Educational systems are designed to provide all children with a high-quality education that fosters knowledge acquisition, personal development, well-being, and inclusive citizenship (Gunnulfsen, & Leo, 2023). Achieving this goal requires effective leadership, particularly at the school level, where principals play a pivotal role (DeMatthews et al., 2021). However, schools operate within broader governance systems, where municipal and district leadership serves as a crucial layer of support for school leaders and teachers. This local leadership often involves superintendents, school boards, and central office actors who work collaboratively to address systemic challenges, particularly in underperforming or struggling schools (Campbell & Fullan, 2019).

Previous research has shown that local leadership’s effectiveness is highly context-dependent (Louis et al., 2010; Leithwood & McCullough, 2021). While some studies highlight the concept of a broken governance chain that disrupts alignment between central offices and schools (Moos, Nihlfors & Paulsen, 2016), others focus on intermediate spaces that enable collaboration among local actors (Johansson & Ärlestig, 2021). However, a gap remains in understanding how municipal and district leadership provides structured and sustainable support for school leaders in challenging circumstances and different international contexts.

The aim of this symposium is to examine how municipal and district leadership actors support principals and teachers in public schools in challenging settings. The study employs a multiple case study methodology (Yin, 2018) through the lens of Lambert’s district leadership capacity matrix (Lambert, 2003) when focusing on three distinct municipal school local settings in Iceland, Sweden, and New York State (USA) respectively. Each case will be introduced in the symposium. These cases share similar characteristics regarding population size (approximately 150,000) and urban complexity.

However, they differ in governance structures, cultural traditions, and educational histories. By juxtaposing these contexts, the study explores commonalities and differences in leadership practices and their impact on schools.

The following research questions guide the symposium:

1. Who are the central office and municipal leadership actors supporting principals and teachers in schools in challenging settings?
2. What challenges do these actors encounter in providing support?
3. How do they address these challenges?

To answer these questions, the study relies on key-informant interviews and focus group discussions with superintendents, deputy superintendents, school board members and principals. Interviews are complemented by policy document analysis to capture governance structures and contextual nuances. The data collected across 2024–2025 are analysed using open coding to identify recurring themes, including leadership capacity-building, interdependencies among actors, and alignment between school and system-level strategies.

By mapping the leadership interactions and identifying challenges across contexts in Europe and abroad, this symposium contributes to the understanding of system-wide coherence and collaborative leadership practices (Lambert, 2003; Campbell & Fullan, 2019). Specifically, it illuminates how municipal and district actors enable principals to address equity, inclusion, and student outcomes in schools in challenging circumstances. Importantly, it offers insights into how local leadership structures adapt to contextual complexities while identifying consistent practices that transcend governance and cultural differences.

The symposium also addresses a critical methodological question: How can we compare central office and municipal leadership practices across international contexts meaningfully and rigorously? The study demonstrates how qualitative research can balance contextual sensitivity with broader comparative insights by remaining open to emerging findings and allowing participants’ voices to guide the analysis (Yin, 2018).

Ultimately, this symposium advances educational governance and leadership discourse by emphasizing the importance of strong, contextually sensitive municipal and district support. It provides practical implications for policymakers and educational leaders seeking to bridge the gap between central office leadership and school-level improvement, particularly in schools facing systemic challenges.

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