School heads’ competencies development in the context of education management paradigms’ shift is conceptualized in the doctoral thesis. It is argued that in the paradigm of systemic change new requirements for school heads have been raised; school heads’ competent leadership is treated as the most significant dominant of successful school activity. Hence the development of school heads competencies as the object of the research is analyzed in a systemic approach – with concern to the school improvement process. The theoretical model, presented in the thesis, discloses the relation between school heads’ competencies development and school improvement in a range of indirect transitional components. Therefore, as theoretically (seeking to provide conceptual solutions), as empirically (seeking to disclose reality situation) school heads’ areas of activity and functions are analyzed in the context of continuous change, leadership models and their impact to school processes are described, school heads’ relevant competencies are extracted, opportunities for leadership development are highlighted, principles of high-quality competencies development are discussed. The implications of the research disclose that the effective functioning of school heads’ competencies development system in Lithuania is limited by historically and culturally acquired school heads’ roles and responsibility models, prevalence of old public administration and new public management paradigms in Lithuanian education system, lack of innovative strategies, means, models of competencies development as well as lack of competencies development expertise and traditions.

Raktažodžiai: school heads, school heads competencies, competencies development