How Leadership Influences Student Learning

An Evidence-based Perspective
Kenneth Leithwood
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) University of Toronto

What We Know About the Size of Leadership Effects

The Quantitative Evidence
Large scale studies of leadership effects on student
learning (e.g., Hallinger & Heck, 1996) Large scale quantitative studies of individual leadership practices on student learning (e.g., Waters, Marzano & McNulty, 2003) Large scale quantitative studies of leadership effects on student engagement in school (e.g., Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Silins & Mulford, 2002)

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

What We Know About the Size of Leadership Effects The Qualitative Evidence
Qualitative case studies of exceptional or
turnaround schools (e.g., Reitzug & Patterson, 1998) Leadership succession studies (e.g., Hargreaves & Moore, 2004)

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Key Starting Points

Leadership is the exercise of influence. The effects of leadership on student learning are mostly indirect.

So.the fundamental question is

What pathways does leadership influence travel when it has an impact on student learning?
How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Four Paths of Leadership Influence on Student Learning

Rational Path

School-wide Experience

Leadership Practices

Emotions Path Student Learning Organizational Path Classroom Experience

Family Path

The Rational Path

Engages staff knowledge and skill which have an impact on: quality of instruction teacher retention teacher self and collective efficacy student learning

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Rational Path

examples of

Consequential Variables

In the classroom

instructional time content coverage instructional quality diagnostic adaptation

In the school
academic press disciplinary climate

Calls for leaders knowledge of the technical core and expert problem-solving processes

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Emotions Path

Engages teachers motivations which have an impact on: quality of instruction engagement in the school teacher retention student learning

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Emotions Direct Cognition

Emotions structure perception, direct attention, give
preferential access to certain memories, and bias judgment in ways that help the individual respond to the environment in ways that we recognize as valuable aspects of our humanity.
Oatley & Jenkins, 2006

Emotions are a solution to a general problem: they

set priorities among the very different goals that impinge upon individuals at any moment in time.
Simon, 1967

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Emotions Path

examples of

Consequential Variables

Teacher efficacy Commitment Stress Trust Morale

Calls for leaders social appraisal skills and emotional intelligence

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Organizational Path

Engages the context in which teachers work, the schools infrastructure, and teachers working conditions -- with an impact on: teachers emotions opportunities for teachers to do what they
know how to do student learning
How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Organizational Path

examples of

Consequential Variables

In class Instructional time Complexity of teachers workload In school Calls for leaders Professional networks to engage in Structures to support holistic systems
collaboration
thinking

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Family Path

Engages the familys educational culture which has an impact on students:

educational aspirations vocational aspirations retention learning

This pathway also influences staffs understanding of students social capital useful for their learning
How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Family Path

Examples of

Consequential Variables

Parental expectation Parent role models Connections with other

adults Space and time in the home for school-related work

Calls for leaders understanding of student learning as co-produced by families and schools

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Leadership Practices Which Exercise Influence

Setting Directions Developing People Redesigning the Organization Managing the Instructional Program

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Group Goals

Vision

Setting Directions

Expectations

Communication

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Intellectual Stimulation

Modeling

Developing People

Individualized Support

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Families and Communities

Culture

Redesigning the Organization

Structures

Connections

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Resource Allocation

Staffing

Managing the Instructional Program

Buffering

Monitoring

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

The Distribution of Leadership Practices

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Leadership Practices

School

Study One: Influence and Achievement

5.5 5

Ratings (Influence: 0-6)

Q1 Q2 Q3

4.5

4 Q4 3.5 Q5

Other S A

Sch Team

Principal

Leadership Sources

Tea Role

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Student

Ind Par

Par Adv

District

Ind Tea

Rating of Leadership Sources by Quintiles Based on Student Achievement

Schools in the highest quintile attributed relatively
high levels of influence to all sources of leadership Schools in the lowest quintile attributed relatively low levels of influence to all sources of leadership Highest quintile schools, as compared to the lowest, differed most in ratings of teams, parents and students Principals were rated as having highest influence in schools in ALL quintiles
How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Study Two: Alternate Patterns of Leadership Distribution

Anarchic Misalignment

Planful Alignment

Spontaneous Misalignment

Spontaneous Alignment

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Academic Optimism as the Dependent Variable Hoy, Tarter & Woolfolk Hoy (2006)
Faculty trust in parents and students Teachers collective efficacy Academic emphasis
Strong effects on student achievement in reading, writing, social studies, science and math

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood

Academic Optimism Under Coordinated and Uncoordinated Patterns of Distribution

Planful Alignment
5.00
5.00

Spontaneous Misalignment

4.00

4.00

3.00

3.00

2.00

2.00

1.00

1.00

0.00 1 2 3 4
Optimism Pessimism

0.00

4
Optimism Pessimism

Concluding Thoughts about Leadership

Second only to classroom instruction Central to realizing synergistic effects We know a lot about what successful
leaders do Their influence travels along at least four paths Leadership needs to be distributed but in a coordinated way
How Leadership Influences Student Learning Ken Leithwood