Middle Leaders, Professional Standards and Leadership Growth

Abstract

This chapter offers Australian and international insights into leadership development and discusses how aspirant and current middle leaders can use leader and teacher professional standards to foster their professional growth. Standards help inform performance and development planning, and shape feedback and provide a framework for professional learning design. This chapter provides an overview of how systems such as New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland, among others, describe leadership in terms of standards. When used alongside an annual performance and development process, middle leaders can tap into the power of standards to continually sharpen their leadership practice and create a thriving career leading from the middle. Practical guidance is provided for middle leaders to engage with national teacher and leadership standards.

Citation

Benson, E., Lewis, J. and Pinchas, D. (2024), "Middle Leaders, Professional Standards and Leadership Growth", Benson, E., Duignan, P. and Watterston, B. (Ed.) Middle Leadership in Schools: Ideas and Strategies for Navigating the Muddy Waters of Leading from the Middle, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 171-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-082-320241011