In climates of ever-increasing accountability and consequent high community expectations, school leadership continues to be put under intense scrutiny. There seems to be agreement that while leadership effects on student outcomes are indirect, educational leadership is important, with claims that it is second only to teaching in terms of impact on student learning (Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Harris & Hopkins, 2006). Given this, supporting school leaders to develop exemplary practices should be a focus of all school systems, and one way to do this is through the articulation of what leadership is through the development of leadership standards (Duignan and Hurley, 2007; Ingvarson &  Anderson 2007; Ingvarson, Anderson, Gronn & Jackson 2006). This study reports on the development of the Leadership Standards Framework of a Catholic system in Victoria, Australia (Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, 2005)

Through its development of Leadership in Catholic Schools: Development Framework and Standards of Practice, the Catholic education sector in Victoria is an example of a system placing an emphasis on developing outstanding school leaders.  This framework, which is alternatively referred to as the Leadership Standards Framework (LSF), was developed in 2005 by the Catholic Education Office Melbourne (CEOM) and the Catholic Education Office Sale, in conjunction with the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER).  

The development of any leadership framework is inherently fraught with two key challenges. It presupposes some agreed understandings exist in the literature about what constitutes effective leadership practice, and that leadership matters. Whilst leadership frameworks are being developed there is a paucity of research which describes how practitioners use the frameworks to improve their practice, and ultimately improve student learning outcomes.  This paper reports on qualitative research which examines how the LSF has been used by leaders, and those aspiring to leadership, in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Implications for developers of leadership standards framework beyond the Melbourne Catholic context are explored. Specifically the paper highlights the potential for tracking leadership performance more creatively and in identifying implications for professional learning of leaders, and it provides an authentic platform for discussing the potential ways in which various educational systems can continue to support leaders in their endeavours. 

Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, 2005, Leadership in Catholic Schools: Development Framework and Standards of Practice, CECV, Melbourne. Duignan, P & Hurley, J 2007, School Leadership Standards: Developments in Australia: Project for Teaching Australia, Teaching Australia, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, August. Ingvarson, L & Anderson M 2007, Standards For School Leadership: Gateway To A Stronger Profession, in The Leadership Challenge: Improving learning in schools, Australian Council for Educational Leadership, Camberwell p.44-49. Ingvarson, L, Anderson M, Gronn, P & Jackson A 2006, Standards for School Leadership: A Critical Review Of Literature, Teaching Australia, in Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Ltd. August. Kleinhenz, E & Ingvarson, L 2005, Leadership in Catholic Schools: Development Framework and Standards of Practice. Melbourne: Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. http://www.cecv.melb.catholic.edu.au/ Leithwood, K, Day, C, Sammons, P, Harris, A & Hopkins, D 2006, Seven Strong Claims about Successful School Leadership in Times of Change, National College of School Leadership, National College of School Leadership, Nottingham. Robinson, V 2007, School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works And Why, Australian Council for Educational Leaders Monograph Series, Number 41.