Alla G. Kuznetsova

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to ensure equal access to quality education in conditions of social disadvantage, where schools operating in difficult social conditions play a key role. The effectiveness of their work directly depends on the level of strategic leadership of managers, however, in the scientific and practical sphere there is a shortage of effective models of scientific and methodological support aimed at developing the managerial potential of principals in such schools. The purpose of the article is to develop and empirically test a model of scientific and methodological support aimed at supporting the development of strategic leadership of school principals operating in difficult social conditions. In the course of the theoretical analysis, andragogical, systemic and synergetic approaches were used as a basis for understanding the processes of professional development of adult managers, managing complex changes and organizing continuous learning. As part of the experimental component of the study, the OCAI (Cameron-Quinn) methodology was employed to evaluate changes in the organizational culture of schools, along with the Student's t-test for statistical data analysis. The main results of the study showed that the implementation of the proposed model of scientific and methodological support proved to be effective in developing the strategic leadership of school principals. This contributed to the transformation of the organizational culture of educational organizations and the transition from reactive management to a proactive, strategically oriented approach. It is found that the implementation of the model through three pedagogical conditions (learning cycle, safe space for experiments, network communities) has a positive effect on motivation, reflection and cooperation in teaching groups. The theoretical significance lies in the conceptualization and justification of an integrated approach to the development of contextual strategic leadership in conditions of uncertainty. The practical value is expressed in the creation of a reproducible and scalable model of scientific and methodological support, which can be implemented in regional education systems to support schools in difficult social conditions. The results of the study can be used by education authorities, advanced training institutions, and heads of educational organizations to develop programs for enhancing managerial skills.

In the context of the development of the knowledge economy and hyper-competition, human capital management is becoming a key factor in national progress that requires reconsidering of traditional approaches to education and leadership. The problem is particularly acute in education, especially in schools operating in difficult socio-economic conditions. Traditional models of strategic management based on directive planning and reactive problem solving are ineffective, which requires the development of more adaptive approaches to development. The aim of the study is to develop and test a scientifically based approach to the formation of an effective development strategy for schools operating in difficult social conditions, taking into account the principles of emergence, continuous organizational learning and distributed leadership - key elements of the scientific school of strategic management "Learning School". The concepts of Henry Mintzberg, Peter Senge, Richard Rumelt and other scientists, who consider strategy as a result of self-organization, collective experience and continuous experimentation, served as the theoretical basis for the study. The research methodology included theoretical analysis, qualitative methods (case studies of successful schools), and quantitative analysis of educational achievement monitoring data. The results of the study confirm that reliance on the concept of a learning organization ensures greater sustainability and adaptability of strategic management than traditional approaches. The strategy, built on local initiatives of teachers, microsteps, diagnostics of the social context and reflection, improved the quality of education and strengthened trust in the school community. The leader transformed from an administrative executor into an “architect of opportunities”. The theoretical significance lies in deepening the understanding of the nature of emergent strategies in the educational sphere and proving their productivity in the context of limited resources and social complication. The practical value of the study is expressed in the fact that the model proposed by the authors can be used to develop and implement programs to improve the quality of education in similar organizations. The data obtained allow us to recommend the "Learning School" as a promising paradigm of strategic management for educational organizations striving for sustainable development in the context of multidimensional challenges of our time.