Linking leadership to learning: state, district and local effects

A major research project, conducted in the United States, examined the effects of leadership at multiple levels on student learning. Although that study resulted in a book (Leithwood & Louis, 2011), further analysis provides additional insights into the way in which formal and informal leaders function in schools. These additional analyses have not previously been synthesized to illuminate how school leaders can make a difference in the lives of children. The purpose of this paper is to provide one perspective on this question, focusing in particular on findings that may be applicable in the Nordic context.