Learning-Centered Leadership: A Conceptual Foundation

Learning Sciences Institute, Vanderbilt University. 230 Appleton Place, Peabody #59, Nashville, TN 37203. Tel: 615-343-0618; Fax: 615-322-4488; e-mail: LSI@vanderbilt.edu; Web site: http://www.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/x8291.xml

N

46

Wallace Foundation

Instructional Leadership; Principals; Models; Leadership Qualities; Leadership Effectiveness; Organizational Culture; Advocacy; Communities of Practice; Professional Development; Organizational Objectives; Teacher Administrator Relationship; Curriculum; Educational Assessment; Resource Allocation

The purpose of this analysis is to describe the research base that undergirds the emerging concept of learning-centered leadership. We begin with our definition of leadership. Leadership is "the process of influencing others to achieve mutually agreed upon purposes for the organization" (Patterson, 1993, p. 3). Next, we make a number of observations about the importance of leadership based on the literature in education and elsewhere: leadership matters; in difficult times leadership matters even more; in periods of significant organizational transition, leadership is the major controllable factor in explaining organizational performance; instructionally focused and change-oriented leadership are especially effective frames for education; and team leadership seems to offer promise for enhancing organizational performance. We then present our model of school leadership, the foundation from which we began work to develop an assessment of principals' learning-centered leadership. We close with a detailed review of the literature on leadership for learning in education. Our conceptual foundation for learning-centered leadership is an important tool for researchers investigating the impact of school leaders on student learning. [This report was prepared for the Wallace Foundation Grant on Leadership Assessment.] (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 1 note.)

As Provided

156

ED561940

2009

ED505798