| Description | Main findings of an evaluation of the Scottish Qualification for Headship, with regard to schools and teachers. |
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| ISBN | 1478-6788 |
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| Official Print Publication Date | |
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| Website Publication Date | September 05, 2003 |
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Insight 8
Scottish Qualification for Headship
Key Issues from the Evaluation
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Copyright © September 2003, Scottish Executive Education Department
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Scottish Qualification for Headship: Key Issues from the Evaluation
Ian Menter, Chris Holligan and Vivian Mthenjwa with Mario Hair (University of Paisley)
Introduction
The Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH) was established in 1998. The qualification is achieved by successfully completing a professional development programme and has been designed to meet the national Standard for Headship which it is planned will be mandatory for new headteachers from 2005. The SQH programme is organised and delivered by three consortia including higher education institutions and education authorities. The programme is available in two forms: a Standard Route normally taking two to three years and an Accelerated Route for candidates who already have significant management experience, which can be completed in between eight and 11 months. The programme consists of four units as follows: Unit 1: The Standard for Headship; Unit 2: Managing Core Operations; Unit 3: Managing School Improvement; Unit 4: Managing Resources and Finance. Units 1 and 4 are taught, while Units 2 and 3 are work-based. Candidates on the Accelerated Route take Units 1 and 4 but submit a portfolio of evidence for Units 2 and 3.
Evaluation of the SQH programme
This evaluation was commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department in August 2002. The aim of the evaluation was to identify the impact and outcomes of the SQH programme for candidates and schools which have supported a candidate.
The objectives were to identify:
- the impact and outcomes for schools of supporting a candidate through the SQH
- the impact and outcomes for schools of having a headteacher who has completed the SQH
- the impact and outcomes of the SQH for those who have gained the qualification
- any impact of the Standard on the selection process for headteacher positions.
In this Insight, the evaluation team presents an outline of the study and its major findings. We focus on two dimensions of impact which were examined in the study: first, the impact on the individual SQH candidates and secondly, the impact on their schools. We then describe two case studies (one primary and one secondary) which indicate some of the ways in which the impact on candidates and schools develops.
Design and methods
The two major strands of the evaluation were a national survey by questionnaire and a series of school-based case studies. Questionnaires were sent to: headteachers of schools where there had been one or more candidates undertaking the SQH; all SQH graduates; local authority directors of education; and chairs of school boards. The nine case studies were carried out in a range of schools across the country and consisted of a number of interviews with key personnel in each setting. Interviews were also carried out with lead higher education institution staff and with a sample of education authority staff.
Impact on candidates
In identifying the impact of the SQH on those who have been undertaking the programme, we draw on the views of SQH graduates themselves, but also on the views of headteachers and local authority directors of education.
Each questionnaire asked respondents to evaluate a number of statements about the SQH programme. The tables presented here show the strength of agreement with a selection of these statements. Respondents were asked to score statements on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 representing strongly agree and 4 strongly disagree. Therefore, the lower the mean score, the stronger the agreement with the statement. Any mean score below 2.5 indicates more agreement than disagreement. The most positive score possible is 1.0, which would indicate that every single respondent had strongly agreed with the statement. Conversely, the strongest possible disagreement with a statement, that is everyone strongly disagreeing, would generate a score of 4.0.
Views of SQH graduates
Questionnaires were returned by 120 graduates of the SQH programme from a total of 192 sent out. Of these, 27 were headteachers when they completed the questionnaire and 93 were not. Respondents were asked to respond to 15 statements about their experience of the SQH programme and scores for almost all of the items were very positive. Table 1 presents the five statements with which there was the strongest agreement from SQH graduates who were headteachers.
Do you know anyone who has undertaken the SQH programme or have you undertaken it yourself? If so, what was their/ your experience of it? |
Table 1: SQH graduates who are headteachers - Evaluation of their experience of SQH | N | Mean |
The SQH programme was a demanding experience | 27 | 1.04 |
I undertook the SQH programme because of my ambition to become a headteacher | 24 | 1.50 |
Becoming familiar with recent research was a valuable part of the SQH programme | 27 | 1.52 |
I undertook the SQH programme in order to enhance my competence as a headteacher | 20 | 1.60 |
My experience of the SQH programme was mainly positive | 27 | 1.67 |
The overall profile of responses suggests considerable satisfaction with the programme in spite of the demanding nature of the experience. For the SQH graduates who were not in headteacher positions, the results were remarkably similar. The statement about the experience of the SQH programme being positive did receive a lower ranking (8th) but was still a very positive score (1.93).
SQH graduates were also asked to rank statements about the impact of the programme on themselves. Table 2 below shows the five most positive statements as judged by SQH graduate headteachers.
Table 2: SQH graduates who are headteachers - Evaluation of the impact on themselves | N | Mean |
As an SQH graduate, my ability to support others undertaking the SQH has been enhanced | 26 | 1.54 |
The SQH programme has increased my effectiveness as a leader | 27 | 1.63 |
The SQH programme has extended my professional practice | 27 | 1.67 |
Having the SQH qualification was an important factor in the selection process for my headship post | 19 | 1.68 |
The SQH programme was mainly positive in its impact on me | 26 | 1.69 |
It is intriguing that the ability to support others and effective leadership came out most strongly, indicating a strong awareness of the significance of their relationship with their staff. But the responses also reveal a strong sense of personal professional development.
What impact would you expect the SQH programme to have on headteachers? |
Table 3 shows the equivalent response from the graduates who were not headteachers. Where candidates felt most positive of all was in relation to the improvement of their own practice and related matters.
Table 3: SQH graduates who are not headteachers - Evaluation of the impact on themselves | N | Mean |
Undertaking the SQH programme has made me a more reflective practitioner | 93 | 1.66 |
The SQH programme has extended my professional practice | 91 | 1.73 |
The SQH programme has improved my professional practice | 91 | 1.75 |
The SQH programme was mainly positive in its impact on me | 90 | 1.77 |
The impact of the SQH programme has been very effective in the development of my professional values | 93 | 1.81 |
Views of headteachers
These positive responses from SQH graduates were generally corroborated by the 258 headteachers of schools in which there had been or currently was an SQH candidate, as shown in Table 4. Indeed all the scores are very low, indicating a very positive view; typically around 80% to 90% of headteachers either agreed or strongly agreed with these statements. This impact is judged to be significant over the range of core professional competences and values drawn from the Standard for Headship.
Table 4: Headteachers of schools with an SQH candidate - Evaluation of the impact on the candidate/s | N | Mean |
The SQH programme has been effective in the development of the professional abilities of the candidate(s) in my school | 247 | 1.72 |
The SQH programme has been effective in the development of the professional values of the candidate(s) in my school | 241 | 1.80 |
The SQH programme has been effective in developing candidate's/candidates' competence in managing teaching and learning in the school | 244 | 1.80 |
The SQH programme has fostered the candidate's/candidates' team management skills (managing people) | 244 | 1.84 |
The SQH programme has been effective in supporting the development of candidate's/candidates' management strategies (policy and planning) | 241 | 1.89 |
The SQH programme has enhanced the candidate's/candidates' management skills in relation to resources and finance | 228 | 2.06 |
Views of directors of education
We received questionnaire returns from 28 of the 32 directors of education in Scottish local authorities. They were even more positive in their assessment of impact on candidates than were the headteachers, perhaps reflecting their sense that the SQH programme was leading to the development of a significant new cadre of school leaders.
Impact on schools
Each of the questionnaires included questions about the perceived impact on the school of having one or more members of staff undertaking the SQH programme.
Do you know of a school where the SQH programme has had an impact? Has it had any impact on you? |
Views of SQH graduates
The views of the headteacher SQH graduates about the extent to which the SQH programme influenced their whole school and community are indicated in Table 5. Once again lower scores indicate stronger agreement with the statement.
Table 5: SQH graduates who are headteachers - Views on outcomes and impact of SQH on school and wider community | N | Mean |
The SQH programme has been effective in supporting my development of management strategies in policy & planning within the school | 25 | 1.48 |
My experience of SQH programme has helped me to implement changes within my school | 25 | 1.52 |
Having a headteacher who has completed the SQH programme has encouraged greater team work | 24 | 1.67 |
The SQH programme has been effective in supporting my development of management systems for the delivery of effective learning and teaching within the school | 24 | 1.71 |
The SQH programme was mainly positive in its impact on the school | 23 | 1.74 |
Table 6 provides a ranking of responses to the statements in this part from graduates who are not yet headteachers. Both Tables 5 and 6 show that SQH graduates believe they have been enabled to implement change and improve team working in their schools. They were less confident about the impact on the attainment of children (1.95). Those whom we interviewed felt this crucial measure could only be properly judged when a longer period of time had elapsed from completion of the programme.
Table 6: SQH graduates who are not headteachers - Views on outcomes and impact of SQH on school and wider community | N | Mean |
Skills gained from the SQH programme gave me support in implementing changes in my school | 90 | 1.78 |
The SQH programme has been valuable in alerting me about the ways in which educational trends affect my school | 91 | 1.81 |
Having a member of staff who has completed the SQH programme has enhanced the quality of pupils' learning experiences | 82 | 2.17 |
Having a member of staff who has completed the SQH programme has enriched the culture of teaching and learning | 86 | 2.21 |
Having a member of staff who has completed the SQH programme has encouraged greater team work | 87 | 2.22 |
Graduates' views on school and community impact are slightly less positive than their views on the impact of the programme on themselves, as discussed above.
Views of headteachers
The headteachers of the schools where SQH candidates were working were also asked to respond to evaluative statements about the extent of the impact of the SQH programme on their school and its community. The five statements given the most positive rating are in Table 7.
Table 7: Headteachers of schools with an SQH candidate - Ranking of statements on school and community impact | N | Mean |
The school's involvement in the SQH programme has: enhanced the quality of pupils' learning experiences | 222 | 2.07 |
enriched the culture of teaching & learning | 227 | 2.18 |
encouraged greater team work | 234 | 2.21 |
influenced the structure of CPD for staff | 220 | 2.30 |
had an effect on raising attainment | 208 | 2.30 |
The general pattern which emerges is one which suggests that these headteachers judge the strongest impact of the programme to have been on the quality of teaching and learning, with the two highest ranked statements relating to this element. For example, 79.7% of headteachers agreed or strongly agreed that the SQH enhanced the quality of the pupil learning experience and 74.9% agreed or strongly agreed that the SQH enriched the culture of teaching and learning.
One headteacher wrote that the most positive feature of the programme was:
Its benefits to the school in terms of enhancing the quality of children's learning experience and the fact that candidates develop areas important for school enhancement.
Most of the 258 headteachers who responded had acted as supporters of SQH candidates and one interesting finding from the evaluation was the extent to which they felt this role had had an impact for themselves as headteachers (Table 8). This unplanned aspect of the formal programme was expressed thus by one headteacher:
For a headteacher who has not undertaken any additional qualification in leadership and management, the programme is an opportunity to develop and update self as well as the candidate whom they are aiming to support.
Table 8: Headteachers of schools with an SQH candidate - Ranking of statements on impact of SQH on the headteacher | N | Mean |
Involvement in the SQH programme has:
given me the opportunity to update myself on current developments | 239 | 2.30 |
improved my contribution to school effectiveness | 230 | 2.32 |
improved my own professional practice | 228 | 2.35 |
enabled me to become familiar with recent research | 230 | 2.38 |
been a demanding experience for me | 237 | 2.58 |
The fact that the first four statements in the ranking all have a mean score below 2.5 is a clear indication of many headteachers deriving vicarious professional benefit from their involvement with candidates.
Does it surprise you to read that the SQH programme had a positive impact on those who supported candidates? |
Views of directors of education
Directors of education were asked about the effect of the SQH programme on schools within their authority. Concurring with headteachers of schools with an SQH candidate, the highest ranked statement was the impact on the quality of pupils' learning experiences. However, there was quite a high incidence of non-response to statements in this section, which may indicate that directors of education lack knowledge about the ways in which the SQH programme has impacted on schools.
Would you expect the experience of the SQH programme to vary for candidates from schools in different school sectors? What other factors might make a difference to the experience and the degree of impact |
Case studies
In addition to the questionnaire survey, nine school-based case studies were carried out. In each case we interviewed the SQH graduate/s and any other candidate/s, the headteacher, other school staff, the school board chair (where available) and the education authority SQH co-ordinator. We have selected two of the cases - one from the primary sector and one from the secondary - which give an insight into how the programme is capable of influencing both the candidate and the school.
Primary school case study
Context
This primary school is based in the west of Scotland in a small industrial town. It has about 200 pupils, 50 of whom are in the nursery. Current staffing comprises a deputy headteacher who is currently acting headteacher, 11 class teachers, four nursery teachers, an education unit teacher and three classroom assistants. The deputy headteacher responsibilities are shared between two senior teachers. It is the acting headteacher who was the SQH candidate. SQH standard route graduate (acting headteacher)
This SQH graduate successfully completed the SQH programme in 2001, having taught for 17 years, seven of which were in the current school. She said she was "looking for something to do to get promotion." She found the SQH " very difficult, but it was worthwhile." Dimensions of impact which she mentioned included: - development of writing within the school: " we shared our success with parents, community, councillors, the local secondary and the Star Writer Assembly";
- a successful enterprise project for Primary 7;
- motivation and self-esteem building: "... there was a great effect on motivation and building self-esteem with the staff";
- building school ethos through consulting others: "... we looked at 'How Good Is Our School?' and sought, via questionnaire, parents' views on staff and management. It was absolutely positive";
- changes to her leadership and management style: " ...the way we manage people has changed ...we work with more consultation."
Colleagues
Impacts noted by teachers within the school included: - more celebration of school successes: " ...rewarding things like good practice...we put ourselves in the light, before that we just got on with our job";
- staff having a greater belief in the leadership of the headteacher: "... I know she has more to offer, ... I trust her decisions and have confidence in her. The qualification and her practice have given us confidence in her leadership";
- changes to the leadership style of the headteacher: " the personal development of the candidate became more leadership minded, that was very evident in in-service and its organisation and in trying to involve parents...she communicated to us all of what she was doing and sought our advice".
School board chair
He commented very positively about the impact of the SQH programme on ethos and team working within the school. Summary
In this primary school, the SQH had played a very significant part in enabling the deputy headteacher to take on the role of acting headteacher with confidence. The professional culture of the school had developed alongside her leadership skills. |
Secondary school case study
Context
The pupil roll of this secondary school had risen by 30% over the last decade. It has a mixed catchment in a rural community where 80% of pupils travel to school by bus. There are about 50 teachers and 800 pupils. SQH standard route candidate (deputy headteacher)
This candidate was appointed to her post after she had commenced the SQH programme. Her Unit 2 (work-based) project was to " completely revamp the behaviour policy for learning-teaching and positive behaviour as well as guidance...it was a big task." The SQH programme facilitated this candidate's understanding of change management: " my reading helped me realise there are good reasons to involve as many people as you can in implementing change."
This had the following impact on the school: - " the way we work together in behaviour support, guidance and learning support" changed, with the immediate positive impact of this an improvement in pupil behaviour;
- changes to the way they worked with other agencies: " how we work with external agencies, that meetings must be a priority...You need to be giving the same message to different people as many times as possible...staff talking the same language is really important."
From her industrial placement she learned the importance of involving employees in decision-making, and that impacted upon the valuing of staff meetings and " giving much emphasis to staff development." SQH supporter (headteacher)
For the headteacher it was a " happy accident" that school developments could link up with the SQH tasks, giving the candidate " no shortage of material." His perception of the impact of the SQH programme emphasised the following: - its role in reinforcing the candidate's work: " it gave her a focus, and helped her assess the effectiveness of what she was doing...so, on the positive behaviour initiative, really checking what the teachers think about it, makes a difference in the classroom...";
- intellectual impact: " the reading made her more reflective and more knowledgeable than she might have been without the reading...";
- greater team work: " getting people to work better together and see policy work in all areas of the school, with more confidence as well as depth."
Colleagues
To other teachers it was apparent that her management and leadership skills were developing rapidly and were benefiting the professional ethos of the school. As one colleague put it: " the drive and the motivation, the working groups and everything is well thought through...she is definitely the driving force. ... We work in groups and she opens up the channels. She is passionate about education." Summary
The candidate had made major advances in her leadership and management abilities including the ability to develop self-confidence in others. The school had benefited in terms of pupil attainment, partnership working and the policies and practices pertaining to pupils with special educational needs. |
Conclusions
This study was not designed to identify difficulties in the experience of the SQH programme. Our main purpose has been to identify the impact and outcomes of the SQH programme, where it has been successfully completed. Nevertheless it will be important in considering the development of future policy to acknowledge that there have been some candidates who have not been able to complete the programme for a variety of reasons. Some have withdrawn and some have failed. A small number of these candidates have made us aware of difficulties they have encountered. The difficulties have sometimes arisen from the school context in which they were working and sometimes from apparent difficulties in the administration of the programme.
The overall findings of this study are extremely positive and confirm the significance of the SQH programme for the future of Scotland's schools. Although the programme has now been running for some five years, it is nevertheless the case that the full realisation of the effects of the programme will take some further time to impact across the system as a whole. However, many schools which have supported a candidate have already had immediate direct benefit, as the two case studies have demonstrated. Across Scotland, it is thus the case that the majority of secondary schools will already have experienced this benefit, whereas because of their far greater number and smaller average staff size, the majority of primary schools will not yet have benefited directly.
The key findings from the study include:
- the overall impact of the SQH programme is very positive, not only on the successful candidates themselves, but also on their supporters (who are usually their headteachers) and on the school as a whole;
- the impact on the candidates is strongest in the development of their management and leadership skills;
- the strongest impact on schools is often perceived to be on the learning and teaching culture of the institution;
- the work-based action learning model which underpins the programme empowers candidates professionally, inspiring confidence and leading them to become very interested in fundamental educational issues;
- success on the programme is highly dependent on effective support for candidates within their school and from their education authorities;
- the effects of the SQH programme on the selection process for headship are strongest in terms of helping candidates to approach the experience with confidence and awareness. However, there is evidence of increasing reference to the SQH in the procedures employed by selection panels in the headship appointment process;
- there is some evidence that the accelerated route is not functioning as a development programme for the candidate, nor is it having a significant impact on the candidates' schools.
For further information about the research and copies of the full report, please contact Professor Ian Menter:ian.menter@paisley.ac.uk
For further information about the SQH programme, please consult www.teachinginscotland.com or contact Jennifer Stewart on 0131 244 0350.
The Insight Series
1. Classroom Assistants: Key Issues from the National Evaluation
2. The Impact of ICT Initiatives in Scottish Schools
3. Moving On to Primary 1: An Exploratory Study of the Experience of Transition from Pre-School to Primary
4. Accelerating Reading and Spelling with Synthetic Phonics: A Five Year Follow Up
5. Assessment of Benefits and Costs of Out of School Care
6. Meeting the Needs of Children from Birth to Three: Research Evidence and Implications for Out-of-Home Provision
7. Key Findings from the National Evaluation of the New Community Schools Pilot Programme in Scotland
8. Scottish Qualification for Headship: Key Issues from the Evaluation
If you have views on Insight or wish to find out more about SEED's research and economics programme, please contact the Research, Economic and Corporate Strategy Unit, Scottish Executive Education Department, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.
ISSN 1478-6796