Transformational School Leadership Essay -- transformational leaders

School leadership in recent times has involved more and more time and consideration as schools are being made held responsible for significant changes in the outcomes of students learning (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005, p. 12). With pressures coming from all levels of government, Principals are not the only ones being held accountable to the outcomes of students (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003). Davis (2012) identifies strongly with this as middle executive roles and teachers within a school are being required to work collaboratively to achieve objectives and to transform cultural change into reality. This paper will discuss the traditional social construction of leadership and how the use of transformational leadership has planned, developed and established an alternative learning within a rural New South Wales high school. This paper will also discuss and analyse effectiveness of the leadership that has taken place This programme was designed and is being run to address poor attendance and retention of targeted students from 14 to 17. This programme ran in partnership with local employment providers, Aboriginal Training Groups as well as the local tertiary training centre. School X is an isolated high school within a town with a populace of 3000 people (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). The student population currently resides at 210 with 50% of the students recognising themselves as Indigenous (McDonald & Levinston, 2011). A large percentage of the town’s vocation consists of unskilled labour, with a best part of these also being small business owners (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). These include earthmoving companies, primary industries service companies and only a small percentage of the town has a post-sec... ...about leadership? Leadership for the disillusioned: Moving beyond myths and heroes to leading that liberates (pp. 17-34). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. Stogdill, R. M. (1948). Personal factors associated with leadership: A survey of the literature. The Journal of Psychology, 25(1), 35-71. Tobin, T., & Sprague, J. (1999). Alternative Education Programs for At-Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practice, and Recommendations. Oregon school study council bulletin, 42, 20. Watkins, P. (1986). A Critical Review of Leadership Concepts and Research: The Implications for Educational Administration: Publication Sales, Deakin University Press, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia ($12.50 Australian; quantity discounts). Williams, B. P. (2011). An analysis of participation in servant leadership as self reported by elementary school principals in southwest Georgia.