Chapter 9: School Leadership Practices in Early Childhood Education: Three Case Studies from New Zealand

This study was guided by two key issues: (1) a renewed interest in quality early childhood education (ECE) producing higher rates of economic return than similar investments at the primary, secondary or tertiary levels, especially for children living in poverty, and (2) a dearth of studies addressing leadership practices in ECE. We examined leadership practices in three quality ECE settings in New Zealand serving high-needs communities and found evidence supportive of three core practices deemed necessary for successful school leadership by Leithwood and Riehl (2005): (1) setting direction, (2) developing people, and (3) redesigning the organization. Our most noteworthy finding was the positive, nurturing relationships developed by all three ECE leaders that were helping young parents learn how to parent.