This week Jim Keegans will be attending an international conference with colleagues from the University of Glasgow. A team from the Universities of Glasgow and Cambridge have completed an evaluation of Flexible Route to achieving the Standard for Headship (FRH) and will present in Sweden a research paper on integral features of the FRH programme including the impact of coaching. As FRH project manager, Jim has represented the National CPD Team on the national priority of providing choice and flexibility through an alternative route to the Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH). The conference coincides with the next phase of FRH with a programme launch planned for participating authorities on 30th - 31st October in Stirling.

Jim Keegans

Professor Richard Teese, Director of the Centre for Postcompulsory Education and Lifelong Learning (CPELL), Melbourne Graduate School of Education, will visit Scotland and be a guest of the National CPD Team during September.   On Monday 22nd he will make a presentation to staff of Midlothian Council on issues related to priorities at Authority level and with reference to the recent OECD Report for which he was a co-author.  On Tuesday 23rd he will present at the national CPD Coordinators meeting in Edinburgh again with a focus on the main themes emerging from the OECD Report and its implications for CPD.  The National CPD Team continue to promote this involvement of international thought leaders and welcome the opportunity to engage in discussion and share experiences with such a major figure internationally in education.

I am delighted to be able to join you here today at the 2nd Scottish Government International Summer School on School Leadership.  The excellent turn out during the summer holidays is a clear indication of the significance that this event has for educational leaders.  I am pleased to see that we have wide representations from within schools (headteachers, deputy headteachers, principal teachers, chartered teachers and classroom teachers) and from local authorities and other stakeholders.  I am also glad that the summer school has again been able to attract interest from abroad.  I am sure you are all enjoying your week - it certainly looks an interesting, varied and challenging programme. I want to do two things as I speak to you this afternoon. 

For several years now the National CPD Team has been responsible for identifying key thinkers in education and encouraging them to contribute to Scottish education. These ‘international thought leaders’ include leading figures such as Terry Dozier, Richard Elmore and Ellen Moir.

Professor Patrick Duignan is Foundation Chair in Educational Leadership and Director of the Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership at Australian Catholic University.

Arranged and organised by the National CPD Team, this April ’08 visit involved Patrick Duignan making presentations in Dumfries and Galloway and in Moray Council. The nature of authentic leadership is explored and its connection to authentic teaching and learning explained using three core ethics – authenticity, responsibility and presence. Patrick focuses on contemporary leadership challenges for educational leaders. A leading researcher in the field, he provides a practical approach to improving leadership through greater understanding of ethical concepts and theories, presented, explained and applied to real-life tensions. Patrick emphasises the importance of real presence for influential leadership with practical suggestions on how to develop presence and influence what really matters.

Both of the leadership seminars, in Dumfries and Elgin, were very well attended with over 80 participants at each. Both sets of evaluations completed by the participants proved to be extremely positive.

thought-leaders-paper1.doc

Click the link above to read the first draft of a report on the International Thought-Leaders Programme which the Scottish Government funded over the last few years. It has proven quite difficult to pull together the very many projects and initiatives that drew on the work of our International visitors and to trace the full impact of their input. I’d love to hear from you if there are other examples you can give us, or if there is a helpful case study which you are aware of - we can get it written up for inclusion. So over to you - let us know what you think!

Margaret

We’re currently preparing an evaluation of the International Thought Leaders’ programme. I’m particularly interested in hearing about ways in which the visits of Terry Dozier, Ellen Moir, Janet Gless, Jan Miles, Gary  Bloom or Richard Elmore have influenced or shaped practice and policy development in schools and/or authorities.

 Please get back to me if you have  a story to share!