Strengthening head teachers' school leadership competences: evidence-based policy development in Rwanda

Effective school leadership can have a clear impact on teaching and learning processes in schools; and hence on pupils’ learning outcomes. Therefore, the Education Sector Strategic Plan of the Government of Rwanda... [ view full abstract ]

Effective school leadership can have a clear impact on teaching and learning processes in schools; and hence on pupils’ learning outcomes. Therefore, the Education Sector Strategic Plan of the Government of Rwanda (2013/14–2017/18) prioritises training and performance assessment of head teachers. A research on the effectiveness of different approaches for school leadership was done to inform the nationwide rollout of a professional development programme for head teachers in Rwanda. Primary school head teachers participated in different capacity development trajectories for effective school leadership over a period of 2 years. Head teachers were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups, receiving (A) training and intervision coaching; (B) intervision coaching only; (C) training only; or (D) no training nor intervision coaching (control group). Training of head teachers was provided by a pool of qualified trainers, while intervision coaching of head teachers was provided by Sector Education Officers. The effects of these different trajectories were measured at the level of the head teachers, at the level of teachers, and at the level of primary school pupils. Based on an assessment of the effects of the different trajectories for school leadership development and the costs involved in each one of them, the cost-effectiveness of the different approaches (“value-for-money”) was estimated. The research has informed policy development in Rwanda: standards for effective school leadership have been approved and a policy has been drafted in which the importance of an initial training for head teachers, complemented by a system for continuous professional development is emphasised.