Abstract
This chapter draws on Leithwood and Riehl’s meta-analysis to examine sustainable leadership in successful US and Australian schools that are considered challenging due to shifting demographics, accountability pressures, and organizational reforms. US populations are becoming increasingly culturally diverse, and this diverse group is overrepresented in high poverty schools. These demographic shifts were highly evident in the US cases featured in this chapter. Australia’s population will increase by more than 50% within the next 50 years with most of the population due to migration and aging populations. In this chapter, the Australian cases represent sustainable leadership in two high-poverty schools, one on the edge of a city and one in a rural area. Both the USA and Australia have also recently experienced similar challenges related to accountability and organizational reforms. The cases featured in this chapter illustrate similarities and differences among US and Australian principal leaders who cultivate and sustain school success over time in the midst of changing demographics, increased accountability, and organizational reforms. The chapter concludes with a discussion of similarities and differences across the US and Australian cases as well as implications for future research and leadership preparation.
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Ylimaki, R., Gurr, D., Drysdale, L. (2011). Sustainable Improvement and Leadership in Challenging Schools. In: Moos, L., Johansson, O., Day, C. (eds) How School Principals Sustain Success over Time. Studies in Educational Leadership, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1335-2_9
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