School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
Article 25 of Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001 establishes school leaders (dirigenti scolastici) as managers for schools. The school leader ensures the “unitary management of the institution, shall be its legal representative, and shall be responsible for the management of financial and instrumental resources and the results of the service”. For this profile, the term “school leader” or “school principal” may be used.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
Italy does not have a set of competencies standards or leadership frameworks for school leaders. However, aspiring school leaders must pass several tests before taking up the position. These tests are based on nine thematic areas closely connected. The nine thematic areas serve as a common regulatory framework and are based on several legislative decrees such as Law No 107 on 13 July 2015, Decree No. 138 of 3 August 2017, Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001, Presidential Decree No 275 on 8 March 1993, Legislative Decree No 226 on 17 October 2005. The thematic areas cover candidates' knowledge of primary and secondary regulations, ways of leading complex organizations, planning, management and evaluation processes of educational institutions, organization of learning environments, work organization and management of school employers, Legislation concerning the assessment and self-assessment of employees, learning and school systems and processes, civil and administrative law elements, State Accounting, Educational Systems in European Union Countries.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: Law No 107 on 13 July 2015 describes a three-year plan which must be developed by educational institutions. The plan is drawn up by the school leader and the teacher’s board. The plan is approved by the school board, verified by the regional school office, and forwarded to the Ministry of Education. School leaders should have knowledge and skills relating to the analysis of complex organizations and leadership systems; management and strategic planning, with particular attention to educational institutions; and of the areas of accountability, social balance sheet, and control management. Thematic area three focuses on the processes of planning, management, and evaluation of school institutions, with particular reference to the preparation and management of the three-year educational plan. The plan consists of the school’s mission and vision, considerations of the socio-cultural context, an analysis of needs, governance of the institute, and organizational choices. School leaders are also expected to develop a self-assessment report and an improvement plan within the framework of the autonomy of the school.
Developing teaching and learning: Part of the three-year plan includes information on the institution’s curriculum planning, extracurricular activities, and teaching initiatives. The role of the school leader is linked to the implementation and development of school autonomy. Thematic area four focuses on the organization of learning environments, with particular reference to scholastic inclusion, digital innovation, and innovation processes in teaching. School leaders must understand concepts such as intercultural education, citizenship education, and education to respect and prevent discrimination.
Promoting collaboration: The school leader periodically submits to the circle council or school council reports on the direction and coordination of educational, organizational and administrative activities to ensure the widest possible information and effective coordination for the exercise of the competencies of the bodies of the educational institution. According to Law No 107 on 13 July 2015, the school principal shall “promote the necessary relations with local authorities and with the various institutional, cultural, social and economic realities operating in the area; It shall also take into account the proposals and opinions made by parents' bodies and associations and, in the case of upper secondary schools, students”. School leaders are expected to know different forms of communication and maintain the school’s relationship with local authorities, stakeholders, and families. Thematic area three, sub-area two mentions school-family relationships, co-responsibility pacts, parent and student consultations, and school networks.
Supporting staff development: According to Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001, school leaders are responsible for the “enhancement of school resources”. They promote collaboration and coordination of the staff. The three-year plan prepared by educational institutions contains training activities for teaching and administrative staff. The school leader, in agreement with the collegiate bodies, may identify training courses and initiatives. They also must consider the training needs of the institution. The management of school personnel is also described in thematic area five and six. School leaders are expected to have knowledge on training of school staff and the technical management and inspection of staff.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: There is a Teacher’s Code of Ethics in place which school leaders must also follow. The code contains the following sections: ethics as a teacher, ethics towards students, ethics towards colleagues, ethics towards the educational institution, and ethics in relationships with parents and external context.
Others: School leaders must know elements of civil and administrative law, with particular reference to the legal obligations and typical responsibilities of the school leader. They should also know criminal law, with particular reference to crimes against the public administration and the damage of children.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
School leaders, before assuming their positions, must attend appropriate training courses. According to Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001, the competition for the position of school leaders is open to teaching and educational staff of state schools and educational institutions employed on a fixed-term contract. They must also have a relevant master's degree or equivalent and have accrued total seniority in the role to which they belong of at least five years.
Decree No. 138 of 3 August 2017 defines the methods of conducting the competitive procedures for access to the roles of school management. The competitive courses are divided into three phases: a) pre-selection test; b) competition for admission to the management training course; c) the management course and internship. During the competition for admission, applicants must take a public examination which consists of a written and oral portion. Candidates must be accepted into and complete the management training course and internship after which they will be tested again in order to receive a certification and be considered for principalship.
Appointment decision
Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001 and amended by Legislative Decree No 36 of 30 April 2022 discuss the organisation of offices and employment and employment relationships in the employ of public administrations, including institutes and schools of all types. The recruitment of school leaders is carried out using the selective training course described by Decree No. 138 of 3 August 2017 and in the section above. The process is organised on a regional basis and announced by the Ministry of Education for all vacant posts over the three years. The competition includes several tests. These may include a pre-selection test; one or more written tests, to which all those who pass any pre-selection are admitted; and an oral test. An evaluation of qualifications follows. The written and oral tests are passed by candidates who obtain, in each test, a minimum score of seven-tenths or equivalent. The competitions take place on an online portal. The committee responsible for the selection is comprised of members who are chosen from among officials of the administrations, teachers and non-officials, who are not members of the political management body of the administration, who do not hold political office and who are not trade union representatives. Members must be considered experts of proven competence in the matter of competition. The candidates who are placed in the final general merit ranking of the management training and internship course are declared winners of the competition course, for a maximum number equal to the number of places advertised. The regional school offices (USR) assign them to the schools and invite the winners to sign the individual permanent employment contract provided for by the national collective labor agreement relating to school management.
Employment equity measures
Legislative Decree No 36 of 30 April 2022 ensures that the members of the examination boards of public competitions are identified in compliance with the principles of gender equality. Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001 stipulates that public administrations shall ensure equality and equal opportunities between men and women and the absence of any form of discrimination, direct or indirect, on grounds of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, disability, religion or language, access to employment, treatment and working conditions, vocational training, promotions and safety at work. Furthermore, training programmes may be adapted to contribute to the development of gender culture.
Working conditions
Teachers in State schools are non-civil servant public employees who work under private-law contracts that can be either temporary or permanent. According to Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001, the allocation of remuneration may take place exclusively through collective agreements. Trade unions are represented during collective bargaining. School leaders are part of a trade union and are responsible for relations between the trade union and the school. The freedom and activity of such trade unions are protected by Law No 300 of 20 May 1970.
Once placed in the school, school principals must remain at that location for at least three years. Principals works under a National Collective Agreement. The salary of school leaders consists of three items:
1. The tabular salary: the basic salary, which is due to all head teachers and varies following contractual renewals.
2. Position pay: composed of a fixed part and a variable part. The fixed part cannot be lower than the minimum established by the national contract. The variable part is set by the Regional Integrative Contract and therefore varies from region to region.
3. Results pay: it is paid for 13 months and is established by the Regional Integrative Contract, which is why it varies from region to region. Performance-related pay is based on the evaluation of the school leader’s performance as discussed in section 4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders.
The gross annual tabular salary of head teachers and Afam corresponds to €45,260.73, including thirteenth month, or €3,481.59 gross per month, as established by the CCNL area education and research.
Additionally there are:
1. The individual seniority remuneration (RIA): it is only due to school managers who come from the role of school principal in charge.
2. The regency indemnity: in the hypothesis of entrusting a regency to replace a school principal, for a period of more than 30 days.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Participants of the competitive procedures for access to the roles of school management must participate in a management training and internship course as described by Decree No. 138 of 3 August 2017. The course consists of two months of general training followed by four months of internship integrated with training sessions that can also be delivered remotely. The course is aimed at enriching the professional and cultural skills possessed by the candidates, in relation to the functions of the school manager, with particular attention to the methods of managing the school. Participants also learn how to integrate innovation and tools of teaching to the organization and management of human resources while considering local context.
The Ministry of Education’s 2022 Act of Political Institutional Direction describes the ministry’s plan to improve initial training and enhance the professional path for current teachers. With this Act the Ministry intends to strengthen its human capital by reducing the significant staff vacancies that affect the Administration, conditioning its operations. Therefore, it undertakes to carry out targeted recruitment procedures to fill vacant positions and to ensure the alignment between the profiles selected and the skills required to guarantee the best possible operativeness of the Administration, and to promote the relaunch of training and enhancement policies for staff in service, supporting their professional growth, identifying skills gaps and intensifying specific training initiatives. The Ministry by decree is expected to define the objectives, content and duration of training; determine the modalities of participation in the various training modules and the related assessments; define the criteria for evaluating and certifying the quality of each course; identify the bodies of the school administration responsible for the organization and coordination of courses in the area, defining the criteria; establishes the procedures for carrying out the courses with their assignment to universities, specialized agencies and public and private bodies, including those associated or in consortium.
Induction and in-service training
The school leader who is hired for the first time must go through a one-year probationary period and 75 hours of training modules following their confirmation in the role.
Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001 mandates that public administrations provide and ensure training and further education of staff, including those with managerial qualifications. According to the 2016-2018 National Collective Labor Agreement, the training and professional updating of managers is a responsibility assumed by the Ministry of Education as a permanent method aimed at ensuring constant technical updating and the development of the organizational and increasing the managerial skills necessary for the effective performance of the role. The Ministry of Education annually defines the share of resources to be allocated to the refresher and training programs of managers, taking into account its organizational development objectives, the analysis of training needs and the general directives on training. This is further explained in note no. 40586/2016 on the subject "Training plan for school principals in service and newly hired” and Departmental Decree no. 1441 of 22/12/2016. The topics covered are as follows: “tools for the implementation of school networks; the methods of managing the workforce, autonomy and strengthening; the "intermediate" figures and the organization of the collaborative work of the teachers (referents, groups, departments, etc.); new learning environments and innovative organisational models; the enhancement of teaching professionalism; the promotion of "compulsory, permanent, structural" in-service training; the design of school-work alternation (figures, roles, models); the management of human relationships (listening, conflicts, decisions, etc.); the vertical curriculum, competency-based teaching, formative assessment; orientation, the student's curriculum, the personalization of the paths; and the dimensions of school planning and the related policy documents.”
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
School management is described in Legislative Decree No 297 on 16 April 1994. The Interclass Council in primary schools and the Class Council in secondary schools are groups comprised of the teachers in the same group of classes. The councils also contain parent representatives who are elected to the council by the parents of the pupils enrolled in the class. In upper secondary schools, the councils also contain student representatives who are elected to their positions.
Schools which have a school population of up to 500 pupils must have in place a school council which consists of 14 members including 6 representatives of the teaching staff, one of the administrative, technical and auxiliary staff, 6 of the pupils' parents, the director of education or the school principal; in schools with a school population of more than 500 pupils, it shall consist of 19 members, including 8 representatives of the teaching staff, 2 representatives of the administrative, technical and auxiliary staff and 8 representatives of the pupils' parents, the director of education or the school principal. At the upper secondary level, the number of parent representatives is reduced to make space for student representatives. The board members hold their positions for three years; student members are renewed annually.
Responsibilities of the school board include: drawing up the general guidelines and self-financing; deciding on the adoption of rules of procedure; the management of equipment and teaching aids; adapting the school calendar; general criteria for planning and implementing extracurriculars; promoting contacts with other schools to undertake collaborative initiatives; and establishing forms and methods for carrying out welfare initiatives.
3.2. Middle leaders
School leaders, according to Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001, may delegate tasks to selected teachers. These teachers must receive payment for the assigned extra tasks. Paragraph 83 of Article 1 of Law No 107 on 13 July 2015, states that "the school leader may identify up to 10 per cent of teachers within the staff of autonomy who assist him in organizational and educational support activities of the school institution.” According to Eurydice, teachers in Italy do not have an official career progression unless they leave the teaching profession and become school managers or inspectors.
3.3. Parents
The rules and responsibilities of Parents’ Assemblies is outlined in article 15 of the Legislative Decree No 297 on 16 April 1994. According to the decree, parents may organize an assembly for the sectional, class, or institute. The parents' assembly must draw up regulations for its functioning, which shall be sent to the club or school council for inspection. The school principal may participate in the assembly with the right to speak.
3.4. Students
Article 13 of the Legislative Decree No 297 on 16 April 1994 details the establishment of student assemblies in upper secondary schools. Student assemblies are considered “an opportunity for democratic participation in the study of the problems of the school and society with a view to the cultural and civic formation of students.” Depending on the number of pupils, student assemblies may be at the institution level, or divided into assemblies of parallel classes. The student assembly may express opinions or make proposals directly to the school council. The rules and responsibilities are determined by the student assembly and sent to the school council for inspection.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
Educational institutions make their own choices regarding curricular, extracurricular, educational and organisational teaching and activities. Legislative Decree No 165 of 30 March 2001 states that managers, including school leaders, are responsible for financial, technical and administrative management by means of autonomous powers of expenditure for the organisation of human, instrumental and control resources. The school leader has the autonomous power to organise school activities according to criteria of efficiency and effectiveness.
According to thematic area number seven, sub-area two, school leaders need a very in-depth understanding of the financial and accounting management of educational institutions and their reporting. Topics include the principles of financial management, the principles of accrual and cash, the legal-administrative regime of revenues and expenses, accounting records, the annual programme, the role of auditors, and more.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
Directive No. 36 of 18 August 2016, issued in implementation of Law 107/2015 (the ‘Good School’), establishes criteria and procedures for the evaluation of school leaders, with the aim of promoting professional improvement and increasing the quality of school service. According to article 8 of the directive, the evaluation process consists of three parts: the defining of the objectives; the recording of managerial action aimed at achieving the objectives and the results achieved; and finally, the adoption of the evaluation measures.
Objectives and Letter of Assignment: At the beginning of the school year, the school leader receives a letter of assignment setting out specific objectives to be achieved. These objectives are agreed with the Director of the Regional School Office (USR). The objectives are defined in harmony with national and regional priorities.
Principal's portfolio: The school leader compiles a portfolio documenting the activities carried out, the results achieved, and the skills developed. This tool serves as a basis for evaluation.
Observation and Monitoring: During the school year, the school leader is observed and monitored through inspection visits and analysis of school results. Organisational, management and leadership skills are assessed.
Final Evaluation: At the end of the school year, the Director of the USR, with the support of an evaluation team, reviews the portfolio and the results achieved against the set objectives. A final evaluation report is then drawn up.
The evaluation takes place annually in accordance with the three-year assignment and the professional profile and is linked to the performance remuneration. The criteria for evaluation are as follows: a) managerial and organizational skills aimed at achieving results, correctness, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of managerial action, in relation to the objectives assigned in the three-year assignment; b) enhancement of the commitment and professional merits of the institute's staff, from an individual and collegiate point of view; c) appreciation of one's work within the professional and social community; d) contribution to the improvement of students' educational and scholastic success and of organizational and didactic processes, in the context of self-evaluation, evaluation and social reporting systems; and e) unitary management of the school, promotion of participation and collaboration between the different components of the school community, and relations with the social context and in the network of schools. Besides the listed general criteria, also the type, dimensions and complexity of the school are taken into account. The evaluation of school leaders involves the director of the regional office, the evaluation units, and a school inspector from the Ministry of Education. In the event of a negative assessment, the Director calls the school leader to discuss the results. If the school leader does not improve, they will not have their school assignment renewed. Performance-related renumeration may be provided in accordance with the regional collective bargaining agreement. Those who have achieved the highest level of performance may see an increase in compensation of between 10-30%.
Article 13 of Legislative Decree 71/2024 provides that school managers will be evaluated at the regional level on the basis of the new National System for the Evaluation of Results.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
School leaders are trained in the evaluation and self-evaluation of staff. According to Legislative Decree No 297 on 16 April 1994, all teachers are evaluated by the school’s Teacher Evaluation Committee which is chaired by the school leader. Other members include three teachers of the educational institution, two of whom shall be chosen by the Teachers' Board and one by the School Council; two parent representatives (or a student representative and a parent representative at the upper secondary level) chosen by the school council; and an external member identified by the regional school office from among teachers, school directors and technical managers.
Teaching and educational staff during training and probationary periods are primarily carried out by the teacher evaluation committee supplemented by a technical manager or a school manager from another school in accordance with Legislative Decree No. 59 of 13 April 2017. The school leaders assess and evaluate teachers to verify if they have reached their professional goals and acquired competencies that were agreed upon before the probationary period.
This profile was reviewed by Patrizia Falzetti, Head of the Evaluation Research Department, INVALSI and Tommaso Agasisti, Professor of Public Management Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, SoM Politecnico di Milano School of Management.
