Realising effective change in education: Investing in 21st century school leadership

The author, an OECD Senior Analyst, argues education reforms and policy initiatives often fall short of expectations as too little attention is paid to their implementation. She discusses how effective policy implementation requires considering together policy design, stakeholder engagement, a conducive context and coherent implementation plans. School leadership, she says, is at the heart of reform in schools, as it is the interface between designed education reforms and what happens in schools – and the role of school leadership in reform needs to be more carefully considered and supported for effective change in schools, through clearer definition of the leadership role, with increased engagement in the process and training.