Abstract
As we began our study of four schools’ participation in a major School Improvement Program (Saskatchewan, Canada), we were particularly interested in examining the practice of leadership and the lessons that might be learned from both successful and less successful change initiatives concerning leadership for positive educational change. We analyzed our data from two perspectives: the technical, political, and cultural frames advanced by Corbett and Rossman (1989), and the disciplines of the learning organization identified by Senge (1990). Findings suggest that provincial guidelines discuss but do not define leadership and that leadership as practiced most frequently consists largely of disconnected decisions, behaviors, and actions. The dual analysis provides support for our contention that a view of leadership that emphasizes the development of shared vision and systems thinking, and which encourages constant learning, renewal, and increased empowerment for all participants might provide more consistent momentum and more positive results.
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