Download or read book Elementary Principals Perspectives on Opening New Schools in a Large Urban School District written by Tammie Taylor Sexton and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine in detail the experiences of four elementary school principals who have gone through the process of opening new year-round schools in the past 5 years in a large urban school district in North Carolina. In particular, this study examined and documented the procedures that the principals used in opening the new schools, as well as in making the schools operational. It examined the principals' perceptions regarding the tasks and procedures involved in opening a new public elementary school and how to go about this process successfully in a rapidly growing school district in North Carolina. During the literature review, seven common functions of leadership were also studied. They were instructional leadership, managerial leadership, cultural leadership, human resources leadership, strategic leadership, external development leadership and micro-political leadership. Each of these areas played an important role in each of the principal participants' opening of their new schools. Other areas researched were increasing enrollments in American schools, school finance, effective school culture and leadership styles, school scheduling options, school personnel patterns, and technology.--This qualitative study used case studies as the methodology. The data from this study was collected by personal interviews with each of the four randomly selected principals. The research was guided by the questions seeking information regarding the challenges, pitfalls, and advice when opening new schools.--Emerging from the data were several findings that revealed important learning about opening new schools. The findings revealed that principals opening new schools should possess great communication skills, have knowledge of the school system in which the new school is located, and delegate as many managerial tasks as possible in order to focus on hiring the best staff for the school. It was also revealed that principals opening new campuses should spend much time on teaching and reteaching norms to both the students and the staff during the first year of operation.
Download or read book Learning to Lead Together written by Janet Chrispeels and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2004-04-05 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learning to Lead examines the dilemmas principals face in engaging teachers in shared leadership. The text makes a contribution to the field of educational leadership, administration, and leader preparation through cases and the description of professional development initiatives to prepare pre-service principals and administrators for shared leadership. Authors from the United States, England, and Australia present a broad brushstroke of principals sharing leadership through original field-based research, set within a theoretical framework of democratic schooling. to explore the importance of principals sharing and distributing leadership. Until recently, most of the focus has been on teachers and collaborative leadership building. through real-life single and multiple case studies, the text addresses how principals and their staff's struggle with the challenge of shared leadership, and how they attain some of the promise leading to teacher growth and development, as well as to higher levels of student learning. the cases in the text provide pre-service principals and administrators with excellent examples of the real-life applications of various theoretical concepts. a variety of models and approaches of shared and distributed leadership are presented in school, district, and regional contexts, allowing students to see the commonalties that these settings share, as well as the differences between them. impact that those strategies have on teachers, school culture, and learning opportunities for students. Examples of preparation programs and the support that teachers want, if shared leadership is to be effectively implemented to meet student needs, provide future principals with the tools and insight that they need to be successful.
Download or read book Building Community in an Alternative School written by Lionel H. Brown and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2007 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a case study illustrating how one urban school district overcame barriers to allow for effective communication across ethnic and socioeconomic lines, enabling the community to build consensus on new policies and programs for elementary and middle school students at risk for educational failure. The information presented here will be of interest to all urban educators who believe that current policies and programs for at-risk students are failing and who are seeking new answers and ways forward.
Download or read book Memoir and Perspectives of an Urban Public School Principal on Public Education Reform written by Jackson Iii Windom and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-11 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Memoir and Perspectives of an Urban Public School Principal on Public Education Reform A Primer on School Leadership and Public Schools Advocacy Book Summary The book contributes to the national discourse on public education. It develops the reader's perspective in a framework defined by the state constitutional mandate to educate our youth as a compelling state interest, the public's trust, prevailing myths imbedded in education issues, and the public education bureaucracy as an agent of state government. The impact of the bureaucracy, labor management agreements, and certification programs on school leadership and classroom teaching is illuminated by analysis, argument, and practical experience. The book concludes with recommendations for reform and an appeal for broad support of our public schools.
Download or read book Planned Change Vs Needed Change written by Cecilia Griffin Golden and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Urban School Principal Leadership Preparation written by James David Smith and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Urban Schools Moving from Grade D to A written by Brenda D. Champion and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book What Every Principal Needs to Know to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools written by George Theoharis and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2012-08-17 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School leaders who succeed at creating a high-achieving learning community must also be committed to creating an equitable environment for all students. In this new book, key scholars across the content areas show how to put into practice a commitment to equity and excellence across the Pre-K–12 spectrum. Readers learn directly from experts in each of the content domains (literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, music, early childhood, special education, English language learners, world languages, and physical education) how a commitment to social justice and equity can be grounded in core subject areas, why each has a place in the school, and what they need to know and do in each subject area. This book is a critical instructional leadership resource for new and veteran principals who want to see all students succeed. Contributors: Antonio J. Castro, Julie Causton-Theoharis, Virginia Collier, Katherine Delaney, Catherine Ennis, Virginia Goatley, Beth Graue, Rochelle Gutiérrez, Kathleen A. Hinchman, Anne Karabon, Christi Kasa, Dave McAlpine, Mitchell Robinson, Victor Sampson, Sherry A. Southerland, and Wayne Thomas
Download or read book It Takes a City written by Paul T. Hill and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2001-09-19 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mayoral takeovers of big city public education systems are desperation measures. After decades of decline in school quality, something must be done to make sure city children learn enough to function as adults in American society. But how can city leaders make a real difference? This book, a sequel to Fixing Urban Schools (Brookings, 1998), is a practical guide for mayors, civic leaders, school board members, and involved citizens. Based on case studies of city reform initiatives in Boston, Memphis, New York City District #2, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Seattle, the book provides practical guidance on how to formulate a plan bold enough to work and how to deal with political opposition to change. It concludes that mayors and private sector leaders must stay engaged in education reform by creating new public-private institutions to support high quality schools.
Download or read book The Money Myth written by W. Norton Grubb and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2009-01-15 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can money buy high-quality education? Studies find only a weak relationship between public school funding and educational outcomes. In The Money Myth, W. Norton Grubb proposes a powerful paradigm shift in the way we think about why some schools thrive and others fail. The greatest inequalities in America's schools lie in factors other than fiscal support. Fundamental differences in resources other than money—for example, in leadership, instruction, and tracking policies—explain the deepening divide in the success of our nation's schoolchildren. The Money Myth establishes several principles for a bold new approach to education reform. Drawing on a national longitudinal dataset collected over twelve years, Grubb makes a crucial distinction between "simple" resources and those "compound," "complex," and "abstract" resources that cannot be readily bought. Money can buy simple resources—such as higher teacher salaries and smaller class sizes—but these resources are actually some of the weakest predictors of educational outcomes. On the other hand, complex resources pertaining to school practices are astonishingly strong predictors of success. Grubb finds that tracking policies have the most profound and consistent impact on student outcomes over time. Schools often relegate low-performing students—particularly minorities—to vocational, remedial, and special education tracks. So even in well-funded schools, resources may never reach the students who need them most. Grubb also finds that innovation in the classroom has a critical impact on student success. Here, too, America's schools are stratified. Teachers in underperforming schools tend to devote significant amounts of time to administration and discipline, while instructors in highly ranked schools dedicate the bulk of their time to "engaged learning," using varied pedagogical approaches. Effective schools distribute leadership among many instructors and administrators, and they foster a sense of both trust and accountability. These schools have a clear mission and coherent agenda for reaching goals. Underperforming schools, by contrast, implement a variety of fragmented reforms and practices without developing a unified plan. This phenomenon is perhaps most powerfully visible in the negative repercussions of No Child Left Behind. In a frantic attempt to meet federal standards and raise test scores quickly, more and more schools are turning to scripted "off the shelf" curricula. These practices discourage student engagement, suppress teacher creativity, and hold little promise of improving learning beyond the most basic skills. Grubb shows that infusions of money alone won't eradicate inequality in America's schools. We need to address the vast differences in the way school communities operate. By looking beyond school finance, The Money Myth gets to the core reasons why education in America is so unequal and provides clear recommendations for addressing this chronic national problem.
Download or read book Making the Difference in High Poverty High Achieving Urban Elementary Schools written by Penny Larsen and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study is a mixed-method design focusing on ten White and ten non-White elementary principals working in urban areas. The qualitative methodology uses interviews and observations to examine how principals conceptualize the student achievement gaps and through what practices do they attempt to remedy the condition. The quantitative data resulted from the Quick Discrimination Index and relied on descriptive statistics. The primary audience for this study includes PK-12 public school administrators, particularly those in urban high-diversity, high-achieving schools. The investigation (1) examined cultural differences between White and non-White administrators and their student constituency in terms of ethnicity and language use, (2) socioeconomic status, as well as (3) the present climate of academic accountability for all student groups. It also emphasized (4) the importance of understanding the interaction of the dimensions of school leadership and the academic outcomes of all students. Emerging themes were established by a 70% repetition response rate. Collective themes included: district diversity training, community involvement, literacy, curriculum alignment, team building, role of data and setting high student expectations. White administrators focused on the role of data, best practices, and curriculum alignment. Non-White administrators centered on relationship building, community involvement and literacy.
Download or read book Experiences of Elementary School Principals in a Process of Educational Change Within a Major Urban School District written by Addie Meyers Johnson and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Research in Education written by and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 1290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exploring the Myths and the Realities of Today s Schools written by Richard P. McAdams and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2010-10-16 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the Myths and Realities of Today's Schools presents a strong case regarding the strengths and successes of our schools, while also addressing the major challenges currently facing our teachers and school administrators. This sympathetic look at the daily work life of our educators directly confronts issues with our changing student population, teacher unions, poor family dynamics, financial inequities, and student performance on international achievement tests. The author offers data and insights that counter the conventional wisdom that significant improvements will occur simply by expanding charter schools, by implementing merit pay for teachers more widely, or by emulating foreign educational systems. The book offers recommendations for school improvement that are both practical and effective. While many books on public education are written from the perspective of academics or political pundits, this book offers perspectives from the viewpoint of teachers, school principals, school superintendents, and school board members. The author brings his experience and insights from forty plus years in public education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent to provide his from-the-trenches perspective on the true nature of public schooling in the United States.
Download or read book Urban School Leadership written by Tom Payzant and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-11-04 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This important book, written by educational expert and urban school leader, Tom Payzant, offers a realistic understanding of what urban school leadership looks like from the inside. Payzant shares his first-hand knowledge of the unique managerial, instructional, and political tasks of this role. Effectively combining practical lessons and research, Urban School Leadership includes in-depth analysis of various leadership concerns. The book covers topics such as improving student achievement, working with unions, building community, and maintaining and developing resources. Most importantly, it offers stories of real school leaders whose successes and missteps reveal the inherent "messiness" of this difficult job. Urban School Leadership is part of the Jossey-Bass Leadership Library in Education series. "This important book provides compelling examples of how effective leaders can have hope, see progress, and achieve success for all children in the schools and districts they lead." Richard Riley, former United States Secretary of Education "Tom Payzant is one of the few people who could provide such a comprehensive, useful book for educational leaders at all levels. This very practical book is grounded in the important experiences and impressive judgment of one of our nation's most successful school superintendents" Jon Schnur, co-founder and CEO, New Leaders for New Schools "Tom Payzant is one of the finest urban educators of our generation. Urban School Leadership is compelling, crisp, and wise providing a clear path for those dedicated to improving the trajectory of children's lives." Timothy F.C. Knowles, executive director, Center for Urban School Improvement, University of Chicago "Urban School Leadership is a must read for anyone interested in the landscape of urban public education in America." Beverly Hall, superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
Download or read book Seeds of Crisis written by John L. Rury and published by Univ of Wisconsin Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beset by such controversies as whether they have the right to search students' lockers for guns and drugs, big city schools are making adjustments unimaginable in earlier eras, when detention was still sufficient for keeping order. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is one city trying to cope with the educational challenges of the twentieth century. Seeds of Crisis examines the ways in which these challenges have affected the politics of education, the curriculum, the work of teachers and principals, and the everyday lives of students in Milwaukee. Since the problems facing urban schools are similar from city to city, a close and careful look at the historical roots and origins of the situation in Milwaukee can serve as a model for those working on solutions in other places. The contributors touch on topics from curriculum to desegregation in the Milwaukee public schools, setting the schools' histories within a broader context of the changing urban scene and educational policy issues. Taken together, these essays offer an unusual perspective on the development of a major urban school system as it prepares to face the future.
Download or read book Strife and Progress written by Paul Thomas Hill and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Deficient urban schooling remains one of America's most pressing--and stubborn--public policy problems. This important new book details and evaluates a radical and promising new approach to K-12 education reform. Strife and Progress explains for a broad audience the ""portfolio strategy"" for providing urban education--its rationale, implementation, and results. Under the portfolio strategy, cities use anything that works, indifferent to whether schools are run by the public district or private entities. It combines traditional modes of schooling with newer methods, including chartering and experimentation with schools making innovative use of people and technology. Urban districts try to make themselves magnets for new talent, recruiting educators and career switchers looking to make a difference for poor children. The portfolio strategy creates interesting new bedfellows: people who think that government should oversee public education align with those advocating choice, competition, and entrepreneurship. It cuts across political lines and engages city governments and civic assets (e.g., philanthropies, businesses, universities) much more deeply than earlier reform initiatives. New York and New Orleans were portfolio pioneers, but the idea has spread rapidly to cities as far-flung as Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago. Results have been mixed overall but generally positive in places that implemented the strategy most aggressively. Reform leaders such as New York's Joel Klein have been overly optimistic, however, assuming that the strategy's merits would be so obvious that careful assessment would be unnecessary. Serious policy evaluation is still needed. "
