The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework

The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework sets out the capabilities educational leaders need for effective and successful practice, not just in familiar contexts, but in unfamiliar, complex and dynamic circumstances. The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework is a learning resource and a learning tool to be used by individuals, teams, schools and systems as both a foundation and a guide for:

  • Strategic thinking and planning towards a desired future for schools and schooling;
  • Building the breadth and depth of leadership in organisations;
  • Identifying capability gaps in leadership requiring just-in-time professional learning agendas and programs;
  • Self-reflection, self/personal learning and career planning;
  • Providing advice to staff on career progression and development;
  • Generating recruitment and selection role or duty descriptions for leaders at various levels;
  • Developing broader organisational initiatives suited to challenging contexts and futures that require insightful, visionary and inspirational leaders and leadership;
  • Monitoring, mentoring and coaching leaders in systems or schools; and
  • Planning future workforces by identifying the capabilities required to move the system/school forward to meet the multiplicity of needs of the students, families and communities in the 21st Century.

The Framework, which focuses on the relationship between leadership and student learning outcomes, has been nationally and internationally critiqued with over 800 hours of research and review by Emeritus Professor Hedley Beare AM, Emeritus Professor Patrick Duignan and Emeritus Professor Frank Crowther AM. It has been validated by Professor Andy Hargreaves and Professor Alma Harris.

The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework Learning Material Set

By purchasing this product, you will receive the ACEL Leadership Capability Framework, three ACEL Leadership Capability Learning Maps and the User Guide. With these documents in hand and by completing the ACEL Leadership Capability Online Assessment not only will you gain an instant and clear picture of your current leadership profile but you will be able to plan your personalised learning program by having unlimited access to the ACEL Leadership Academy portal for two full years where you will be able to access a range of resources catalogued under “read”, “hear”, “view” and “do”.

The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework and Learning Maps

The ACEL Leadership Capability Framework is supported by three concept-based Learning Maps that provide a shared language about leadership. The Learning Maps are framed by the three pillars of the Framework (Leads Self for Learning, Leads Others for Learning, Leads the Organisation for Learning) and should be used in conjunction with authentic projects and evidence-informed improvement plans where learning and leadership are strongly linked. Together with the Framework, the ACEL Leadership Capability Learning Maps are best used in conjunction with authentic projects and evidence-informed improvement plans where learning and leadership are strongly linked. The use of the Framework and Learning Maps should be viewed as a customised learning experience that is closely linked to the learning goals and priorities of the organisation and its context. The Learning Maps are not a static checklist and must not be used in isolation.

The Learning Maps are based on the following premises:

  • Leadership can be learned;
  • A concept-based approach enables deep learning and understanding and that concepts make the learning intention clear and concise;
  • There is no one formula for leadership. It is dynamic, situational and unpredictable; and
  • Leadership is an influence relationship and leaders in educational systems and schools work and learn within ‘spheres of influence’.

Please contact the team at ACEL on 1800 680 559 (or 02 9213 3100) or via email to [email protected] if you have any further queries or would like to discuss the Leadership Capability Framework in further detail.