School leadership in the twenty-first century: different approaches to common problems?

This article identifies the major themes that emerge from the five selected articles in this special issue. Collectively, they demonstrate some trends occurring in the area of school leadership, but also show that individual countries are looking at these trends in different ways. It is an example of what might be called thinking globally but acting locally. The major trends that have been identified include the use of market terminology in educational settings, increased accountability and responsibility for school leaders, the move towards various strategies for distributing leadership beyond the principal and the increasing importance placed on the task of school leaders when it comes to promoting teaching and learning.