Talented and inspired leadership the key to education success

This case study is one in a series published in Ngā Haeata Mātauranga: The Annual Report on Māori Education 2007/08.

This case study explores how Te Kopuru School’s principal Lee Anderson has spent the past 8 years changing the culture of her small Northland school to improve the education, social, and cultural outcomes of the school’s Māori learners.

Research evidence shows effective leadership has a critical influence on Māori learner outcomes.

Effective leaders help improve learner achievement by focusing on achievement, creating a positive school environment that supports learning, demanding and leading effective, culturally responsive teaching, and engaging positively with parents, whānau, and Māori communities.

Research encourages school leaders to understand more about high-quality, effective, iwi, whānau, and Māori community engagement, including what works and doesn’t work well. Taking an effective educational leadership approach is a key part of the Educational Leadership (Schooling): Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration.

Questions/Things to think about

1. How does your school embark support the learning outcomes of your Māori learners?
2. How do you find out about ways to make culture count at your school?
3. In what ways do you enable your Māori learners feel more comfortable about being Māori?