Educational Leadership in the Asian Century – Are You Prepared?

1. Educational Leadership in the Asian Century – Are You Prepared? David Fitzgerald English Schools Foundation Hong Kong

2. Plan for today • Explore the concept of the Asian century and what that means for us in international education • Explore the challenges and opportunities that exist in Asia right now • Share 5 Big Ideas that I believe you can use to prepare yourself for leading in Asia right now • Transfer thoughts, beliefs and learning into your own leadership context

3. Format Interactive • Tell • Share • Reflect • Transfer

4. A little about me • School Development Adviser with the English Schools Foundation • Work across 21 schools and kindergartens providing high level strategic leadership advice and support • English Schools Foundation, Hong Kong – 7 years (5 ½ as Principal) • 10 years as Principal in Australia • Key interest areas – Leadership and Coaching

5. English Schools Foundation • Established by the Hong Kong government in 1967 • Currently operate 21 schools and kindergartens for 17000 students aged between 2 and 19 in Hong Kong • Students represent over 50 different nationalities • All schools IB although 5 of our secondary schools run IGCSE for their middle years curriculum

6. Who do we have in the Room?

7. The New World Order

8. What is meant by the Asian Century? • The projected 21st-century dominance of Asian politics and culture. 2011 study by the Asian Development Bank found that: • An additional 3 billion Asians could enjoy living standards similar to those in Europe today • The region could account for over half of global output by the middle of the 21st century.

9. What does it mean for education? • The education world is going to look very different in a very short space of time

10. Trends • Malaysia – aims to quadruple its private school population by 2020. Many of these schools will market themselves as “international schools” • Hong Kong – 1967 – ESF opened two international schools to cater for the British “Ex-pat” community. Today there are over 160 “International” kindergarten/primary/secondary schools in Hong Kong and most if not all are FULL with extensive waiting lists!!

11. Trends • Singapore – Economic Development Board of Singapore approaching private international schools and groups such as ESF to establish International schools in Singapore to address the lack of available places

12. Trends • Taiwan – National Central University looking to establish an international school on campus in response to the needs of staff

13. Trends • China/Philippines/Korea/India/Indonesia – All have a rapidly growing wealthy middle class whose spending priorities are: • (1) travel • (2) healthcare • (3) education and • (4) luxury goods

14. Trends • Curriculum – Growing trend in a number of schools (government included) in Asia adopting international curriculums • 500schools in Asia offering IB programs in 28 countries

15. What else do we know about education trends in Asia? • Time to share

16. What are the Opportunities? • According to ISC research (2012) there were 6405 international schools in the world in 2012. Over half of these were in Asia. • China – 2000 – 22 international schools, 7400 students • China – 2012 – 338 international schools, 185 000 students

17. Recruitment numbers for teachers in international schools is growing at around 10% year on year at the moment • The vast majority of International schools use English as the main medium of instruction.

18. What are the challenges? • With over 280 000 teachers currently working in International schools and with this number increasing, competition for leadership positions is at an all time high

19. Reflections

20. What can I do to be prepared to lead in Asia right now? 5 Big Ideas to share

21. Big Idea 1 • 30 years of school effectiveness research and 10 years of system reform research. • One major conclusion on what matters...

22. Big idea 1 Maintain an unrelenting focus on learning and teaching

23. Effect Size of Instructional leaders = 0.84 • John Hattie has helped us understand what works best for students. It also happens to be what works best for teachers: • Attention to setting challenging learning intentions, being clear about what success means and looks like and an attention to learning strategies for developing conceptual understandings about what teachers and students know and understand.

24. You will be judged more and more by the quality of your teaching and curriculum knowledge by staff, students and parents. This is even more so in Asia where education is highly valued and understood. Parents and students know what makes a good teacher and in turn a good leader.

25. Sir Michael Barber on Instructional leadership • Set learning expectations (not just behaviour expectations) • Does everyone in the school have an agreed common language on what good Teaching and learning looks like? • Is this then the basis for coaching/feedback/lesson observations/CPD

26. If so the role of the leader then is to: • Support teachers in developing teaching plans • Observe classes and coach teachers • Facilitate PLCs focused on improving instruction • All based on the agreed language • Douglas Reeves: Clarity of focus – Go deep on a few goals

27. Instructional Leadership • Communicating high academic standards • Regular classroom observations and walkthroughs • Regular analysis of student data with teaching teams • Systematic focus on instructional strategies • Being highly visible

28. Harvard Instructional Rounds • Agreed protocols • Based on the medical profession • Evidence based discussions • Looking for patterns • Making predictions about what is happening for students • Using this evidence for future lesson observations

29. Kounaikenshuu • In Japan this is the word used to describe the continuous process of school-based professional development • Jugyoukenkyuu or “lesson study” is a core component of Kounaikenshuu • Involves teams of teachers and administrators working on specific goals through planning, observation and feedback

30. Are you an instructional leader? • What percentage of your time would you say is currently devoted to instructional leadership? • What would your staff say? • What would you like these numbers to be? • Keep a time log of your daily activities for 1 week and divide activities into instructional and other. • Make tough decisions on the non instructional activities (delegate, dump, diarise)

31. SAM Software (USA) • School administrative Managers • Developed by the Wallace Foundation over a decade ago • Monitors how Principals invest their time • 2011 study found after two years Principals spent an average of 5 more hours a week on instructional activities

32. Idea 2

33. Cultural differences/awareness • Hong Kong : The importance of- • 2 way integration – adapt to local culture and embed local culture into school culture • Parental expectations • Student attitudes to learning • Culture of expectation • History/Culture of school

34. Vietnam • School Surveys – One international school head recently sent out a traditional school survey shortly after arriving in Vietnam. • Limited response from parents • Further investigation – “You are the expert, we are paying you to make the decisions. Why ask us?”

35. Indonesia • Communication – most Indonesians are indirect communicators. This means that they do not always say what they mean. As a school leader you need to learn to read between the lines and watch body language and gestures in order to get the “real” message. • Speed of Change – In general Indonesians do not believe in making hasty decisions. A new Principal would be wise to be conscious of the speed of change.

36. Other

37. Big Idea 3 Innovation is only part of the solution – look for The Adjacent Possibles?

38. Stephen Johnson: Where Good Ideas Come From • “innovative thinking is a slow and gradual process based on the concept of the "slow hunch" rather than an instant moment of inspiration. • He expostulates on the concept of the "adjacent possible" which enables the thinker to develop uncharted insights into unexplored areas.

39. Where good ideas come from • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6FY5EFGjQ • Thoughts……..

40. Examples of Adjacent Possible Thinking

41. Hangzhou Campus

42. Hangzhao Campus • Year long Chinese culture and immersion program (14/15 year olds) • CIS already a bilingual school • Continue IB MYP • Natural progression or adjacent possible

43. THINK Global School TGS students don’t simply “study abroad.” They immerse themselves in twelve countries over four years, undertaking a challenging curriculum that culminates in their official (IB) examinations at the end of year four. Throughout their studies, TGS students visit significant historical, cultural, and scientific sites, all while building new skills and relationships with those around them.

44. Beta Mode – 45% of products

45. What might be possible with: • Physical Learning Spaces – SCIL (Stephen Harris) • Assessment • Technology & virtual spaces • Role of the teacher • Lesson time & sequence

46. What are your Adjacent Possibles? • Take 5 minutes to reflect on current innovations in your schools and what the Adjacent Possible (next step) might be for one of these innovations • Begin to plan what YOU need to do next week to make the Adjacent Possible

47. Big idea 4 Nurture and develop 21st Century Skills

48. Patents

49. 21st Century core skills • Generate a list of 5 21st Century core skills you believe all international schools in Asia must develop in every student . • Rank them • Share

50. A recent IBM poll of 1500 CEOs including Asian CEOs identified as the No 1 leadership competency necessary for the 21st Century