Stories from the Experienced Principals Development Programme
Over 2009 and 2010 the Experienced Principals Development Programme (EPDP) provided professional learning for experienced principals which focused on leading change and creating conditions that support effective teaching and learning for every student. These In Your Own Words stories highlight experiences from two rural and two urban participants in the Canterbury EPDP.
The key elements included in the programme were:
- the Educational Leadership Practices Survey (administered by NZCER)
- reading and discussion of key research on school leadership, including the BES for school leadership, and Ministry documents such as Ka Hikitia and Kiwi Leadership for Principals
- opportunities to work closely with other members of the experienced principals’ group with whom they developed professional and personal relationships
- digital reflective logs and in-school discussions with a principal mentor.
eTime led a regional programme for primary principals in the Canterbury region, with director Faye Le Cren responsible for running a programme that covered 18-months. Local providers like eTime tailored their programmes to suit their participants. In this region the programme also included a trip to Auckland for a week to observe and talk with a number of identified successful principals, and use of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI).
The stories referenced above have been developed from an extensive interview with four principals on the programme.They show how important professional learning opportunities are, even for experienced principals. They also demonstrate the changes that the principals made within their schools that resulted in effective teaching and learning for all students.
