School leaders’ role for creating a trusting and collegial environment that promotes collaboration and teamwork among teachers and other staff is of particular relevance. Championing collaborative practices that leverage the collective skills and experiences of the school community helps schools better meet students' holistic needs. Leaders are also at the forefront of creating partnerships with parents and the wider community. By fostering open communication and collaboration, they ensure that educational strategies are inclusive and responsive to community needs.
Education leadership
Leadership in education is pivotal for raising school quality and creating environments in which teachers and school staff continuously improve their practice to support student learning and well-being.
![](/https/www.oecd.org/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--349fd2b5-e46b-4f3a-8bd8-6af04ca2f5d3/education-leadership-2251238405.jpg?quality=80&preferwebp=true)
Key messages
School leaders play a pivotal role in translating system-level policy changes into effective school-based initiatives, from curriculum changes to fostering inclusive environments. Supporting leaders with professional exchange opportunities, feedback mechanisms and resources is vital for meaningful implementation at the school level.
Some countries have complemented traditional school principal roles with a more formalised system of middle leadership roles associated with clear standards and processes for the selection and development of candidates. In Singapore, for example, teachers can enter a separate leadership track that includes a succession of roles ranging from subject and department heads to principal-ship. In addition, the career path extends beyond the principal’s role to provide motivated and highly effective candidates an opportunity to advance to system leadership positions.
Context
Job satisfaction among principals
On average across the OECD, principals’ satisfaction with their current work environment is remarkably high. Around 96% of principals “agree” or “strongly agree” that they “enjoy working at this school”.
Principals’ satisfaction with their profession and current work environment (2018)
![Figure: Principals’ satisfaction with their profession and current work environment (2018)](/https/www.oecd.org/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--971c7451-31fc-4dac-85fd-434ef1daed2e/figure-principals-satisfaction-with-their-profession-and-current-work-environment-2020.jpg?quality=80&preferwebp=true)
School leader responsibilities
On average across the OECD, most school leaders report having significant responsibility of appointing or hiring teachers (73%) and setting school policies such as approving students for admission to the school (78%).
Principals' school responsibilities (2018)
![Figure: Principals' school responsibilities (2018)](/https/www.oecd.org/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--339cecf3-16a2-4775-ac3f-1da9611fde29/figure-principals-school-responsibilities-2020.jpg?quality=80&preferwebp=true)
Related data
Related publications
Programmes and projects
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TALIS - the Teaching and Learning International Survey - is the world's largest international survey about teachers and school leaders.Learn more
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Since 2013, the OECD has gathered evidence on how school resource policies work in different contexts. The focus is now on digital resources to enable countries to learn from each other in the digital transformation of their education.Learn more
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PISA is the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment. PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges.Learn more
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The OECD’s programme on education and skills policy support policymakers in their efforts to achieve high-quality lifelong learning, which in turn contributes to personal development, sustainable economic growth, and social cohesion.Learn more
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Add a short description – maximum 200 characters (4 lines). This should outline the OECD’s mandate and the main issues/challenges with respect to the project. Writing style and tone should be clear, to the point, and jargon-free.Learn more
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The OECD Indicators of Education Systems (INES) programme seeks to gauge the performance of national education systems through internationally comparable data.Learn more
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Meeting the challenges of the 21st Century means that schools must be empowered to play a more central and active role in leading improvements in education. To support this, Schools+ will bring together major education networks to put schools at the centre of education design.Learn more
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The Starting Strong Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS Starting Strong) is an international, large-scale survey of staff and leaders in early childhood education and care (ECEC).Learn more
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Across the OECD, enormous investment and effort has aimed to reinforce the quality, production and use of education research in policy and practice. Despite this, strengthening the impact of research in education policy making and practice remains a challenge for many systems.Learn more
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The Teacher Knowledge Survey (TKS) examines what teachers know about teaching and learning, and how their specialised knowledge of pedagogy relates to their work and training.Learn more