Leadership Framework

A number of contextual factors should be considered when reviewing the Leadership Framework.

First, there is an evolving body of professional knowledge about good leadership. This framework relies significantly on the work of Dr. Kenneth Leithwood, professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, who has identified a number of core leadership practices that have been found to have an impact on student outcomes.¹ These fifteen practices from Leithwood's research are the basis for articulating more finely detailed practices, as informed by professional experience, in the first four domains of the Leadership Framework. The fifth domain, Securing Accountability, describes more specifically the accountabilities in the role of principal implicit in the other domains as practiced in Ontario.

Second, leadership must be responsive to the diverse nature of Ontario's communities. The competencies and practices in the Framework describe leadership broadly in a way that is intended to be inclusive of the diversity found in school communities across the province. The application of competencies and practices within specific communities will be shaped by the context of these communities; for example, in francophone schools and districts, the application of the competencies and practices will be shaped by implementation of the Politique d'aménagement linguistique (PAL) already underway in these boards. Likewise, in Catholic schools and districts, leadership practices will be carried out in the context of the boards' articulation of Catholic faith perspectives.

Third, leadership is contextual and multi-dimensional. Principals assess the context in which they work and apply core leadership practices differently depending on their context. They draw upon different aspects or dimensions of leadership to suit the purpose at hand.

And finally, the competencies and practices of leaders will evolve as they move through various career stages. Leaders expand their repertoire of skills, knowledge, and practices over time if they have opportunities to grow within the position and are supported in this growth by supervisory officers who guide them and by a system that is committed to leadership development.

The Leadership Framework is not intended as a job description for the role of leader or a checklist against which to measure performance. Instead, it provides a framework for growth which is sufficiently detailed to make clear what good leadership looks like, but general enough to allow for the contextual applications described above.