Background

PLDP is designed as a Leadership Development process for School leaders to improve learning quality in their schools. The program initiates Headmasters (HM) of Government schools to lead decentralization of decision making. Program has been piloted in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan with 100 HMs starting in August 2008.

The 2^nd batch of 100 HMs is in Ahmedabad, Gujarat beginning October 2009.

• Duration of PLDP for a group of 100 HMs is 3 years. In case of Jhunjhunu the period is August 2008 to July 2010. For the Ahmedabad batch of 100 HMs the period of program is October 2009 to September 2012.
• The flow of the PLDP through the 3 years period is as under:

Marketing/ TNAC > KSW > ASP of 4 months interspersed with 1 MWS > KSW > ASP of another 4 months interspersed with 1 MWS > KSW > ASP of 4 months interspersed with 1 MWS > Program closure

• TNAC is the Training Needs Analysis Centre where the HMs who volunteer for the PLDP undertake several case studies and activities. The objective is to get data about what areas to focus on in the first 6 day KSW and for the HMs to get a feel for what they could explore through the program
• KSWis the Kick Start Workshop where HMs learn various tools of influence.
  • The first KSW is to enable the HM change the nature of her relationship with children. It encourages the HM to befriend the child and begin teaching small children (of standard 1 and 2).
  • The second KSW is to help the HM learn and develop skills for teaching that leads to learning for the child. It equips the HM with teaching aids and Teaching-Learning Methods (TLM) for activity based learning (ABL). This translates to Instructional Leadership.
  • The third KSW enables the HM to change the nature of her relationship with the teachers and influence change in the school as a system. Hence translates to Institutional Leadership.
  • Social Leadership?
• ASP is the Academic Support Process by which the Gandhi Fellows (GFs) coach the HM in the school on a day-today basis. They build relationship with the HM, guide, suggest and mentor HMs as they try out and implement learnings from the KSWs
• MWS are Monthly WorkshopS where HMs come together along with the GFs and Project Leader (PL) to review and share the learnings from implementing in the school. These are, typically, 2 day programs involving sharing of experiences by HMs, peer learning, networking and developing ways to improving implementation in their schools

 Original goal for PLDP

To enable the HMs to build schools which reflect the following:

• HMs and ALL teachers are teaching all children through non-rote method,
  • Using ABL,
  • For standards I to V at least,
• With all children are working on their own, in multi-level groups
• With all children having all competencies of one level below their existing class
• Collegial relationships between HM to teachers and teachers to teachers
• Loose peer networks and learning networks existing within school and inter-school
• Culture of teaching as a reflective practice
• Culture of school which is sensitive and caring respect for all children, believing in children’s ability to learn and engage with them
• Culture of school as a space where learning for teachers and children happen through exploration, articulation, discussion, experimentation, using of experiences into new learning and developing an ability to learn on own

To culturally become a ‘Bodh like’ school or a ‘Riverside like’ school or reflect a ‘KEF like’ culture

  What has happened so far

• The original hypothesis for PLDP year wise was
  • I year – Instructional leadership i.e. HM to start teaching and using ABL methodology to teach
  • II year – Institutional leadership i.e. HM include other staff in their school to begin using ABL methodology to teach all children in all classes
• As part of year 1, Instructional Leadership, Jhunjhunu HMs have completed 2 KSWs and 1 year of implementing learnings in their schools

• August 2008 – December 2008 – Marketing of PDP + TNAC + Curriculum Development + Bodh partnership

• January 2009 – June 2009         -  2 KSWs for HMs + 1 MWS
  • Focus of the I KSW in January ‘09 was mind shift of HMs including their willingness to start teaching children of standard I and II, building relationship with children - using balgeet and having fun, and teaching maths with fun
  • MWS was focused on the TLM making and failed completely. The other objective of the workshop was also to ensure that KEF PLs start taking more charge of the workshops and conducting sessions. This happened in March ‘09
  • Focus of the II KSW was pedagogy, grouping, sub-concepts in maths, assessing classroom. This happened in May ‘09.

• July 2009 – December 2009     - ASP + MWS
  • MWS happened for red and green HMs in different groups, simultaneously. A total of 4 MWS happened, in November 09. One in Jhunjhunu for green HMs and simultaneously one in Churu for red HMs. This was followed by one in Jhunjhunu for red HMs and one in Churu for green HMs

¨      However, the grouping was not accurate in this workshop, so we suffered

¨      Original objective of the MWS was to continue with the green HMs from where it was left during the KSW. However it did not happen so because our ASP was weak

¨      The other objective was to provide more and more ownership of the workshop and ASP to the old GFs. So they designed and conducted the workshops

¨      In green HM workshop, Harishji did a lot of stuff but was almost controlled by the old GFs

¨      For the red HMs it was more of contracting with them about when the GF should be coming to their school and what they should have done by the time the GF reaches their school

¨      Manmohan did all the sessions as the GFs were quite under-confident

• Jan 2010 – ongoing                   - MWS
  • MWS has happened in January ’10 for the green HMs. This was done by new GF batch

¨      Focus of MWS was assessment of children and using that learning to make TLM. This workshop happened for the green HMs

¨      Harishji took over the agenda of the workshop completely. 3 days were spent in making extensive TLM for different groups created in the classroom by HMs. This happened in January ‘10

¨      MWS with red HMs has not happened as yet

• The experience of the last 18 months of working with the Jhunjhunu HMs has been as follows –
  • There is a gap in getting the HMs to use in their school the techniques they have learnt in the workshops
  • GFs have been working but results have not happened. Consequently they are now working on the Science of Change (SoC) to evolve the steps for coaching HMs by breaking down the process into tasks and using the right tools
  • HM and teacher communication not happening in school / child learning context
  • HM and teacher relationship in learning context is weak/ not there
  • HM not thinking about child learning as a whole

• In Ahmedabad HMs have completed their I KSW (Jan 2010). Focus of the workshop was
  • Workshop is a space for HMs to voice their concerns as well as share their opinions without any inhibitions
  • KEF does not have any magical solutions but is there to extend support in some concerns that HMs identify for experimentation
  • HMs are role models in their schools to influence any change
  • It facilitated thinking on questions like
    • What is really important to make a good school- world class infrastructure or a sensitive environment?
    • Can we think about things, however small, that are in our control for some change to begin?
    • Can activity based learning support us in becoming leaders for children?

v  Revised goal for PLDP

However based on the experience with Jhunjhunu HMs over the last 18 months, the revised goal which we are likely to achieve is

• All children from standard II to V have all competencies of standard II, and all staff of each school is engaged in teaching at least this much by using ABL method.

Based on the experience so far the revised hypothesis for the program for Jhunjhunu HMs is

• By May 2010 green HMs will ensure that children in standard I and II have achieved competencies of standard I
• II year – Institutional leadership for Green HMs only