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Strategic Leadership and Educational Improvement Margaret Preedy, Ron Glatter and Christine Wise The Open University/Paul Chapman Publishing 2003 309 pp. 0-7619-4058-8 £19.99
Keywords Strategic leadership, Educational planning, Decision making
Review DOI 10.1108/09578230410561036
In their book Strategic Leadership and Educational Improvement, Preedy, Glatter and Wise have compiled a compelling series of educational perspectives and approaches written by prolific scholars in the field of educational change, strategic leadership and learning. The book is part of a three part volume series including Effective Educational Leadership and Leading People and Teams in Education. The work of the different internationally renowned contributors explores the (p. 1) "current thinking and debate on some of the major strategic leadership challenges and concerns, facing twenty-first century educational organizations". The book goes beyond the core politics of education and focuses on the importance of deep understanding of strategic concerns currently being addressed in the education arena.
The format of the book is clear and easy to follow. The book begins with an introductory chapter by the editors. They provide a quick synopsis of the four main issues that currently face educational organizations and are the foci of this book. These include the influences of strategic development on:
(1) external environment;
(2) societal and organizational culture;
(3) change management; and
(4) organizational effectiveness and improvement, for quality of teaching and learning.
The book is then divided into four parts. Each part consists of a series of interconnected comprehensive chapters that lead to specific explorations and understandings of the particular theme.
The four chapters in Part I focus on the importance of understanding contextual elements and the external influences on strategic planning in educational organisations. In chapter two, Leithwood, Jantzi, and Steinbach present a comprehensive list of criteria for designing future schools with focus on inclusiveness, efficiency and effectiveness, and adaptability. These authors assert that schools of the future (p. 31) should be capable of "growing out of the design of today's schools". In chapter three, Levin explores the advantages and disadvantages of politics and their effects on policy by offering a four-element organizational model for the reform process that can be useful in developing and implementing government policies. These include (p. 33) origins, adoption, implementation and outcomes. Glatter presents a set of models (p. 49)...