Distributed Leadership in Secondary Schools

Abstract

Distributed leadership is popular in school reform, but its meaning varies across settings. We compare leadership practice in eighteen secondary schools using observation, network mapping and interviews with teachers and principals. Schools where leadership tasks were shared through clear roles and regular joint planning reported stronger collaboration and steadier improvement than schools where responsibility was simply delegated. Informal influence mattered as much as formal titles. The article offers a practical way to map who leads what, and it discusses when distribution helps and when it adds confusion.