More than ever before, the wellbeing of students, staff and the school community is a priority for principals and school leaders. New research forms the basis of a new handbook for school leaders who are aspiring to improve the wellbeing of their school communities.
Drawing on 30 years of research, and backed by a wealth of evidence, case studies, step-by-step plans and checklists, Emeritus Professor Donna Cross and Dr Leanne Lester have developed an effective framework that outlines how to strategically select and successfully implement a particular wellbeing practice within a school.
"School leadership is an increasingly complex, highly demanding role. In establishing short-and long-term goals for improving outcomes for students, school leaders must turn their minds not only to performance indicators and targets but to the methods, approaches and strategies through which those targets can be achieved," said Dr Lester, Research Manager at the Centre for Social Impact UWA.
"The research outlines the tools school leaders need to develop insights into what's working, what needs to change and where schools can go next with supporting and improving the wellbeing of their students, teachers and broader school communities," said Emeritus Professor Cross.
"Evidence tells us that schools and school systems that adopt evidence-based practice models are those most likely to achieve their goals of improving outcomes for children and young people. It also tells us that it is school leaders who play a critical role in identifying, implementing, embedding and leading evidence-based practice, said Emeritus Professor Cross."
"In addition to improving the quality of teaching and learning, school leadership teams can really have a powerful impact in shaping the wellbeing of all members of the school community," said Dr Lester.
A summary of the research can be found in a new handbook , authored by Emeritus Professor Donna Cross and Dr Leanne Lester, titled Leading improvement in school community wellbeing.
