Margaret Wakeham Ph D Candidate Memorial University of Newfoundland 1M. Wakeham CCEAM 2014.

M. Wakeham CCEAM 2014 1

Boundary-spanning leadership practices of central office leaders and principals in families of schools in a school

system: Distributing leadership and creating innovation

Margaret Wakeham

Ph D Candidate

Memorial University of Newfoundland


Context Study Findings Discussion

Overview


◦Boundaries help define and delimit the roles of individuals and groups in organizations and communities (Adams, 1976; Akkerman & Bakker, 2011; Aldrick & Herker, 1977; Ancona & Caldwell, 1992; Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011; Tushman & Scanlan, 1981).

Boundary Spanning Leadership


Boundaries are points and edges of contact rather than barriers, where individuals and groups meet, navigate differences, manage tensions, share stories, exchange ideas and skills, and build relationships (Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011).



Boundary spanners or boundary crossers have extended their roles across and through structural and social confines to influence the effectiveness of organizations and communities (Krochik & Tyler, 2009; Miller, 2008; Steele, 2010).



For decades, research in business and the social sciences has examined boundary spanners in organizations as ◦ disseminators of information and influence◦ bargaining agents◦ managers of activities across groups(Adams, 1976; Aldrick & Herker, 1977; Tushman & Scanlan, 1981; Ancona & Caldwell, 1992).



Recent research has highlighted the role of boundary spanners as ◦ agents of cohesion, ◦ respecters of diversity, ◦ builders of organizational capacity, ◦ forgers of relationships, ◦ sense makers◦ leaders of change (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011; Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011; Ernst & Yip, 2009; Marrone, 2010; Palus, Chrobot-Mason, & Cullen, 2014; Williams, 2011).



As school systems engage more regularly in interactions within and across settings, roles and functions, leaders must achieve a deeper appreciation of how boundaries affect school improvement, organizational professionalism, and shared leadership (Brundrett, 2010; Miller, 2008; Robertson, 2009).



Leadership at the boundaries of groups, settings and identities emerges as an important area of study for public education (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011; Millward & Timperley, 2010).



More needs to be known about the boundary spanning leaders in school systems and how they engage with individuals, groups, networks and communities to realize change (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011; Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011; Marrone, 2010; Millward & Timperley, 2010; Steele, 2010; Williams, 2011).



What are the boundary spanning practices of school district leaders and school principals in families of schools in a school system?

Research Question


This paper explores how central office formal leaders and school principals in two families of elementary schools in a large urban school district in Atlantic Canada engage in boundary spanning leadership practices.

The Study


Multi-case study Purposeful sampling Semi-structured interviews 5 Central office leaders

◦ 2 executive leaders◦ 3 senior education officers

8 Principals ◦ 4 from the Light family ◦ 4 from the Beam family

Methods


Boundary spanning interactions ◦ Central Office with

1. Each other 2. Principals 3. Teachers 4. Others

◦ Principals with 1. Teachers2. Central office or other principals3. Others

Findings


Boundaries ◦ Hierarchical◦ Organizational◦ Geographical◦ Professional ◦ Personal ◦ Ideological ◦ Cultural ◦ Political ◦ Socio-economic◦ Other

Findings


Findings

Boundary Spanning

LeadershipMultiple Formal and Informal Leaders,

Distributed Leadership, Shared Purpose, Internal and External Groupings

Transforming Systemic Change, Growth, Creativity, Innovation, Risk-

taking

Creating Conditions

Safety ,Trust, Diversity,

Commitment , Relationships,

Identities, Connections,

Experiences, Culture, Belonging, Support

Administering Coordination,

Management, Planning, Organizing, Buffering, Resources, Monitoring,

Evaluating

Making Meaning

Communication, Interpretation,

Development and exchange of skills,

knowledge and practices


Central Office Leaders Scheduled meetings and being prepared for unscheduled

meetings consumed a large portion of their work. One executive said “he lived by the calendar.”

Expected the unexpected Organized teleconferences, online forums, and used

conferencing platforms that functioned to support meetings across locations to increase efficiency and reduce costs

Attended school functions Implemented provincially mandated directives and

organized in-service sessions Buffered interruptions Monitored schools

Administering


Principals Short and long term plans Plans interrupted Organizing Monitoring Using technology Resourcing

One principal compared the nature of her job to a “lighthouse” because she had to “turn rapidly and cast[the]light on so many different areas”, respond to countless and persistent requests from all levels, in what she called “rapid fire change ups.”

Administering


Central office leaders Gathered data, conducted research Talked to constituents to craft policies Helped solve problems Developed and exchanged skills, knowledge and practices Helped connect schools with other schools Surfaced common themes, strengths and needs within

families of schools Articulated district strategic plans

◦ One of the executives referred to the district strategic plan as a “living document,” and remarked, “We’re constantly referring back to that when we meet and engage with principals.”

Participated in school development plans Leadership development programs

Making Meaning


Principals Principals believed that the strategic plan of

the district, the school development plan, and the professional growth plans of teachers provided a context for making meaning.

Making Meaning


Central office leaders:◦ establishing trust, ◦ providing safety, ◦ supporting diversity, ◦ fostering commitment, ◦ nurturing relationships, ◦ building identities, ◦ forging connections, ◦ sharing experiences, ◦ developing a shared culture, ◦ assuring a feeling of belonging.

Creating Conditions


Central Office Leaders “I like the personal interaction, face to face.” “pretty much an open door here.” Preferred the “human” contact where “I write

less and talk more.” Internal and external reviews: “you get to know

the schools intimately. You get to know the personnel”, “you get to know where they want to go. You know what the issues are. You know what the challenges are” and he called it “one of the most gratifying parts of what I do.”

Creating Conditions


Principals Provide “opportunities for people to work together,”

as a way to “build trust” and “relationships” and to “soften the boundaries,” until they became “like friends” and were “more willing to share,” and the result was “greater opportunity for collaboration.”

Work as teams because teamwork empowers and makes “everyone better” and show appreciation for staff, thank them sincerely and make them feel “valued as individuals too, as part of a team.” And actions have to be “sincere” and not “a façade.”

Creating Conditions


Principals Be ready to take a leadership role and ask other schools

with common interests to meet and address issues together; to offer your school as a site for meetings, and encourage other schools to do the same

Ensure “openness and respect” and the “ability to have conflict” and disagreements without damaging “professional relationships” so that a “diversity of ideas and philosophies” are aired and explored

People have to feel “safe” to bring “their concerns forward,” and know that their views will be heard and not “belittled.”

Creating Conditions


Central Office Leaders The district had encountered problems with its student

assessment and evaluation policy resulting in considerable angst among teachers, their professional association and the broader public.

◦ They involved “stakeholders, teachers, program specialists, some of our senior staff” to work on a committee over a two year period to review, modify if necessary and implement the revised policy.

◦ The goal was to invite “people to embrace elements of the change, but also to listen and to, not just to the resisters of the change but to legitimate concerns, with where this policy was going.”

Transforming


Central Office LeadersOne key lesson was: “if you are going to embark on major change, a significant amount of consultation has to happen up front,” and “you have to be clear about your vision” and agree on “what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable,” and appreciate that “certain aspects of a change agenda can be flexible without subverting the main thrust of the agenda.”

Transforming


Beam Family Principals University met with the family of schools One school participated in a school to

university partnership to improve teaching and learning in her school. ◦ School, principals and teachers wrote proposal ◦ Teachers used project towards their graduate

degrees◦ Added resources to school

Transforming


Light Family Principals 21st century learning family-wide PD Conceptualized by principals Organized and delivered by teachers

◦ Leadership ◦ Networking ◦ Enduring connections

The project harnessed leadership because “you had leaders at every grade level” and everyone learned “a lot of new things.” The principals felt that this PD project was “paving the way for the future in our schools, the way we want to be doing PD,” and bring about systemic change.

Transforming


Central Office Leaders: Interact most frequently with other central office

leaders at their site Senior Education Officers had frequent contact with

schools.Principals: Interact most frequently with teachers at their

schools Some interact with principals in their families, while

others do not.

Location appears to be a powerful boundary.

Discussion


In addition to structural and geographical constraints, boundaries such as personal background, political beliefs, professional status, education, age, gender, culture, affiliations, ideologies and values emerged as important (; Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011; Ernst & Yip, 2009).

Knowledge of one another

Discussion


• Administering • Families of schools• Liaison - conduits

• Making Meaning• Strategic Plans • Curriculum Implementation • School Development • Professional Development

• Creating Conditions • Pervasive

• Transforming• District • Family • School

Discussion


Central Office Leaders and Principals engage in boundary spanning leadership

Technology is helping link leaders across sites depending on the tasks but face to face interactions still needed to create conditions to generate trust, safety, commitment and relationships

Getting to know one another is important Family of school arrangement may or may not

improve contact between member schools – may serve best for administration and communication purpose.

Leaders working together can transform systems

Conclusion


Margaret Wakeham [email protected]

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Margaret Wakeham Ph D Candidate Memorial University of Newfoundland 1M. Wakeham CCEAM 2014.

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