How do school leaders of international schools experience the multiple accountabilities in decision-making

This is a study of how international school leaders in Asia experience multiple accountabilities in decision-making. Large amounts of research have been conducted by those reformers who wish to hold schools accountable for particular changes; however, little research has examined this phenomenon from the school leader's point of view. Using the Critical Incident Technique as the unit of analysis, 10 heads of international schools in the East Asian Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire. Audiotapes were then transcribed and coded in accordance with a multiple accountabilities conceptual framework. An inter-rater reliability check was employed to increase reliability of the coding.;Results of the analysis revealed several significant findings. First, the size of the school has a large influence on how school leaders experience accountability in making decisions. Small school heads reported fewer accountability pressures and less conflict among them than large school heads. Second, the type of school board configuration greatly influenced how school leaders experienced accountability pressures. Combination school boards---with both elected and appointed members---generated the most accountability pressure on school heads and the most conflict among different accountabilities. Appointed boards generated the least amount of pressure on school leaders and the least amount of conflict. The third finding was that market pressures were not as prevalent in this international school domain as compared to the theoretical expectations of the market reform literature. A new decision-making typology was created identifying Simple, Supported, Conflicted, and Conflicted with Polarization decision-making situations as one outcome of differing combinations of multiple accountabilities.;Based on this analysis, the author found that successful heads of schools dealt with accountability pressures in most situations by using skills directly aligned with the accountability. For example, political pressures were often met with political skills such as coalition building. In summary, the author recommends that heads work closely with their school boards, keeping them updated and informed on a regular basis.