System-wide assessment programs such as NAPLAN are introduced to determine the value added by schools towards student learning. This study investigates how secondary school principals in NSW accommodate the testing-based accountability within their views of learning. The findings indicate that these Principals accept the notion of school accountability though they reject reducing learning to a single score. They do not believe that test scored are adequate measures of student leanirng. The study offers a deep insight into the thinking of these Principals as they accommodate between their beliefs about learning and the demands of assessment regimes.
Dr Judith Norris is a senior lecturer in educational leadership studies. Her thesis 'From Metaphors to Mantras: Principals Making Sense of and Integrating Accountability Expectations' positions her research and practical expertise around the psychosocial processes of leaders working in performative cultures. She holds a Masters from the University of New South Wales, in Educational Administration and utilises her Diploma in Ontological Coaching in her work with leaders and aspirant leaders, notably with their reflective and reflexive practices.
Leadership Threads 