This course is designed to help in-service middle leaders and aspirant and in-service senior leaders (the students) gain comprehensive knowledge and skills about the interplay of educational policy and accountability systems to effectively lead whole school improvement. Through this course, students will develop effective strategies to balance between internal and external accountability systems and how these systems influence educational leadership and school improvement. The course focuses on how policy advanced at the national level is realized in practice in clusters of schools, individual schools or groupings within schools such as subject faculties. Students will develop critical insights with reference to the research literature about the role and strategies of in-service middle leaders and aspirant and in-service senior leaders as key mediators of national education policy in schools. A particular focus will be on the influence of high stakes accountability policies on classroom practices and the implications for school leaders.
Week 1
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 2
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 3
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 4
Required Readings
Week 5
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 6
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 7
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Tolo, A., Lillejord, S., Flórez Petour , M T., & Hopfenbeck, T N. (2019). Intelligent accountability in schools: A study of how school leaders work with the implementation of assessment for learning . Journal of Educational Change , 21, 59-82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-019-09359-x
Week 8
Required Readings
Week 9
Required Readings
Recommended Reading
Week 10
Required Readings
Week 11
Required Readings