New centre dedicated to school leaders

The importance of leadership in education has been recognised with the establishment of a new research and development centre.

The University of Auckland Centre for Educational Leadership was launched by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Stuart McCutcheon on 4th November.

It will provide research and development on the links between school leadership and student achievement, working closely with principals and school leaders to achieve the goal of excellent leadership in every NZ school.

“National and international research shows that effective educational leadership is closely related to high quality and more equitable education systems,” says the centre’s executive director David Eddy.

“One of the biggest challenges we face as a nation is tackling the tail of underachievement in our schools. The research we are engaging in is telling us about what educational leaders can do to address this situation.”

Mr Eddy is known internationally for his leadership development work. He will work alongside Prof. Viviane Robinson, one of NZ’s most prominent educationalists, who has been appointed the centre’s academic director.

During the event the education minister Anne Tolley officially launched Prof. Robinson’s Best Evidence Synthesis research for the MoE.

The internationally anticipated study examined the links between leadership and student outcomes, identifying what works best and why.

“We have a better understanding now than ever before of the powerful impacts school leaders can have on student learning. The centre will play a major role in the transfer of this knowledge into schools,” Prof. Robinson says.

The centre will significantly expand the scope and reach of existing educational leadership research and development in NZ. Its research will be inclusive of all levels of school leaders working in diverse settings from early childhood centres through to secondary schools.

The centre will also deliver seminars across the country; the First Time Principals Programme, New Zealand’s national induction programme for school principals; and a regional programme for experienced principals.

The Centre is based at the Faculty of Education’s Epsom Campus and operates in partnership with Auckland UniServices Limited.