Successful School Leadership: International Perspectives

Description

Successful School Leadership identifies the characteristics, behaviours and practices of successful and effective school leaders through the adoption of a systemic view of the quality of school organizations. Edited by Petros Pashiardis and Olof Johansson, chapters explore the similarities and differences between successful and effective school leaders and across various socioeconomic contexts. Capitalizing on the experiences of the international contributor team, this book will inform the preparation and further development provided to school leaders in an era where ministries of education, universities and multinational organisations (such as the OECD) are increasingly interested in the leadership of our schools. Systematic analyses of multi-perspective data provided from around the world and offers the readers a comprehensive picture of the key behaviours and practices central to successful and effective school leadership. An original contribution to the theoretical perspectives on the subject is derived through insights from empirical research, case studies, and bibliographical literature from the field.

Petros Pashiardis is Professor of Educational Leadership at the Open University of Cyprus, Cyprus. He has been the President of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM) (2004-2008) and a Fulbright Scholar during his doctoral studies in the USA. Olof Johansson is Professor of Political Science and chair of the Centre for Principal Development at Umea University, Sweden, and an executive member on the board of governors of the Consortium for the Study of Leadership and Ethics in Education (CSLEE), a program center of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) based at the University of Virginia (USA).

The challenge of synthesizing and summarizing international perspectives on "successful/effective" school leadership is a daunting task that the authors have completed masterfully. The chapters within this book respect key aspects of context related to understandings of successful/effective school leadership including local, regional, national, political, cultural, historic, and economic factors. I find this book to be an excellent resource for students in leadership preparation programs with an appreciation for difference and diversity. The authors acknowledge the limitations in the various case studies of leadership presented. Yet each chapter provides important perspectives on the meaning of successful leadership and its practices within a global frame. * Paul V. Bredeson, Emeritus Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA *