Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Excellence in
Schooling
Excellent schools need
freedom within boundaries.
THOMAS J. SERGIOVANNI
It is in and through symbols that man, Excellence is readily recognized in together and with spirit; and accom-
consciously or unconsciously, lives, works our ordinary experiences. It is difficult plishments are readily recognized. To
and has his meaning.
-Thomas Carlvle to put our finger on what makes a say excellent schools have high morale
particular athletic or artistic perform- or have students who achieve high test
s your school a good school? When ance excellent. But we know excellence scores or are schools that send more
Joan Lipsitz posed this question to when we see it. The earmarks of an students to college misses the point.
.principals of the excellent middle excellent piano performance may be Excellence is all of these and more.
schools she studied, she found that thev found not in the notes played but in the
had difficulty defining what made their pauses between them. Clearly, excel- Excellence, Not Competence
schools special or what the dimensions lence is multidimensional, holistic. Should we expect more from our
of excellence in schooling were. "You Competence, by contrast, is marked schools than the satisfaction of knowing
will have to come and see my school," by mastery of certain predetermined, they're performing "up to standard" and
was the typical response. I essential fundamentals. The piano stu- that students are competent performers?
dent achieves mastery and thus is able to Most surveys indicate that basic skill
play the notes flawlessly and deliver a learning and developing fundamental
Thomas 1. Sergiovanni is Professor and performance recognized as technically academic competence-the indicators
Chairperson, Department of Adminis- competent. of effectiveness common to the school
tration, Higher and Continuing Educa- Similarly, we know excellent schools effectiveness literature-are paramount
tion, University of Illinois, Urbana- when we experience them, despite diffi- goals in the minds of most parents and
Champaign. This article is based on The culties in definition. In excellent teachers. But, pushed a bit further,
Lillian Radford Lecture, "The Forces of schools things "hang together"; a sense parents and teachers provide a more
Leadership," given at Trinity University, of purpose rallies people to a common expansive view of excellence, which
San Antonio, Texas, November 14, cause; work has meaning and life is includes developing a love of learning,
1983. significant; teachers and students work critical thinking and problem-solving
EDUcATIONAL LEADERSHIP
4
4 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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skills, aesthetic appreciation, curiosity and teachers to bring about or preserve
and creati ith, interpersonal compe- changes needed to improve schooling
tence. and so )n. Parents want a com- At least fixe leadership forces can he
plete education for their children. In- identified:
deed our societ% requires it. Our young * Technical--derived from sound
need to become cultured, educated citi- management techniques
zens able to participate filly in society, * tluman--derived from harnessing
not just trained workers with limited available social and interpersonal re-
potential for such participation. sources
important differences exist among in- * Educational-derived from expert
competent, competent, and excellent knowledge about matters of education
schools arid their leaders. Schools man- and schooling
aged by incompetent leaders simply * Symbolic-derived from focusing
don't get the job done. Typically, such the attention of others on matters of
schools are characterized by confusion importance to the school
and inefficiency in operation and mal- * Cultural-dcrivcd from building a
aise in human climate. Student unique school culture
achievement is lower in such schools. The first two forces have dominated
Teachers may not be giving a fair day's the leadership literature in recent years
work for a fair day's pay. Student absen- and loom large in training programs
teeism, discipline, and violence mav be offered through ASCI)'s National Cur-
a problem Conflict may characterize riculum Study Institutes.
interpersonal relationships among facul- I The technical leader assumes the
ty or between faculty and supervisors. role of "management engineer." By em-
Parents mav feel isolated from the phasizing such concepts as planning
school. Competent schools, by contrast, and time managemient technologies,
measure up to these and other standards contingency leadership theories, and or-
of effectiveness. They get the job done ganizational structures, the leader pro-
in a satisfactors manner. Excellent vides planning, organizing, coordinat-
schools, however, exceed the expecta- ing, arid scheduling to thie life of the
tions necessary to be considered satisfac- school An accomplished management
tory. Students in such schools accom- engineer is skilled at manipulating strat-
plish far more and teachers work much egies and situations to ensure optimum
harder than can ordinarily be expected. effectiveness.
2. The human leader assumes the role
Leadership Forces and Excellence of "human engineer." By emphasizing
Leadership has several aspects, each of such concepts as human relations, in-
which contributes uniquely to school terpersonal competence, and instru-
competence and to school excellence. mental motivational technologies, she
The current focus in leadership theory or he provides support, encouragement,
and practice provides a limited view, and growth opportunities to the school's
dwelling excessively on some aspects of human organization. The skilled engi-
I
leadership to the virtual exclusion of neer is adept at building and maintain-
others. Unfortunately, these neglected ing morale and using such processes as
aspects of leadership are linked to excel- participatory decision making.
lence-a revelation now unfolding from 3. The educational leader assumes the
recent research on school effectiveness role of "clinical practitioner," bringing
and school excellence. expert professional knowledge and bear-
Aspects of leadership can be described ing as they relate to teaching effective-
metaphorically as forces available to ad- ness, educational program development,
ministrators, supervisors, and teachers and clinical supervision. The clinical
as they influence the events of school- practitioner is adept at diagnosing edu-
ing. Force is the strength or energy cational problems; counseling teachers;
brought to bear on a situation to start or providing for supervision, evaluation,
stop motion or change. Leadership and staff development; and developing
forces can be thought of as the means curriculum. One wonders how such
L
available to administrators, supervisors, essential concerns of school leadership
EDUCATIONAi. I ,IADFRSHIP
6 EDUCATIOtNAL I.FADERSHIP
could, for so long. have been neglected seeking out and visibly spending time
in the literature of educational adminis- with students; downplaving manage-
"Important
tration.
In an earlier era the educational as-
ment concerns in favor of educational differences exist
ones; presiding over ceremonies, rituals,
pects of leadership were center stage in and other important occasions; and pro- among
the literature of educational administra-
tion and supervision Principals were
viding a unified vision of the school
through proper use of words and actions
incompetent,
considered to bhe instructional leaders, are examples of leader activ ities associat- competent, and
and an emphasis on schooling charac- ed with this fourth forcec
terized unisersith training programs. Purposing is of major concern to the excellent schools.
However. advances of management and
social science theory in educational ad-
symbolic force. Peter \'aill defines pur-
posing as "that continuous stream of
... Students in
ministration and supervsision soon actions by an organization's formal lead- excellent schools
brought to center stage technical and ership \vhich has the effect of inducing
human aspects. John Goodlad has been clarits. consensus, and commitment re- accomplish far
a persistent critic of the displacement of
educational aspects of leadership in fa-
garding the organization's basic pur-
poses."' Students and teachers alike
more and
vor of technical and human. He argues, want to know what is of value to the teachers work
"But to put these matters at the center, school and its leadership; desire a sense
often for understandable reasons of sur- of order and direction; and enjoy shar-
much harder
vival and expediencs . is to commit a ing this sense with others. They respond than can
fundamental error which ultirnatelv, to these conditions with increased work
will hasc a negative impact on both motivation and commitment. ordinarily be
Of less concern to the svmbolic force
education and one's own career Our
work, for which we will be held acccoun- is the leader's behavioral style. Instead,
expected."
table, is to maintain, justif', and artic- what the leader stands for and commu-
ulate sound. comprehensive programs of nicates to others is emphasized. The
instruction for children and youth."2 object of symbolic leadership is the stir-
He states further, "It is now time to ring of human consciousness, the inte-
put the right things at the center again. gration and enhancing of meaning, the
And the right things have to do with articulation of key cultural strands that
assuring comprchensive. qualih' cduca-
tional programs in each and ever'
school under our jurisdiction. "
The technical, human. and educa-
tional forces of leadership, brought to-
gether in an effort to maintain or im-
prove schooling, provide the critical
mass needed for competent schooling. A
deficit in anv one of the three upsets this
critical mass, and less effective school-
ing is likely to occur. Recent studies of
excellence in organizations suggest that
despite the link between these three
aspects of leadership and competence in
schooling, their presence does not guar-
antee excellence. Excellent organiza-
tions, schools among them, are charac-
terized by other leadership qualities;
forces described here as symbolic and
cultural.
4. The symbolic leader assumes the
role of "chief" and by emphasizing selec- . W.
In some respects, the concept of cen- to recent developments in organization- pling to describe the wavs in which
tral zone suggests that effective schools al theory which describe schools as be- schools are organized. ' Indeed Weick
are tightly structured. That is, they are ing loosely structured entities. James G. believes that one of the reasons for
organized in a highly disciplined fash- March, a noted organizational theorist, ineffectiveness in schooling is that
ion around a set of core ideas, which speaks of educational organizations as schools are managed with the wrong
spell out the way of life in the school being organized anarchies. II Similarly, theory in mind.
and govern behaviors. This is in contrast Karl Weick uses the phrase loose cou-
FEBRUARY 1984 II
Figure 2. The Forces of Leadership and Excelence in Schooling
Leadership Role Theoretical
Force Metaphor Constructs Examples Reactions Link to Excellence
1. Technical "Management * Planning and time * Plan, organize, co- People are managed
engineer" management tech- ordinate, and as objects of a me-
nologies schedule chanical system. They
* Contingency lead- * Manipulate strate- react to efficient man-
ership theories gies and situations agement with indif-
* Organizational to ensure optimum ference but have a
structure effectiveness -low tolerance for in- Presence is important
efficient manage- to achieve and main-
ment. tain routine school
competence but not
2. Human "Human 0 Human relation su- 0 Provide needed People achieve high sufficient to achieve
engineer" pervision support satisfaction of their excellence. Absence
* "Linking" motiva- Encourage growth interpersonal needs. results in school inef-
tion theories and creativity They like the leader fectiveness and poor
* Interpersonal cornm- Build and maintain and the school and morale.
petence morale respond with positive
* Conflict manage- 0 Use participatory interpersonal behav-
ment decision making ior. A pleasant atmo-
* Group cohesive- sphere exists that fa-
ness clitates the work of
the school.
3. Educational "Clinical a Professional knowl- 0 Diagnose educa- People respond posi- Presence is essential
practitioner" edge and bearing tional problems tively to the strong to routine compe-
* Teaching effective- 0 Counsel teachers expert power of the tence. Strongly linked
ness * Provide supervision leader and are moti- to, but still not suffl-
* Educational pro- and evaluation vated to work. They cient for, excellence
gram design 0 Provide inservice appreciate the assist- in schooling. Ab-
* Clinical supervision * Develop curriculum ance and concern sence results in Inef-
provided. fectiveness.
4. Symbolic "Chief" 0 Selective attention 0 Tour the school People learn what is
* Purposing a Visit classrooms of value to the leader
* Modeling 0 Know students and school, have a
* Preside over cere- sense of order and
monies and rituals direction and enjoy
* Provide a unified vi- sharing that sense
sion with others. They re-
spond with ncreased
motivaton and com-
mitment.
Presence is essential
5. Cultural "High priest" * Climate, clan, cul- 0 Articulate school People become be- to excellence In
ture purpose and mis- lievers in the school schooling though ab-
* Tightly structured sion as an Ideological sys- sence does not ap-
values-loosely * Socialize new mem- teen. They are memn- pear to negatively im-
structured system bers ber of a strong cul- pact routine compe-
* Ideology 0 Tell stories and ture that provides tence.
* "Bonding" motiva- maintain reinforc- them with a sense of
tion theory ing myths personal Importance
Explain SOn and slificance and
* defne unqsess work meaningfulness.
e*Deelop anddJI. which is highly moti-
ply renforcing vatlng.
* efld thoe who
reflect the culture
FEBRUARY 1984 13
Copyright 1984 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. All rights reserved.