School Leader

School Leader Profile

Global learning schools graduate students who possess the knowledge, skills, and habits necessary to work and live in the global knowledge economy. In order to accomplish this, leadership matters. Here are qualities that global school leaders possess.

School leaders are academically and instructionally focused. They:

• Demonstrate a passion for preparing students to be successful in the global world of the 21st century.
• Facilitate the infusion of international content, issues, and perspectives into the culture of the school as well as into a standards-based curriculum.
• Have a deep understanding of the importance of instructional leadership and model the use of best practices in meeting the learning needs of all students.
• Engage the staff in shared study of the research to bring the best ideas to their learning community in order to support student success.
• Model a self-reflective, continuous improvement disposition for their own growth and value it for all members of the learning community.
• Understand and demonstrate the leadership skills necessary for effective planning and alignment of resources to meet academically and instructionally focused goals for all students as well as professional development for the staff.
• Utilizes a clinical approach to the supervision of instruction supporting all staff in reaching the highest levels of performance.
• Understand interdisciplinary instruction and support the teachers in creating cross-disciplinary connections that foster strong literacy and numeracy development as well as use the arts as a vehicle for learning.

School leaders are proficient thinkers and problem solvers. They:

• Use creative problem solving skills and resourcefulness to act on the needs of individual students, colleagues and the school community.
• Utilize current research and data, both qualitative and quantitative, for effective decision-making as part of a system of continuous improvement as an internationally-focused school.
• Understand and engage complex problems, collect, analyze and synthesize information from a range of sources, tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty, and produce viable solutions as they relate to the success of the learning community.
• Advise and advocate for students to support their successes and help them overcome challenges.

School leaders are culturally aware. They are professionals who:

• Recognize, value, and respect the broad spectrum of ethnicities and cultures represented in the school community, utilize these assets in further internationalizing the school culture, and assist members of the community in valuing each other.
• Recognize their responsibility to encourage a continuing diversity in the recruitment and sustainability of a diverse faculty and student body.
• Intentionally create and hone a school culture that supports the attainment of the ISSN goals and the graduate profile.

School leaders are aware of world events and global dynamics. These leaders:

• Understand and stay up-to-date on current world events, international issues, and global debates and provide intentional opportunities for faculty and students to increase their knowledge in these areas through sustained professional development.
• Understand the dynamics of connecting content to global issues in authentic ways, encourage the use of multiple and balanced perspectives, and provide models and opportunities for faculty to integrate this into their teaching practice.
• Consistently support the learning of world languages as a part of the curriculum for all students.

School leaders are collaborative leaders. These leaders:

• Are excellent communicators, valuing their roles as listeners, evidence gatherers, coaches and supporters of high caliber learning for all students.
• Understand that change is a process not an event and allow time and provide support for innovation to be tested and developed into sustainable practice.
• Share authentic decision making opportunities with members of the staff in order to build their capacity as teacher leaders.
• Build the collective efficacy of all school community members to become purposeful in conceptualizing and achieving the goals of the school.
• Participate actively in the network of the ISSN, collaboratively sharing ideas and searching for solutions to contribute to the field of international education.
• Provide the necessary leadership, time and resources for job-embedded continuous, intentional professional development that meets the expressed instructional needs of the school community.

School leaders are use technology effectively. These leaders:

• Model the use of technology to support their learning as well as the managerial functions of leadership.
• Use technology to support data driven decision making and facilitate ongoing communication with the school community.
• Provide the necessary training and resources for equitable access to technology and new media for all students to support their learning.
• Provide opportunities for global connections using technology as a vehicle.

School leaders are responsible and ethical citizens: These leaders:

• Make decisions that are fair and equitable and keep the students and their learning in the center of all they do.
• Act ethically and responsibly to support the school, its students and the ISSN network.
• Are service oriented, giving back to local and global causes and modeling the ethic of service for the school community