SQAAF – Domain 6: LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP

This domain emphasizes visionary and instructional leadership that drives the school’s mission and fosters holistic student development. Effective leaders create inclusive, innovative, and supportive learning environments, nurture creativity and critical thinking, and address the needs of all learners, including marginalized and differently-abled students.

Sub-domains: 3 | Standards: 5 | Weightage: 10%

LEADERSHIP

School leadership is an influential driver in the realization of school mission and fostering student learning and development. The potential role of the Principals is in providing instructional leadership to their respective schools. In order to understand how learning occurs, a visionary leader creates plausible situations conducive to learning, views knowledge as personal experiences constructed in the shared context of teaching learning, rather than embedded in the external reality of textbooks. A leader is sensitive to the social, professional and administrative contexts needed to operate and develops appropriate competencies to be able to create actual situations for scaffolding. Apart from developing mental faculties of the students, an effective leader also develops an artistic and aesthetic sense in students and addresses the learning needs of all children, including those who are marginalized and differently abled. A leader always strives for bringing innovation in different practices and activities and provides every possible support for innovation to happen. A leader views appraisal as a continuous educative process.

Sub Domains & Standards

6.1 Pedagogical Leadership

6.1.1 6.1.1 The School Leader builds an intellectual and professional capital for teachers to set the direction for school improvement and student learning.

6.1.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

The school has an annual curriculum and pedagogical plan. School Leader ensures allocation of tasks to the staff members. The school organises capacity building programmes for teachers as per norms. Teachers implement the ACPP to achieve student outcomes. The student outcomes are shared with the parents during the PTMs.

6.1.1.2 - Level II – Transient

The school develops SMART short term and long term goals to achieve and enhance student learning outcomes. The teachers participate in capacity building programmes both within and outside the school using different modes. The School Leader engages in learning forums, research, or similar practices to keep in touch with latest practices in teaching and assessment. School Leader builds relationships with other pedagogical leaders to benchmark best pedagogical practices. The school monitors completion of syllabi and school results; identifies gaps and makes action plans accordingly.

6.1.1.3 - Level III – Stable

The School Leader builds a shared vision in collaboration with the key stakeholders to align the pedagogical and assessment practices of the school with the national norms. The School HR Policy allows for capacity building of all the teachers as per the identified needs. The HR Policy defines practices that encourage and motivate teachers and prevents attrition. Pedagogical leaders keep the collective focus of the teachers and families of the children on the whole child development. The School Leader invests in researching, testing, observing and reviewing their pedagogical and assessment practices to improve learning outcomes. The School Leader creates opportunities for teachers and students to participate in community initiatives. The School Leader exchanges, shares, and learns with and from the community members. The school engages in reflective practices for improving pedagogical and assessment practices, developing and achieving smart goals with timelines and regular reviews.

6.1.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

The School Leadership Policy inclusive of Pedagogical Leadership is in place. Systems are designed based on the values of inclusivity and equity, compassion and caring, safety and security; freedom of expression; learning experiences and accommodation of different perspectives. The Pedagogical Leaders support and nurture the knowledge, skills and attitudes of teachers; build relationships; design learning environments by playing the roles of a coach, mentor and facilitator as per the purpose. School Leader examines the factors influencing the image of the educators and takes the responsibility of representing the education sector and the teachers on public platforms with an attitude of optimism and positivity. The pedagogical structure, built on developmental and sequential milestones of children, involves coconstruction of knowledge by the leaders and staff through exploration of research and collaborative dialogue. The school fosters family engagement, uses data to evaluate the effectiveness of the school learning program, and meets the defined standards to optimize learning environments for achieving student’s learning outcomes. School Leader engages in selfreflection and uses feedback and feedforward to gain insights into their strengths, areas of improvement and uniqueness.

6.2 Collaborative Leadership

6.2.1Collaborative Leadership engages shared intelligence to co-create learning institutions.

6.2.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

The school leader collaborates with the key personnel in the institution. The key personnel at all the levels are given the ownership of completing the routine tasks of school functioning. The school leader ensures that there are interactions with school stakeholders. The school leader collaborates with the community as per the requirements. The school leader is an active member of Hubs of Learning.

6.2.1.2 - Level II – Transient

The school leader forms teams comprising of school staff at all levels and collaborates with the team to define their roles and responsibilities. Teams work in collaboration to understand the needs of the students and achieve the pre-defined goals of improved student outcomes. The school leader partners with CSO (Civil Society Organisations) and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations/ Philanthropic Organisations) to provide students with quality learning experiences. opportunities for students to collaborate in different activities and events.

6.2.1.3 - Level III – Stable

The school leader defines her/his role as a collaborative leader. School Teams are formed at all levels (staff/ students/ parents/ community); given the ownership of projects; empowered to plan, implement, and evaluate their performances. School leader engages appropriate staff from different levels in collaborative problemsolving and decision-making to develop strategies for addressing the shared concerns of the institution or community in allocated time slots. School collaborates with other professionals and paraprofessionals; participates in community initiatives and capacity building; shares and exchanges best practices with members of the community to devise improvements in existing practices. The school teams adopt reflective practices to plan interventions for improvement in their systems.

6.2.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

The School Leadership Policy inclusive of Collaborative Leadership based on principles of alignment, engagement, and mutual accountability among all team members is in place. The school leadership demonstrates empathy, flexibility, openness, inclusivity, strategic thinking in all its collaborative dealings. The school leadership encourages ownership of collaborative projects, provides platform for shared intelligence, extends support and resources; and encourages new leadership from within. The school leadership nurtures collaborative relationships by: creating policies (like HR policies, Management and Governance Policy) and procedures using interactive technologies setting flatter hierarchies creating a culture of acceptance of diverse perspectives from cross functional teams following an open process for finding solutions with mutual consensus. School Leader is open to Feedback and Feedforward given by diverse stakeholders. The School Leader ensures effectiveness of the group initiatives by making the group members responsible for the implementation in timely and competent manner, empowering the group to evaluate, amend, re-evaluate the plan, the process and the result. The school leadership collaborates with neighbourhood school(s) to share and exchange best practices.

6.3 Systems for Ongoing Quality and Change Management

6.3.1School Leader fosters a climate that supports achievement of learning outcomes.

6.3.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

School Leader and teachers are aware of the Learning Outcomes. The School Leader is aware of her/his role in providing a climate of support for staff and students to enhance student learning outcomes. Teachers attend capacity building programmes as per mandate. School Leader prepares Annual Curriculum and Pedagogical Plan in collaboration with teachers. Student results are analysed and strategic plans made to enhance learning outcomes.

6.3.1.2 - Level II – Transient

Teachers are oriented on the use of Learning Outcomes. The integrated annual curriculum and pedagogical plan reflects activities designed to accomplish defined LOs. Teachers are assigned subjects and grades according to their competencies. Lesson plans are created on the basis of student’s learning levels and are inclusive of different learning styles. School Leader ensures barrier free equitable access to resources for all students to ensure all students move further on their developmental continuum. Goals for staff and students are set individually and collectively. Different assessment tasks/modes are designed/used to assess the achievement of learning outcomes.

6.3.1.3 - Level III – Stable

The School Leader has framed guidelines for developing capacity of self and staff to make optimal usage of physical and human resources available in the school and the community to support student achievement. The School Leader, in collaboration with staff and students, designs opportunities that provide people to work together around the common goal of student achievement. School Leader along with her/his team of teachers engages in reflective exercises to understand the needs of the students and plans the learning programme accordingly to achieve the intended learning outcomes. School Leader strengthens the efficacy of the teachers for ensuring enhanced achievement of student learning outcomes by nvesting in an ongoing capacity building programme for them providing support through faculty mentoring programs reinforcing/acknowledging/ celebrating the best practices adopted by them Students are provided with opportunities to plan and design programmes for themselves; set goals; participate in broad range of activities within and outside school. School Leader gathers inputs from stakeholders, professionals to enhance student achievement.

6.3.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

The School Leadership Policy inclusive of ongoing quality and change management is in place. School Leadership enhances student learning outcomes by establishing support structures to: mentor leadership teams create professional learning community foster interpersonal relationships provide adequate physical resources improve systems provide support to staff while dealing with external pressures. Teachers are empowered to use defined learning outcomes as guidelines for designing of content, instruction and assessment tasks. School Leader ensures teachers attend forums to understand latest research/practices in teaching and learning. Autonomy is given to the teachers to innovate and devise appropriate teaching strategies and activities relevant to the needs of all the students.Autonomy is given to the teachers to innovate and devise appropriate teaching strategies and activities relevant to the needs of all the students. Teachers cultivate a culture of accountability and provide students with opportunities to explore, discover and reflect on their thinking, and learning behaviours; motivate students to take responsibility and ownership for their own learning by setting goals for themselves. Involvement of parents in the learning programme of the students is ensured by empowering them with support, training and resources. The School Leader monitors and reviews the achievement of the intended learning outcomes on a regular basis through data collection and analysis, using multiple tools and techniques. Gaps identified in the monitoring process are addressed through appropriate interventions and improvement plans based on the needs of the students.

6.3.2The School Leader demonstrates responsibility and accountability in building a culture of equitability, inclusivity and systems thinking in school.

6.3.2.1 - Level I - Inceptive

Roles are defined in the system of allocation of duties. Teachers attend capacity building programmes as per mandate. Teachers are held accountable for executing their respective roles and for carrying out other assigned duties both inside and outside the classroom. Code of conduct is defined for teachers and students. The school evaluates learning outcomes based on the results of students. The school engages in improving systems as and when required. The school system ensures optimal and efficient usage of resources.

6.3.2.2 - Level II – Transient

School Leader organizes Capacity Building Programs on equitable, accessible and inclusive schools as well as on Systems Approach. The School Leader ensures that each staff member knows and understands her/his professional role and responsibility and is accountable for achieving her/his defined outcomes. The School Leader ensures that all the staff members work within the defined norms and duties to achieve the desired outcomes and provides support as and when required. School Leader works towards systems that incorporate effective communication, cooperation and partnerships to achieve student learning outcomes. Evaluation systems to monitor teacher efficacy, staff motivation practices are evidenced.

6.3.2.3 - Level III – Stable

School Leader ensures ongoing capacity building of self and staff to stay updated in respective fields; improve productivity; and build leadership through progressive distribution of responsibility with accountability. Transparent budgets are allocated to all concerned. The HR Policies for staff are equitable, accessible and inclusive. Mentoring of all staff, at regular intervals, is evidenced. School Leader establishes a systems approach to all school practices. SMART goals are set to achieve the objectives through systematic and well organized practices and processes. Families, alumni and community collaborate with the school to design programs that have an impact on student learning. School Teams engage in regular checks of school practices to ensure conformity to all regulatory and statutory norms and the findings are shared with all stakeholders and become the basis for future planning. Feedback is collected from the stakeholders to identify the strengths and areas of improvement. School engages in self and internal evaluations. Quality Control System in the school evaluates instructional practices, school administrative procedures and educational outcomes that aid in improving accountability in all staff Leaders at all levels design action plan[s] to improve, sustain and innovate. School uses measures other than student assessments to monitor the quality of the education it provides.

6.3.2.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

The School Leadership Policy inclusive of ongoing quality and change management is in place. The organizational structure is defined and roles and responsibilities are known to all. The nature, scope and purpose of accountability is clearly defined. The staff meets at regular intervals to review their practices on inclusivity, equitability and accessibility . School Leader uses decentralization and performance-based metrics to assess the school and staff and supports decision-making in terms of workload, nature of responsibilities, and skills and knowledge required to fulfil more complex roles. School Leader mobilises distributed leadership at all levels to ensure collective responsibility and accountability of all stakeholders – teachers, non-teaching staff, parents, alumni, community members, members of the school management committee with sense of responsibility and accountability for improving systems that are equitable, inclusive and accessible for all students. Policies are set in consultation with all the concerned stakeholders using internal and external accountability approaches. Standardized tests, transparent information and engagement by communities and parents help school, teachers and systems track progress of students over time. The school system ensures effective checks and balances system/ internal/external audits by adopting prudent and transparent approaches to track the progress of the school and students; determine efficiency of the systems and ensures that the accountability system improves the overall systems. School Leader establishes a culture of self-reflection and self-assessment of school practices which is a dynamic and inclusive process involving staff,management, students, parents with defined roles and responsibilities and uses the data to improve the systems to make them accessible, equitable and inclusive.

6.3.3The School Leader provides opportunities to teachers and students to be creative, divergent thinkers, enhance entrepreneurial attitude and thus become future-ready.

6.3.3.1 - Level I - Inceptive

School plans and organizes its day-to-day activities through a staff that has defined roles and responsibilities. School Leader shares new ideas in meetings/ discussions. Teachers attend capacity building programmes as per mandate. Teachers facilitate application of knowledge to real life situation and develop critical and creative thinking skills in students. Engagement of students in inquiry based projects is evidenced. The use of digital technologies in pedagogy is evidenced.

6.3.3.2 - Level II – Transient

Guidelines for preparing integrated lesson plans and varied teaching learning approaches and tools are available. School leaders and teachers collaborate to provide new ideas to develop critical and creative thinking in students. School undertakes innovative and inquiry based projects. Different stakeholders have implemented innovative ideas in the school. Feedback/suggestions are sought on school processes. Experts from nearby schools, higher education institutes, corporates, local entrepreneurs, student alumni are invited to share their experiences with the students. Collaborative/cooperative work is encouraged.

6.3.3.3 - Level III – Stable

School Leader ensures sensitization of members of school management, teachers, parents and students on the importance of systems thinking, ideation, innovation and entrepreneurship. Teachers are empowered to leverage diverse teaching styles and strategies to address students’ multiple intelligences. The concepts of ideation, innovation and entrepreneurship have been integrated in an age appropriate manner into the integrated Curriculum and Pedagogical Plan for all stages. School Leader provides opportunities to teachers to familiarize, experiment and design age appropriate experiential pedagogical strategies techniques aimed at nurturing creativity in students. Peer Learning is encouraged. Innovative Teaching Learning material is developed by the teachers in collaboration with students. School Leader facilitates showcasing, promotion and felicitation of pedagogical innovations by teachers. School Leader provides infrastructural facilities like (innovation lab, 3D printing labs, tinkering labs, digital libraries etc.) to nurture creative skills among students. The school has allocated adequate funds for organizing innovation related activities.

6.3.3.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

The School Innovation Policy is in place. The school engages the stakeholders in designing and executing the Innovation policy Innovations are reflected in services provided, processes followed, products, incremental changes, outcome driven tasks and breakthroughs achieved. Exposure visits, capacity building sessions, etc. are provided to stakeholders to facilitate their engagement in innovations and entrepreneurship projects. School time table reflects time for engaging students in DIY activities focusing on creativity and innovation. The school has entered into collaborative agreement with the nearest innovation labs/ science parks/ business incubators/ professional bodies/firms, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)/ social enterprises/ Government-sponsored Incubators/ Scientific Labs (like ISRO, CSIR, DRDO, DIO) etc. to provide diverse exposure to its students and teachers. Innovation labs are accessible to students from neighbourhood schools. Students and teachers participate in State/District/National/International levels to demonstrate their Innovations. School Team uses divergent approaches to solving problems. School has leveraged the resources made available by Startup India Initiative. School has created its profile on Startup India platform. School Leader has created a mechanism to measure and monitor the school’s performance on creation of innovative projects that are aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. Gaps identified in the monitoring process are addressed by finding creative solutions.

LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP

Sub Domains & Standards

6.1 Pedagogical Leadership

6.1.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

6.1.1.2 - Level II – Transient

6.1.1.3 - Level III – Stable

6.1.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

6.2 Collaborative Leadership

6.2.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

6.2.1.2 - Level II – Transient

6.2.1.3 - Level III – Stable

6.2.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

6.3 Systems for Ongoing Quality and Change Management

6.3.1.1 - Level I - Inceptive

6.3.1.2 - Level II – Transient

6.3.1.3 - Level III – Stable

6.3.1.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

6.3.2.1 - Level I - Inceptive

6.3.2.2 - Level II – Transient

6.3.2.3 - Level III – Stable

6.3.2.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

6.3.3.1 - Level I - Inceptive

6.3.3.2 - Level II – Transient

6.3.3.3 - Level III – Stable

6.3.3.4 - Level IV- Dynamic Evolving

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