand is becomingincreasinglymore complex and difficult.Seasonedand experiencedprincipals mustlookto,and adop t,new approaches to leade rship iftheyare to "lead" and nOI simply manageaneffectiveschoolorganization.GaruboandRothstein(1998) contend that[heprincipal shouldbe a decision maker, problem solver,a supportsystemfor staff andsmdeots and foremost,a communicatorof the school'sgoalsand vision.
DefiningLeadership
Educational leaders deal with people,notthings,and people are complicated , unpredictable, multidimen sionalandcontradictory.Thus,itisneitherpractical nor logicalto assumethereis one "correct"definition ofleadersh ipwithone "correct " set of ways ofdoing things. Leaders hip,particularlyeducational leadership, is enigmaticand difficultto bothconceptualizeand define.Beforeexamining the rolesand responsibilitiesof an administra tor.gainingunderstanding of theessenceof leadershipis imperative. A furtherbreakdow nofthedefinition of leader shiphas resultedfrom
worn ofsuch theorists asBumsandBass(as cited inOwens,1998),who emphasize understandingleadershipstylesina two-dimensi onalapproach.Leaders hipbehaviour is defined intwodimensions:(i)initiatingstructure, whichhighlights "gettingthejob done";and(Li)consideration or concern forothersthatfocusesontheleaderdeveloping friendship ,mutualtrust, respectandwarmthinrelationshipsbetweenleadersand followers.
Educational leadershipincludes manyareassuch as:instructionalleadership, decisi onmaking,empowerment, swf andstudentprioritiesandcommunication,tolist a few;however,thearea beingfocusedon is leaders hipintennsof instructional leadershi p.Many other theoristshaveoffered definition s to capture an understandingof this aspectof leadership.DeBevoise (1994), for example,defi nesinstructional leadersh ipas "thoseactions thataprincipal rakesordelegatestoothers topromote growthinstude ntlearning."Greenfield (1987)definesinstruc tionalleadership as
"actions undertakenwith the intentionofdeveloping aproductiveandsatisfying working environ mentfor teachers and desirablelearn ingconditions and outcomes for children."
DavisandThomas(1989) say that "theconstruct of instructional leadershipremains ambiguous.There is noone ideal leadershipstyle. " Dubrin(1998) arguesthat leadershipdealswith"change,inspiration,moti vation andinfluence"(p.3.) .Thekey functionofaleader,hemainl.1ins, is tocreate avisionwhiletherole ofmanager, conversely,is to implementthat vision.
TheRoleand Responsibilityof thePrincipal
Muchliteratureexisrstodescribe mevariouswlcsand thedailyfunctionsof me principal.SyboutsandWende l (1994)suggestthatmanyof me critical functions and tasks thatschooladministrators deal with may becategori zedasfollows:(i)instruction andcurri culumdevelopm en t;(ii)pupil personnelservices;(iii) staff personnelservices; (iv) communtty-scbootleedershtp:and(v)organ ization,structu re .coordinatio n and manageme nt ofschoolfinances.A principalwearsmanyhats.The follo wingsections willserveto explaineachofthese categories further,givinga broaderunders tandingof the complexrole theprinci palplays in each,astheprincipal isexpectedto bean effective leader inallthese areas,
[nstructionand Curriculum neyelopment
UbbenandHughes(1981) contend thatcurriculum cansimplybe defined aswhat is taught inthe schoo land instructionis thehow, the methodsand techniq uesused to improve studentachievement.Asschool curriculum isa presc ribedcurriculum mandatedbytheDepartment ofEducation , the mainresponsibilityof theschool administra toris to ensurethat the curric ulumisinplace andthat program s arefacilitated tomee t the outcomes oftheprescribedprogra m.
Instruction, being the lifeblood of the school.carriesmany implicationsand responsibilitiesfor[heschool adm inistra tor.Theprincipalhas alarge roletoplay in monito ring and promoting instructional programs.
Muchliteraturereflec ts the notionthat to be an effective principal , a person must possessa vision for thelearn ing organization.This visionmust besharedbyall
participants if indeedthe organizationisto be effective. Accordingto Sergiovanni (1987),"vision referstothe capacitytocreate andcommunicate a view of a desiredstate of affairs that induces commitmentamong those working in the organization- (p.51).It iswith thisvisionin mind thattheprincipal shou ldassume the role of an instructi onal leaderwithinthelearn ingorganization ifhe orshe is tobeeffective.Sybouts and Wen de l (1994) stale,"Instructionalleadersare knowledgeableabout instruetional resources,provide resources{ortheirteachers bypromoting staffdevelop mentactivities, andobtainresources and support for schoo lgoals" (p.11).The principal will ,furtherto this, assistteachers in sol vinginstructionalproblems, encourage theuseofdifferen t, current,effectiveleachin gstrategies , aswellas assist withevaluation techniques.
Kimbrou gh andBurkett (1990) suggest that effectiveprincipals makestude nt achieveme nt their top priority.To do this,principals mustengageinactivitiesthat affect thisend.Such activitiesmayincludescheduling meetings todiscussstudent achievement,reducingclass room interru ptions, andusingstudent assembliesand exhibits torewardand highligh t student achievem en t,
Instruction, whileappearingtorepresent oneroleorrespon sibility ofan administrator,incorporates manyofthe daily functionsoftheprincipal.Current literaturesuggeststhat effectiveinstructionalleadership shouldconsume most ofthe principal's timeandshould bethe focus of a principa l'swork load (DrakeandRoe, 1999) .
PupilPenonnelServkes
Aprimaryfocus or responsibilityoftheprincipalas suggestedbyUbbenand Hughes(1997) istomanifestastrong,direct leadershippattern where orderly atmosphereismaintained,studentachieve mentis emphasizedand the evaluationof stude nt progresstowardstated goals is constantly being monitored.Kimbrough and Burkett(1990) aswellstate that "the principalshould invest leadershipin the develop mentof aclimate conduciveto high educational achieve ment"(p.274). The principal doeshaveotherrespon sibilitiesthatfosterstudent development beyondmeeting prognm needs.Theseresponsibilities are typically categorized as studentservicesand include awide range ofduties and tasks.
Ofutmo st importanceis the responsibility oftheprincipaltodevelop and maintainanorderl y,caring,trustingand safe schoolclimatewithasense ofcommunity forallstudents .If such anenvironmen t is created,studentswillacceptschoolas a healthyand positiveplaceto be, andbemotivated tolearn.AsSeyfanh (1999)suggests
"apositiverelation shipexists betwee nthesense of caring andtrusting communityand students'academic and achievementmotivation,theirfeelings of selfesteem andtheir prosocial motivation - (p.126).
The school isan organizationmade up ofmany differentpeoplewithmany personalneeds andexpectations.Thestudentsare the very integralpanofthis organization and,wherediversitiesexist,itisunrea listictothink problem sand disruptive behaviourdo not occur.Principalsarefreque ntlyinvolvedinsolving disciplin aryproblems.According toSharpe andHarte(1996),discipline requires much
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timesincethe disciplinary actionmust often bereportedto parents.SyboutsandWendel (1994)contend thattheprincipal,in collabora tionwiththestaff, is responsibleforthe develop mentof an effectiveandcomprehensive disciplinecodeto guide student behaviour.Throughthis collabora tion, apolicy is developedthat(i)iseffec tive;and (ti)istobemaintai ned andpracticed.Students,parents andteachersaretobemade awareof disciplinepoliciesandschool rules.Kimbrough andBurkett(1990 ) suggestthe impo nanceofdevelopingstudent perceptions ofthe administra tors andstaffasbeing sincere andcaring,andthatthebestinterestsof the studentsaretheprimary concern. It isthrougheffective studen t policiesand rules,with firm expectati onsforthem,that their perceptions are enhanc ed.
Principalsareresponsiblefor providingmany studentswithservices thatfoster studentdevelopmenLThisrole is so inclusiveanddemanding that currentliterature suggeststhis level of responsibilityshould be anentitywithin itself.Itis suggested that committees beformed toalleviate the demandsplaced onanadministratorto effectively provideadequateservice.
Sybouts andWendel(1994) suggest thefollowingas stude ntservicesthatthe principalis responsiblefor:
I. Student admissions
2. Placement of students with special progra mneeds 3. Maintainingstudent records
4. Reponin g10agencies outsideschool(i.e.,legal or medical, etc.) 5. Liaiso n withcommunity organization
6. legal aspectsofstudentattendance anddelinquency 7. Stude nt transfers
g. Health services
II
While[hislistis notexhaustive .itprovidesafocus ordirectionfor the effective deliveryofstuden t services.Kimbroughand Burkett(1990)furthersuggest areas of importancewithinstudentservicesthatareconsideredthe responsibilitiesof the principal.Theyare:
1. A well organi zed andadministeredprogramofguidance andcounselling service s
2. Aconstant evaluation and reportin gofstudent progress 3. Developmesitofa policyon studentprom otion 4. Organizationof studentsfor instruc tio n S. Administering studentactivitiespro grams
The tasksanddemandsplacedon an admi nistrato rwithin the realmsof student services are againvery div-erse andvaried.To be effectivein dealingwithstudentsona dailybasis,itis importantforthe principaltobevisibleto studentsandto use exceptio nal interpersonalsJcills. Itisthroughvisibility and interactionwith studentsthat theadministra torisconveying,tothe studentbody,amessageofcaring,supportand interest intheiractivities . AsBlumbergandGreenfield (1986) state,"theprincipaldoe s indeedmake adifferencei11the lifeof aschool" {p,3).
Starr PersonnelSenk:eo>
"The strengthofan.institutionisin its people "(English,Frase andArchar,1992, p.97).Theeffecti veness of an administrator canoftenbedeterminedor affectedby the peoplewith who mheor sheworks,the professionalleachingstaff.The staff havea tremendousimpact on the characterof theschoo l. A majorroleorresponsibility of an
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administratoras ascertained bySenge (199Ob)istodesign the go vern ingprinciplesof purpose,visionandcore values,bywhich people will live. This vision,as definedby Duke(1990),is "an imageof whatisdesi rab le that can beexpressed in ways that inspire and motivatepeople towork towardimprove ment"(p.26).
Aneffective schoolprincipalneeds to havea clearvisionfortheorg an izati o n and a desire to share and insti llthis vision lhrough motivatinghis/h erstaffto attaincertain goals,The personalvaluesandbeliefshe ldbyan administratorarereflectedin the effectiveness of the organ izatio n.The mannerin whichan administra torintera c tswith thestaffandallstakeholderswillreflecthis/h er level ofinclusioninadministra tiveissues concemingthe school.
Liebermen (1995)writes that there isa changingparadig mfo r restructuri ng schools andthatthisnewparadigm requiresacombinedparticipa tionof thosewhostudy, workin,andsupportschools. The roleof principal,shemaintai ns, has shif ted fromone who overseesand directsteac he rs 'worktoonewhoactsas a partner withteac her s providing support andcrea tinggro wth opportunities .
Curre ntresearch maintains that school effective nessisdepend en t uponthe cultu re andclimateofaparticular school.Organizational cultureis vague,intangi bleand often difficulttodefine.However,a widelyaccepteddefinitionisattributed10Shafritzand On(199 6) who defineculture as"apattern ofbasic assumptio ns invented,discovered,or developedby a givengroup, asitlearnstocope with integra tion-th at hasworkedwell eno ughto be consideredvalid , andtherefo re , to betaught tonew membersas the correct way to perceive, think, and feelin re lat io nto thoseproblems"(pp.433-434).
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Itiswith theno tio nsofsharedvision andschoo l cultu rethat theprincipalhasthe responsibility of empow erin g the teachingstaff.Itis through empo we rmen t that a teacher becomesinspired, accepts ownership and deve lop sanenhanced senseofself- esteem.An effective administratorcan,andshould, acknowledgethe ability and effectivene ss ofthestaff bydelegatingpowerand responsibility,involvingthemin a shareddecision -making proces s,and utilizingthe staff'sindivid ual talentsandstreng ths.
Byso doing, a teac he r becomes mo re motivated andthenmorecontent.AsMcCaJl (1994)states, "the morestakeholdersrealize theycan actually influenceand controlthe school,the more they are enabled,and the more effectivethe schoo lwill become.
Bolman andDeal (1995) funher reiterate the importance and impact of shared decision making as a characteristic of effective leadershipwhen they state..their abilitytolead emergesfromthe strength andsustenanceof those around them"(p.56).
Hug hes(1994 ) states that "trust isa high ly regardedval uethatto be developed requirestimeandthe supportoftheentireschoo l"(p.153 ).Leadershipin theroleof administratorflo uri sheswhen boththeprincipal andthe teachersvieweach otheras credible.Whenprincipalsexercisetrustin teachers,amore collaborativeapproach is developed where teachers feel valued and a positiveworkingatmo sphere results.Fullan (1991)posits that theprincipal as a collaborativeleaderistheke y to the future in educatio nfo rit isthroughpositivestaff developmentthatprincipalsaretenn ed effective.
Another importan tresponsibilityoftheprincipal,aswellas beingan important aspect of staffdevelo pme nt,is teacher supervision whichisan essentialelement of successfulschools.Glickman,Go rdo n and Ross-Gord on(1998) descri be supe rvisionas
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..theprocessby which somepersonorgroup ofpeopleisresponsiblefOT providingalink betweenanindividual teacher'sneedsandorganizationalgoals sothatindividuals within the school can work in harmony towardthevision ofwhat theschoolshouldbe"(p.6).
Kimbroughand Burkett(1990) statethat"supervisionisthemeans by which leadershipis providedfOTimproving theteachingandlearningenvironmentof the school"(p.169).Theseauthorsalso contend that principals ,assupervisors.can create more effectiveschoolsbyenhancingteacher beliefin a causebeyond oneselfandthe fourwalls,promotingtheteacher 's senseof efficiency,making teachers awareof how they complementeach otherinstriving forcommon goals, stimulati ngteachers10 plan common purposesandactionsand challenging teachers tothink abstractly about their work.Shreeve(1993)assertsthatprincipals mustbecollaborativepartnersin a supervision philosophythatpromotes the beliefthatteachers mustbe treatedas professionals,setting their owngoals,andreceiving helpin achievingthose goals.
Glickman etal.(1998) concurthatthe roleof asupervisingprincipal isa crucial rolein developinghuman relations.Gamba and Rothstein(1998) furtherstale that "superv isory conferences shouldhelp teachers seeand understandtheirownemotions , ambivalence, biasesandneeds"(p.109).Itisthrough suchsupervisorystylesthatprincipalscanhelp teachers develop an understandingoftheirrelationshipwith studentsand others with whom they work.
Itisthroughtheprocess of effectivesupervision that staff professional developmentprograms are initiated andcarriedout.Sergiovanni (1996) stales, ..traditionally,teacherdevelopmenthasbeensynonymouswithinservice training.And
IS
inservicetraining methodshave empathized suchpedagog icalprinciplesasuniformity, consumption.memo riza tion,and replication" (p.142).While inservicetraining is beneficialto anexten t, it does not represent,allinclusively.thegoals ofa professional deve lopmentprognun.Sergiovann i(1996) contends that itistheresponsibility of the principal towork withteacherstodevelop a commonpurposefor the improvementof teachi ngand learn ingwherethe teachers'capacities,needs,andinterests arecentral.
Theinvolvement andongoingsupportofthe principalarenecessary forsuch pro fessional dev elopment endeavo urs tobe bothbeneficial andeffective.
Frase and Hetzel (1990) offersfour areasthat theybelieve canbeimpro ved through collaborative approac hestoprofessionaldevelopmentinitiatives. Theseare:
I. Theteacher' s senseof purpose 2. The teacher'spercepti on of students 3. The teacher'sknowled geofsubjectmailer 4. Theteacher' smaster)' of technique (pp.59-60)
FraseandHetzel feelitisthe responsibilityof administratorstoplaneffective developmentprogramsfor teachers. Theystate,"professionaldevelopmentand feedback offer opportunities for teachers,oranystaffmember,to experience achievement, responsibi lity.andrecognition.three powerful motivationalfactorsfor teachers - (p.58).Joyce andShowers"(I99S)states that"the fieldofprofessional dev elop mentis evolvinggradually from a patchwork of coursesandworksh op sinto a systemensuringthateducationalprofessionalsregularly enhance theiracademic knowledge,professional performa nce,andimageasprofession als "(pp.8-9) .Itis ulti mately theresponsibility oftheprincipaltoconstantlyenhanceand devel opthisimage
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of professionalism toensurethatanystaffdevelopmentactivitiesremain focused on the improvement of studen t learnin g.
Todayin educa tion,asweexperience manychanges dueto refonn initiatives,it is imperative that an effective instrueti.onalleadcr provideindivid ualized supportto teacherswhoare experiencing problemswhile changing programs or practices. Lcithwood,Menzies andJantzi (1994) believe that theadministn..tor'sbehaviour sho uld indicaterespectforthestaffand concern for thei rpersonal foclingsandneeds.Tcac hcn needtobe reassuredby the principalthat all effo ns willbe madetoassist themthroug h any problemsexpe riencedduring thechange. Prin cipal s sho uldalsoencourage teachers to be innovative.Holmes (1993)states that principal sshould"re mind teachersthat however the curriculumisdescri bedor evenco ntro lled fromoutside the schoo!,it isin the delive ryofthecurricu lumtha tlearning willoccur "(p•.57).
Such behaviou rs arc necessaryifa caringre la tio nshipis to existbetween principal s andstaffs.Frase and Hetzel(1990)cite fivesteps that administratorscould use in establishing caringrelationships withemployees:(i) attending; (ii) listening;
CUi)responding;(iv)personalizing;and(v)initiating(p.I).
Commu nity-SchoolLeadership
Manypubl ic institutionsareunderg oing a transfonnationalperiod as a resultof demandsplaced onthe mby the groupsthey service.Suchatransforma tion is indeed necessary ifinsti tu tions areto operateeffecti vely.It is unrealistic to thinkthatthe school as an institutionhasnotbeenimpac ted by suc hsocietal demand s. "Beliefs about the rightand properroleofco mmunity leaders and parents inschoo ls currently are under
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thegreatestpressureforchangeandare amongthegreatest sources of contentionin schools." (HartandBrederon,1996,p.76) .
Parentsandcommunityorganizations,asmanywriterscontend,haveacrucial roletoplay in education.Seyfarth(1999)argues thatparentalinvolvementisa critical factorinhelpingtoincreaseschooleffectiveness. Suchinvolvementhasa tremendous impact onstudentachievement;it buildsanamiablerelationshipwhereparents and communitymembers feelinvolvedand welcomed,and sparks renewed interestin the benefits of education.Henderson(198 1)states:
Whenparentsshowa stronginterest intheirchildren' sschooling,they promote the developmentofattitudesthat are keyto achievement, attitudes thatare moreaproductofhow thefamilyinteractsthanof its social class orincome.Ifschoolstreat parents as powerlessor unimportan t,oriftheydiscourageparentsfrom takinganinterest,they promotethedevelopmentofattitudes in parents,and consequentlytheir children,thatinhibitachievement(p.3).
Therelationship thatexistsbetweenaschoo land a communityhasfarreaching implications.Syboutsand Wendel(1994) posit that school-communityrelationship shouldbeaco-operative and workingrelationship among all parties.These authors state that"geed school-communityrelations shouldfoster the contribution the communitycan maketothe schoolandcorrespondinglyenhancethe contributiontheschoolcanmaketo the community"(p.292).
Forpositive communityrelationshipstodevelop,it isthe responsibilityof the principaltobecomeinvolvedinpublicrelations efforts where communicationswith parents andthe communityarereceived as beingopen,honest, and genuine.It is through open and directchannels of communication,Seyfarth(1999) suggeststhat
18
administrators caneffectiveJywo rle with communityandparents sothat their reactionsto change or school initiatives inparticular are supportive.Ifan administratorexpects moredirect involvement by parentsasvolunteers orasmembers of dccis ion-malcing committees,UbbenandHughes(1987)statetha t "information needsto be communicated to parentsthatinclude the goals andstrategiesofthe school, discipline,attendance,plans and policies ,explanationsoftesting programs, grades,standards forexcellence,and expecta tio ns of thepare nts" (p.29).It is throu ghthese communicatio n lines that paren ts willdevelopan interestand offertheir services to the school. AsJon es (1991)states.
"parentsdo notwantapmfess ional -clientrelation sh ip:theywant10beequalpartners in the education oftheirchildren-(p.12) .
When parentsdo express interest in takinga moreactiverolein school, itis ultima telythe responsibility oftheprincipaltomakeparentsfeel that the yarcvie wedas wo nh y individualsand that the wor kthey are doing isimpo rtan tand beneficial.Because of the wealthoftalentsandexperiencesthat paren ts areoftenwilling tosharewith the schoo l,SyboutsandWendel (1994) suggestthat principals shoulddeveloplists of parents and whatthei r interestsorabilitiesarc .Researc h showsthatif parentresources are not being appropriatelyutilized,parentsbecomeuninteres tedandno longerinvolved. It becomesunimportan t tothem.Warner (1997)contendsthat schoolsmustprovidean opportunityfor meaningfulandpurpo sefulparentalinvolvement if parentsaretoremain active participants.
Man yextra c urri cular eventswould nottake placein schoolswithout thesuppo rt of parents.Itisthe responsibility of the principalto enlist thissuppo rt.Suchactivities
19
buildschoolspirit whichisan importan taspectoftheeveryday running of the school. It builds a sense ofownersh ip andcommitmen ttogoalsandassistsindeveIoping a positive environ ment for teachersandstudents,aswell astheparents involved.
Asa resultofeducationalreformmovements , parentshave been givencertain roles toplay on committeesresponsible fordecision-makingand policydev elopmen t withinschools.These committeesarethe governingbodies of schools and are responsibleforapprovi ng and/or disapprovingmany functionalaspects of theschoolas a learningorganizati on.Locally ,aswellasinotherareas of NorthAmerica,legislation hasbeen enacted bygovernmentstoempower parental involvementineducation.In fact. theRoyalCommissionon Education (GovernmentofNewfoundlan d andLabrador, 1992)recommendedthat parents be given amore meaningfu l role in the operationof school s andthat schoolcouncilsbe estab lishedinallschools toprovid e anavenuefor parental participation . This recommen dation became lawwhen, in1997,therevised SchoolsAct of Newfoun dland and labrador mandated theestablishment of school councilsinallschoo lsinthe province. Par ents,aswell ascommunityrepresenta tives, are electedtolocalschoo l councilswithamandate:to participate in and oversee the operations of the school.It is theresponsibilityofthe principal notonlyto be amember of suchcommitteesbutas Sybou tsandWendel(1994) state:
That whenparents areto beparticipan tsin theplanninganddeve lopment of schoolimpro vementeffons, theyshouldbefonnally structuredinto the planningproces s.Careshouldbe taken toprov ide a clea rdefinitionof what is expected of parentalinvolvement andspecified limits shouldbe placedonwhatparents are expec tedto do and whatthey arenot to do.
When parentsdo that which has beenasked of them,the principalmust listen (p.297).
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If community-schoolrelationsare to be effective ,atwo-wa y communication process is necessary.Seyfanh(1999 )statesthat "partnerships are built through c:ommunicationand schools hope to develop stronger relationsh ipswithparentsmust communicate effectively with them" (p.32).Asitisthe responsibilityof theprincipal toelicitsupport andinvolvemen t,it isalso the responsibilityoftheprincipal to provide toparen tsand thecommu nityan opportunitytooffer input concerningschoo linitiatives . Holmes(199 3) con tendsthatifadministra torsareinterestedinpositiveacco untability and wishtoprojectthe schoolsuccesses . they shouldensurethat the schoolrecei ves feedback,intheform ofasurvey or questioonaireat leastonce ayear about how well thecommunityand parentsfeeltheschoo l isperform ing inachievingits goals.The principal,with thisfeedback , should establishacommittee ofteachers,parentsand communityrepresentatives to determi ne any schoolimprovement initiatives thatare deemednecessary.
Org anization,Struct ure,Coordinationand Man ar;ement of SchoolFinances The primary roleoftheprincipalevident ineffec tive leaders hipliterature is that of instructionalleader;however, theprincipalalso plays thedual role of "operations manager."Whilemaintaininga differentfocus from that ofinstrucrie nalleadershlp, the role of opc:n.tions manager does affectthelearning and instructionwithinthe school.
Castaldi (cited inKimbroughandBurkett,1990) Slates,"theprovisionof attractive, comforta ble,andfunctionalschool plantfacilitiesfacilitatesthelearningprocess"
(p. 293).
21
Therearea multitudeof responsibilitiesintheday-to-dayrunning ofaschool.
BlumbergandGreenfield (1986) suggestthatthe twin de mands ofinstructional leadershipandman age rialcontrol areinsomewaysmutual lydysfu nctional .1be principalisfacedwiththe dilemmaofstrikinga balancebetween the two tofacilita tean orderedschoo l environmen t.DrakeandRoe(1999 )posit that a busyprincipalcovers much ground.Theprincipal must, according 10Drakeand Rose (1999) "givecare ful attentiontodetail s,adhe re to fiscaland personalintegrity, and make genuineefforts towards moreeffici entbusinessprac ticestha t can enhancemore effective learningif the school istocontinue toimpro ve " (pp.443-444).Because ofthenumerou s demands placedon a principalwhile undertakingthis task,itis imperative that principal s engage intime mana gemen twhere they can prioritizethese demands. Resu lts of astud y conductedby Sharpe and Harte(1996) indicatethatalthou ghprinc ipal s felt Instructio nal leadershipactivities shouldbetheirnumber onepriority and consum er ofthe mosttime, dailyadministrativetasks were ide ntified asconsuming themost time.
Theplan ning,organizing, schedulingandcoordina tingof schoolactivities often becomethe responsibil itiesof the principal.Thisplanningand coord inati ngof activities shouldpro vide the best possiblelearningexperiencesfo r youth andshouldbepartof the total schoolprog ram.Sybo uts andWende l(1994 ) state,"school activitiesplayan importan tpanin theschool progra mandmanyresourcesare needed fortheiroperatio n;
therefo re,school activity prog rams merit the samequalityplanning devo ted toothe r segmen ts of theprogram"(p.2(7).While the principalmay delegate thedirect supervisionofindividualactivitiesto teachers orparentswithin theschool, the principal
22
isstillaccountable forcoordinatingactivitiesoccurri ng within the school,Theprinc ipal should also ensure thatactivities are scheduled to providethe needed timefor practi ce andparticipa tionwithout any conflictsor interferen cewith scheduledclass times.
Dryfoos(1994 ) adds thata principalhaspowerindetennining policiesthat relatetothe useof the schoo l building:
In general,the schooladministratoracts asinterp reter betweenthe schoo l staff andtheoutsidestaff, controlsthe traffic flow,facilitatestheuse of the serv ices, andisin charge of whateverhappensunder the schoolroof.
Theprincipalhastoset outpolicies for therelease ofstudentsfromthe classroo m and work withthe clinicstaff to schedule appointmentsat appropriatetimes(p.152).
Thedailyneedsof theinstructional staff fall within the responsibilitiesof the principalas well,andhe orshe should ensurethatappropriate amounts of day-to-day commoneducationalsuppliesare available.This meansthat theprincipal should have a goodsense of stockcontrolandhave sufficientsuppliesonhand.
The school plant faciliti esand groundsmustbeproperlymaintained and physicall y attrac tive. Care ofthe schoolpresents mana gemen tpriorities for the principal.AsUbbenandHughes(1987) state, ..theprincipalhas two important support groups:classi fiedemployees who are assigned to thebuildi ng (custodians, cleaning personnel, secretaries,etc.}and the district-widemaintenancedepartmentpersonnel "
(p.336). Working with non-academicpersonnel tohelp themdo their job benet' will require the principalto use the same kindof human relationsskillsasworkingwiththe academi cpersonnel.Becausethispersonnel service playsan importantpartin the
2J
developmentof thelearningenvironment,theprincipalneeds torecognizethe contribution sthatthesepeoplemaketothe teachi ngstaff andto theschoolcommunit y.
Included in thedailyroutine ofa principal isrespondingtoreques ts from central office(which maybemanyandoften) ,returningphonecalls, arranging andattend ing meetings,writingreports,answering requests,ensuringsafety,aswellas reactingto situations thatarise.Manyof thesesitua tions maynotbecrucial but do require immed iateatten tion such as asick child,disruptionona bus,orequipment failure.A principal has little timetobepro-ac tiveand to plan forsuchoccurrences. Fraseand Hetzel (1990) positthatmanyof thesedaily routinescanbetermedastime wasters that essentiall yare ineffectiveuse of valuable time.These authors suggest thatthe principal, where possible,becomelessinvolved. Ifindeed he orshe has established trustand feels theyhave a competent staff,thestaff cancarry outmanyof theless demandi ngtasks.
Levin(1989)statesthat"the most common policyforimprovingtheperformance:
of schoolsis to seek more resources,particular lyinthe formofhigher expenditures. Higher expen diturescanbeused to purchase more schoolinputsthatcan be usedto improveschool outputs-(p.16).Asaresultof decen tralization offinancial responsibilitiesoverthe past decade,schools are expected to maintain and operatewithin the boondariesof their own developedschoolbudgets.Schoolfinanceshave becomethe responsibi lityof the principal.UbbenandHughes (1997)stale that ..the principal establishestheregular procedures governing the financialoperationof the school "
(p 321).
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Lawton (1987) suggests that, due to thelimited amountof fundingallocatedto schools ,there isa trendtoWardmore flexibleadminism.tionand broader participation in theschool-based budgeting process .As with otherplacesinNorthernAmeri ca ,the educationsysteminNewfoundlandandLabrador has witnessed a decli neintheamount of fundsallocated for Education programsandtheir delivery(Appendix A).Asa result, administra torsareexpectedtomaintainthebudgetfor pro gramsandfacilities with less money input. Administra tors involved in the schoolbudgetplanning are faced with
making theultimate decisionforthedispersion of suchfunds.Theoperationalneedsof anyschoolare plentifuland decisions onwherethemonies should bedirect edare someti mes easily made,given[herequired needs thatmustbemet.Exam ples of these needs may include: photocop ying,paper,general schoolsuppli es ,officesupplies, school-basedprofessionaldevelopm entactivities, classroom teacher budgetsandthe list goes on.
Tosurv ive , schools areforced to seek outsidesources ofrevenue,oftenjust to meet the basic educational needs.Fundraisingeffonshave become an integralpanof the schoolrevenue .Studen tsandparents find themselves participati ngmore frequently in fundraisingeffortsto support theireducation.ASSeyfarth (1999 ) states,"allocated fundsseldom cover all ofa school'soperationalcosts andprincipal smust sometimes seek moneyfromother sources to sustain program sthatmight otherwisebeforced to terminate . Inmostcases,schools fund drivesand programsfor parentshelp toraise money"(p.323).Other sourcesofrevenue fortheschoolmaybe inco mefrom property rental, ifthe schoo lfindsitselfhaving to offera user-feesystemfor the use of the
25
facilityon an after-hoursbasis. If a schoolis situalcd ina thriving economicarea, revenue may beobtainedfrom businessesorcorpo rationsin theformofdonations .With limited monies,schoolsare forcedtolimit programs or seek alternateforms of reven ue.
These fundinglimita tions force principalstotake on the responsibili tyor roleof a business manager.
Conclusion
Overthe course ofmiscenturyIwe havewitnessed a transformationalshiftin leaders hip styles.Therehas been a progressivemovefrom the top-down bureaucratic leadership styletothatofamorehuman isticapproach toleadership(Owens, 1998) . Thishumanistic approachtoleadership isacollaborative andfacilitative approach involvingmanyof the participantsandstakeholde rswhocollectiv ely,witha vision in mind,forgeonward within alearningorganization.Scnge (199Ob) likensthe notion of an effectivelearningorganizationto a greatsportsteam comprised of individual swho areallgreatplayerswhocollectivelycombinetheirtalents todevelopagreat team.
Effectiveleadershipresearc h emphasizestheprincipal'srole asthat of instructional leade r.However, with the ambiguitiesanduncertainties inhe rent in school organizations,muchof theprincipal'stimeis consumed performing tasks andaccepting responsibili tiesforissuesandconcernsthatremove him/herfrom the role ofinstructional Ieade.-.
To dealwith the responsibilitiesand themanymajo rtasksthatprincipalsmust be able to performreq uires astrong individualof varying abilities. Kimbro ughand Burkett (1990) suggestthefollowingas abilities a principalmust possess: (i)prob lem analysis;
26
(ii) judgement;(iii)organizational ability ;(iv) decisiven ess;(v)leadership;
(vi) sensitivity;(vii)rangeofinlereSt;(viii)personalmotivation; (ix) stresstoleran ce;
(x)educationalvalues;and(xi) oral and writtencommunicationskills. Thefunctionsand responsib ilitiesofaschool principalaceindeedvariedand at timesdemand ing, for as Kimbrough andBurkett (1990)state ,"Toput it succinctly,the principal is accountablefor theentireoperation ofaschool" (p.4).Effecti veleadersh ip characteristics ace those thatespo use shared vision,teamlearning,motivation, delegatio n,commitmentvaluesandcommunicati ons. McCall (1994) agrees,"Princ ipals live theirschoolspurposeand directionbydeveloping a sha redstra tegic vision. sha ping schoolcultureandvalues,andformulatingschool impro vementefforts.Principal s donot perform thesetasksinisolation but ratherserveasfacilitato rs.eliciting the involvement of the stakeholders and ensuringthat such efforts are carriedout"(p. 34).
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CHAPTER3 PERSON AL REfLECfIONS
Introduct ion
Thegoal of thisinternship placementwastogain experience as an administra tor throughjob shadowi ng andinteractionwithschool person nel,parentsandcommunity organizations .The researchcomponentfoc usedmyobserva tion son theways inwhich the practices of this schoo l principalreflect the current research Iiterawre on effective leaders hip. Under the mentorship and directsupervisio nof thisprincipal,Ifeel thatthe internshipplace me nt providedmewith me opportunitytodevelop,understand andlearn the many skills necessaryto beaneffectiveleader.
Manywriters recognize theimportance of local knowledgeas this form of knowledgeand theoriz inghelpspeople enhance the irwell being in theconcre te context inwhichthey wo rkandlive (Andrew s,I.,etal,1999).Following the qualitative method of research,Ikept adailyjournalinwhichIconsciouslyrecorded the many experi encesandactivitiesof theprincipal,aswellasanypersonalinvolvement.In this section of the paper,Imade use ofthisjou rnal in the sense thatIusequo tes and reflections to help develop amo re conciseundersta ndingofthe daily rolesand responsibili tiesof the princi palashe endeavo uredto meetthe need sand dema nd splaced uponhim.
This section ofthe reportserves to illustrate several of themanyrolesand responsibilitiesin the daily routineofthepri ncipalinXElementarySchool. It includes specific events thatoccurred indealingwith students ,teachers, parents andcommunity
28
organizations,aswellaspersonalreflections.These experiencesccuecuvelyrepresenta schoolwith avision and anadministrato r who iscttaraaerizedas an effective lea der.
QtmnatjQn:; an dIn tcrn:;h jD ExJ)f'ritng:
Cu rriculu mand Instruct ion
McCall (1994)posits that in progressiveschoo lsystems,local staffs, underthe direction oftheprincipals. willengageinreflective andcritical analysis to redesign curriculafor theiruniquegroupsofstudents. There was muchevidencethat the principal inthis school didplayan activerole incurricul umissues. Wher enecessary, following the guidelinesofthePathwa yspolicy ofthe Provincial Govemmen t,the principal ensured thataccommodationsweremadetoprograms so that students could achieveprogramoutcomes.Hemetwith teachers andparentsto discuss students' individual support plans and explai ned toparentsthe specific accommodationsthat would bemadetotheirchild' spro gra m.One studentin particular wasveryslowcompleting tasks sotheprincipal , followingDepartment of Educationguidelines,placed thisstudent on an alterna tepathway(P2) whereb yextratimewouldbegiven to this stude nt to completecertaintasksinorder to meetthe obj ectives oftheprogra m.
On aregularbasis,the principalcheckedwith teachers to ensurethatnoproblems werebeing encountered with the progra msand to offer curriculumsupport. Oneteacher expressed disinterestinaparticula r topic whichleadtoa discussion whereby the principal offered ideas and suggestion sonhow tomot ivatethe students,andeve n volun teered to gointo theclassroomandassist theteacherwith that particular lesson.
29
The principalsaid,"I1000e itwhen the opportunityarisesfor me toteach,notonly for me butalso sothe students can seemein a differen t light."
Durin g curriculum night, theprincipal addressed parents on the curriculum plan for theschoo l.Theprescribedcurri culumwasexplainedtoparents-the objec tives , the learningoutcomes,as wellasinstru ctional techniques.
Thisprincipal was an advocateof experientiallearnin g.Ifa topic was part of the curriculum and couldbefurtherdevelopedor supportedthroughenrichment activities , suchasfieldtrip or guest speakers,the pri ncipalwas verysuppo rtive.Sugges tionswere offered for instructional strategiesoutsidetheclassroom toreinforcecontent."Whynot take them totheArtsandCultureCentretoaplay'?" theprincipal suggestedtoone teacher who mentionedthathewasdoing drama withhisclass.
As aninstructional leader andwhen timepermit ted , thisprincipal,becauseof his initial training as aspecial education teacher,wouldprovideteachers withsugges tions andinformation forlea rningstrategies thatcouldbeused to facilitatelearning.McCall (1994)sugges ts thatto be aneffecti ve instructional leader,theprincipalmust know curriculum trends and have a good grasp ofinstructionalmethodo logythatwould improve studentoutcomes.Thisprincipalwasindeed concernedwith the outcomesand, together withthe staff,woulddecideon methodsforimprovinglearning.Thisprincipal waswellread and couldoffer much suppo rtin termsof teaching.This principalensured that current literature and journalswere available10teache rs. Hewou ldplacethem in the Staff Room and during conversations,hewouldspark others interest by referring to articlesin those j oumal s andmagazines . Oneteacherin particularjokinglysaid, "Wow,
30
this isgreat,we don'tneedtogo tothe librarytofindinfonnation; we have our own Mr.Xto tellus whatweneed toknow."Hewasnotremoved from theartof teachi ng and expressedmuchinterest and concernin suchmatters. School improv e ment goals wereinitiatedtofocusontheimprovement of lang uageamskills.Theprincipal very muchsupported this goal and fonned a committeeofteache rs and together,the y detennined theneed s and specificareastha t shouldbe addressed. Asthe principalsaid.
"The earlierwecanaddresstheseconcerns.the better off we will be inthefuture .~ Financeswe reprovided topurch asematerialsthat could beusedtosuppo rt and enhance thisgoal.
Pupil Person nel Senlces
Sybouts and Wende l (1994) statethat..the well-being of studentsmustbethe main priori ty of school administrators"(p.233).Theresponsibilities encompassed within providing student servicesare indeed demand ingbut they doofferasense ofself- satisfactionwhen,as an administrator,thereisevide nce that thetimeandenergy spent on aneffo rt isbeneficial.
Besides providingcurri cu lum and instructionalservices forstudents,itisthe responsibilit y oftheprinc ipal to providestudentswithan environ mentthatiscaring,safe andconducive to learning.
The studentsin this school comefromthree commu nities.The y comewith differentideasand expectation s for school. Theprincipaltoldme thathe onceheard a studentsay the ywere getting nothing outof school. Thiswasa hard pill for the principal to swallow for much of histimewas spent developingactivitiesand progra ms
31
that wouldmakethestudents appreciatetheschool and wanttobeactive,contributing members.Because of statementslikethis,and developingattitudes noticed throughout theschool,the principalinitia ted a program tohelp developstudentself-esteem. In coordinationwiththeSt.John'sMaple Leafs BoosterClub,a program calledBuddy in theSchoolwasadoptedintheschoolunderwhichthisgroup would visitmonthly and presentawardstostudents. Awards weregivennotsolely foracademics butalsofor demonstra tinga positive attitude and contributingto creating apositiveschool environment forallstudents.Celebrationslike this didindeed boostself-esteemas recognitionwasgiven forpositive actionsandstudentsbegan to realize that theywere appreciated.
A majorresponsibility oftheprincipal isdealing with issues of discip line . As in any school,thisschoolexperiences theaverag eamountofstudent prob lemsthatneed to beaddressed.Ilearned positivetechniquesandstrategies fromthisprincipal for dealing withstude nt discipline.For example,atechniq ue thai the principalreferred 10 was
"wait time." When a studentarrivedatthe office .the principaloften did nor know the reason but didnotimmediatelyactorreact. Aftera periodof time, theprinci palwould have thestudentdelivera messagetoa teacher ,ormovebooks or boxes.Heassigned thestuden t a task. Whenitwascompleted,theprinci palwould thenaddressthe discipli neissue. Most often.the issuewas moreeasilyresolved and thesmdem agreed.
toaccept responsibilityforhis/heractions.The periodof timethat the student was involvedinataskpro vided a cool-downperiod removed from the situation.When addressed by the principal.the student wasless frustratedandcouldratio nalizehis
32
behavior.This strategydid not alwayswork andwaslookedon by a few staff who observedthestudent performingthe task as rewardinginappropriate behavior.Howev er, theprincipal believed that bynotjudging or condemning the students .and by providing anopportunityfor the studenttobe heard, problemsofsuchnature occurred less frequently.Another techniquethatoftenmade studentscometo a resolutionquicklywas what thisprincipalreferr edto as"waste time."If a studentwassenttotheoffice for a minor infraction, suchas disrupting classby talking,the principalquickly saidto the student,"Fixitno... or yourtimeis mineafter school."More oftenthannot ...hen the threat of detentionloomed. students quickly conformed.
Oneofthebettertechniques I witnessedwaswhen after having adiscussionwith a student and noresolution tohis behaviour seemedimminent. the principal said, "John, you leave me no choicebtuto callyour parents, who doyou want to call,your mom or yourdad'" "Mom"wastheresponse from the student.Theprincipal pickedupthe phone,dialed thenumber and asked forMr. Smith.The expressiononthestudent's face changed immedia tely.The principalsaidto Mr.Smiththat Johnwasin theofficeand thatJoh nneeded to speak to himtoexplain why.The principalhanded thephone to Joh n to explain to his father,nothismother ,whattheproblemwas.In averyshon time,Johnreturnedto classwith nofunh er problem sfor afewweeks.I asked the principal why he even bothered to ask the studentwho he shouldcall and hisresponse was, ..thatmost times thestudent will get himtocalltheparent whothestudentcan best manipulate,soIalways call theother. "
33
Other disciplineprobl ems, such as possessionof aknife or physically harming anotherstudent.were ofa more serious natureand oftenresultedinparentalcontactand involvement.If students wereatrisk ofharming themselves or jeopardizingthesafety of others, they weresuspendedfro m school.
This principal ' sdisciplinephilosophyutilizeda proactiveapproachas opposed to areactive approach.Bybeing proactive,theprincipalfelt thatbeingvisible to students, especially duringunstructuredtimes, coulddefuse manyproblems.Beingvisible to students alsoprovided the opponu nityforcasualinteracti on.Suchinteraction is benefici al asit leaves the studentswith theimpression that the principal is caringand approachable.
Withi ntheinternshipsetting,Iobserved the unique abilityof thisprincipal10 recognize the individual differences amongstudents . Hewasquickto recognizethe needsofindividual studentssimply by thewaytheypresentedthemselv es.Hecnen, withoutanyfussordrawing anyattention, tookthese students aside andspokewith them.Severalofthese instanceshe shared withmeandwhenIaskedhow heresolved them,hisreplywas that atleast thestudents knewof his conce rn forthem.Ifthe student,forexample,camefrom aneconomicallypoorfamilyandhadnolunch, he wouldprovidethelunch.
Servi ceswere also provided to students toassist with theiracademicneeds.The principal'arranged tutors tomeet withstudentsafter schoolto provide extraassistance.
The principalensured thataneffective guidance programwasavailabl e tostudents where
34
they couldreceive supportferany of theirconcerns.Theprincipal monitoredthis service and followed up on particularstudents.
StaffPerso nnelServ ices
Leaders hip,asdefined earlier,means working withpeople andnot throughthem.
Sybou tsandWendel (1994)state, "staffmembe rs are central to the realmof human resourceswith which a principalworks" (p.7).
Theinternshipplacementprovidedmean oppo rtunity to(earnin anenvironment thatwascharacteristicof ahuman resourcesmodelofleadership.There was a staff of approximately50 academicandnon-academicpersonnel with whomthe principal interacted on a dailybasis.To the observer ,thisschoolwasvery representative of a teamapproach leadershipstyle.
The principal,being verymuch aware of the talentsandexperiencesof the staff, frequen tly soughttheiropinionsandcommentswhenmakingdecisions thatwouldimpact onthem . For exam ple, in the Staff Room ,hewould casually askifany teachers hadany suggestio nsforthe upcoming inservice.Hedid,whereandwhen appropriate, take into consideration thepersonal characteristicsand individualconcernsbefore reaching a logical conclusionon mattersthataffectedthestaff.
This approadt to leadershipwasvery beneficial, not onlytothestaff but to the principal as well. As aninstruction al leader with an established rapportwith the staff, facil itating schoolinitiatives wasmuch easier.Theprincipalwas veryopenwiththe sta ffabouthis goals , aimsand overall vision for the school. Such opennesswas reco gnized by thestaff as being positiveand, intum,theydirected their focusina
35
positivemanner.Through the observationofsuchopenness,it was easily viewed that theprincipalwastrusted intermsof supporting hisstaffbutalso as very approachableon anymatter.
Working closelywiththis principal, I quickly realizedhaving positivestaff relationsdoesindeed make yourjobeasier,The saying,you cannotplease all the people allofthetime,isvery true in the position of principal.Attimes, teacherswerenot in agreementwiththe decisionsmade by the principalbutbecause oftheopennessand trust established,they would not fed threatened by voicingtheirdisagreement.Ona number ofoccasions,Iwitnessedteachers discussing their concerns withthe principal who listenedattentively andthen offered theexplanationandrationalefor thedecisionthat wasmade.Oftenwhile theydid not come to completeresolutionon the matter,the teacherdidfeel comfortableaboutbeing giventhe opportunityto express one'spersonal feelingsandtimewastakentogiveafurtherexplanation.Oneteacher said to me,..A good thing aboutMr.Xisthatyoucan fightwithhimoneminuteand lovehim thenext.
Heholds nothing againstyou. "
AlthoughI didnothavethe opportunityto observe theprincipal performing a fonnalstructuredin-class teacher evaluation, itwasevident that teachersupervisionwas anongoingprocess for thisprincipal.Because of hisown fine-tunedphilosophyon lifelonglearn ing, thisprincipalwasverymuchinvolvedin thesupervisory process. By dropping intoclassroomsinformally,talkingwithstudents,andkeepingregular contact withteachersbysimply asking,"How are things going?",the principal wasvery aware of what was happening intheschool.
36
As the main focus of supervisionis the enhancementof learning,principalsneed to providecppommiryforthe improvementof teachingthrough professional development training.Pro fessio nal development shouldbe purposefuland meaningfulif itistobeeffective.Theprincipal in this schoolprovidedteachers theopportunityto offerinputintothe area(s) inwhich theywanted to participate(Appe ndixB).Duetothe structu re ofthe school-primary,elementary , andjunio r high,areasofinterestwere diffe ren t.'Thus, the principaldevelopedtwoday s of inse rvice offeringdifferent sessions fromwhich staff couldchoose(SeeAppendix q.The staff benefittedgreatly fro m [his choice as they attendedsessions thatwere pertinentto them.Sergiovanni(1996) states ,
"Inprofessionaldevelopmen t mode ls,theteacher 's capacities,needsand interests are central.Teachcn are activelyinvo lvedin contributingdata andinformation,solving probl ems,andanalyzing. Principalsareinvolvedascolleagues.Together,principal s andteacherswork:to developa common purpo se themed to the improvement of teaching and learning "(p.146).
Ano ther characteristicofaneffecti ve leaderisone who de lega tesresponsibilities to others.Itisthrough thisdelegationthat teachersbecomeempowered. Theyfeel worthwhileandfeel that theircontributionisvaluable.Thisalsoassistsgrea tlyin developing the self-estee mofteachers.Thisprincipal ,recognizin g thetremendous number of tasks and respoosibilitiestobecomple ted,freel y delegated responsibilities.
Teac hers viewedthisaction,not as passingthebuc k butrecognition of theirabilityand ofthetrusttheprincipal placed in them.One teachersaidtome thatitisgreatto be recognizedforwhatyou can do.
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Eachyear,a consid erab leamount ofa principal ' s time is consumed with staffing issues andconcerns.The first step inthis processis for thepri ncipal to prepare astaff projecti on of expected needs.When allocations are decided,bygovernment and district office.oftentheprinci pal has to make adjustments tohis teachingstaff.Duri ng my internship ,issue sofstaffi ng did surface. Changes thatresulted fromrestructu ri ngthis schoolincl uded the loss ofone teacher. The teach ertobemo vedtoanotherschoolwas theresultof adistric tdirectiv e ;however , the principalwasthebearerof thenews.The principal me t withthe teacher andexpressedhis concern aboutlosing her and offeredhis assistance in anyway to makeher transition easier. A very human approachwas demonstrated.Fo r the remainingstaff.theprincipal entertained any staffingrequests that they had. Ifateac her wished to be assigned to a different grade level or outof a specialty area, these requestswere considered.Thepri nci pal metwith teachersprivate ly and discussedthe irreques ts.Where possibleand withinreason,mo st requests were accommod a ted .Thestaff wasve ry acce pting of the deci sion sas they were again allowed inputand had the oppo rtun itytoexpresstheirwishes . As issuesof staffingare confidential.I did not as an intern participate;how eve r,I did observe how the process unfolded and fdtthatthe manner in which the principal coodueted thisprocesswasfair and effective.
The congenial andpersonal relationshipstha t theprincipalwas able to establish with his staff were reward ing bothtohimandto the staff.If,for example, a tea cher wassick fora period oftime.the principal woul d callto ask howthey were.This was not viewedas checking up onthe mbutrather asan exp ressionofgenuine concern. This
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relationshipwasalsoreciprocatedbytheteachers,whoexpressedconcern andinteres tin himwhenhewasnot well orwasexperiencing a difficul ty.
Itwasthroughtheprincipal modelingthe above-mentionedbehaviours thata positive climate andculture were developedin the school.Teachersdid not feel too stressedand, for themostpart,enjoyedthistypeof workingenvironmentwherethey couldexercise autono myintheirday-to-day operations.
Conununity-&hoolI..eadel'$hip
Support from the communityand parents hasprovento haveasignificantimpact onthe operationsofthe school.Ubbenand Hughes (1997) state that"childre nlearn morein schoolswherethere isgoodinvolvement on the partof parents in theschool programs" (p.41).
At X Elemen tarySchool,parentalinvolve mentwasquite evide nt. From the initialinvitation/ requestfromthe principal to volunteertheirservices ,parentshave been playing a very activerole in the lifeof theschoo l. Parents areassisti ng teachersby prepari ng Photocopyingandlaminating ; parentsare volunteeringin the resourceroom by checking outmaterials; parents collect therecyclingitems;on pizzaday,parents helpto collectmoneyanddistributepizza orders;parentsaccompanyclasses on fieldtrips;and parents organizethebasketball tournamen tand teampract ices.The listgoes on.Parents are indeedan integralandimportantpart of this schoolenviro nment.
The valuable servicetheyprovideto this schoolresultsfro m the positive relatio nships betwee n allstaff and the parents.Theparentsfeelwelco med and appreciated, andthat makesallthedifference.Thiswas evidenced oneday early in my
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place men t. AsIwas spea.lcingto a eecnerinthe corridor,a parent walked by and the teachercalled out to her.1be teacher introducedher to me as "Mom,the best parent helperwehave."The parent asked who I was and said,"OnceIgot a taste for school X,Iwouldn' twant toleave."
Organizing this support involvedstrategic planning. Theprincipal initiallymet withthepar ents,discussed their areasof intere st,andopenly and honestly set expectation s.The goals oftheschool were com municated to them. theircommitment waswelco med, for as theprincipal said.theywere not providingthisserviceto jus t teachersandstaffbut theywere providingan invaluableserviceforthebettermen tof theirchildren.Parents sched uledthemselves forcertai n tasks duringcertain times of the week. Mr.Y.a parentvolunteer, said that he wouldn ' t miss coming in and that he often changes hiswork scheduleso hecan make itinonrecyclingdays.Thisprocess was initiated before my internshipplacement;however.from my observations.theparents didcontribu tegreatly tothe positiveschoo lenviro nme nt. Their pleasant attitudes and intere st intheworktheywere doingwas rewardingto see.The parentsdid know that theywere appreciated and,therefore ,continuedwith their efforts.Toward theend of theyear,the principal andstaff hosteda varietyshow and dessert partytorecognizethe tremendous support fromtheparentvolunteers with more than50 parentsinattendance.
The principal ,frommy observations,waswellliked and respected bythe communityat large.Oneparent said"henever hidesanything ,we know everythingthat is goingonin thisschool." Thisisares ultof theeffectivecommunica tio nchannels between home andtheschool. Each month.the principalsends home the monthly
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newsletter outliningupcoming events.recognizing individual and groupefforts within theschool. relayingthe positivesandnot-so positives(l.e.•school damage overa wee kend).andcontinuo uslyextendinginvitationsforparents tovisittheschoolor call when there were anyconcerns.Theprincipalwasalways welcoming to pare nts andtook the time to meetwith them if theycame to the school. At theend of each day.if possible. he triedto returncalls to discuss issues.Hehadan open-doorpolicywith parents thatgreatlyenhancedhiscredibility.
The principalalso providedthe communityandparentsanoppo n unity to share in the successesoftheirchildren.School assemblies wereheldmonthly to recognizeand celebrat e effortsand accom plishmentof students.Parents andthe generalpublic were always invitedtoshare inthesecelebrations and welcomedthe opportunityto participate.
Therelationsthisprincipalhadwith the community were also very effective.He servedon communityorganiza tion sandplayed anactiverole in community events. He had concernferthe communityandrecognized community and family need sthat requiredattention.He took stepsto directappropriate organizationsandresources towardmeetingtheseneeds.Forexample. within thiscommunity.teena gepregnancy had becomeanissue.so in collaborationwithcommunity and governmental organizations.plansweremadetoestablisharegionalcenter wherenew mothers could receive proper parentingeducation.andthe childrencouldbe exposed to astimulating environment(Thomas.1999).The benefitsof programs suchasthis onewillbe recognized whenthesechildren entertheschoolprogra m.Theprincipal, inthis
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situation, wasbeing proactive withthese children,so theywill besocially, emotionally andacademica.llypreparedtoentertheeducationsystem.
Many communityorganizations are also involvedinthe education ofchildren.In XElemen tarySchool,thelocalpoliceforce offered program sonvariou saspectsof the law;theRedCross Society offered water safetysession;andtherewasananti-violence program.Theprincipalviewed such programsasnot only benefittingthe schoo l but also helping to developcitizensh ip skills and responsibilityin youth.
TI\ecommunity,aswell,wassupponiveofthe schoolfinancially.Any fundraising effortsundertake n bythe schoolwereasuccess.Theprincipal couldcall upon local businessesFordonations10supportanyinitiatives thatwere happening inthe school.The recognition andpositive relatio nshipsbetween thecommunity and the schoo levident atXElemen tarySchoolresultedfrom the visiblerolethattheprincipal playedwithin theschool,andtheinterests andinvolvement shown inthe communityasa whole.
Orga nizatio n Structu re,Coordi nati onand ManagementofSchoolFinances Myintern ship coincidedwith the restructuringof a schooldistric twhereschool reconfiguration and closureswere occurring (AvalonEastSchool Board,1999).X Elemen tary School was to be reconfiguredfro m a Grade1through 8 to aGrade2 through8 system, withathree-year reconfig uralionplanthatwould eventuallylead10X ElementarySchoolhousing Grade4 through 9.Such a processbecame verydemanding on principalsasany changes occurring within their schools ultimate lybecam etheir responsibilit y.Numerousdistrictprincipal meetingswereheld,where organizational
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processesforthe changeswereoutlined to the principal.Principal sand schoo l staffs were inundated with tasks that several felt couldand should have remained the responsibility ofdistrictpersonnel.
The organizationand coordinationofchangesforX Bemeneary School b-ecame the responsibilityof theprincipal.Initially itwas astressfulundertaking butaftergiving it some thoughtand havingmanydiscussions with others,he logicallyconcluded.that thesetaskshadtobe delegated.He met withthe staff anddiscussed hisdiscontent openly andallagreedtotake on assignedtasks.For thelastmonth of the schoolyear, thisprincipal ' s dayswere occupied withcompletingthese tasksandattendingto -tne daily opera tions of the school. Recognizingthe demandsplaced on him and thelimited rime frame for completion ofthesetasks, he organized himselfbyprepa ringa dailyto-dolist."
Whilethisadded responsibilitywas demandingon him,he remainedcognizant o:fthe factthathe stillhad a schooltooperate andthe studentsandstaff remainedhisnarmber onepriority.Becauseof themannerin which this principal conducted himsel f,being visible tostaffandstudents,dealing with dailyroutines, plan ningfor end--of-the-year events, and maintaining community and parent involve ment. it was eviden t only"to a few that he hadadded responsibilities.Hewasdeterminedthatthistransition wouldbeas unintrusiveand as smooth aspossible.A tremendous amountof workwasaccorrlplished behindthe scenes and afterhours,asisoftenthe case with effectiveleaders.
Operation ofthephysicalplant-the schoolbuilding itself-was of conti nuous interest to the principal. Hewouldhavedaily walk-throug hsofthe buildingtoeeuure that it was clean andesthetically appealingnotonlyforvisitors butparticularlyfor the
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