Download or read book Changing for Good written by Melissa Evans-Andris and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'This important work identifies the critical elements of sustainability--the necessary goal of systemic reform--which requires a long-term commitment to change for the benefit of students' - Lois Adams-Rogers, Deputy Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officers The recent emphasis on educational reform has lead to many books on initiating school improvement, but relatively few on how to sustain reform efforts so that improvements have a lasting impact. Changing for Good offers a detailed examination of current schoolwide reform efforts and identifies strategies for introducing, managing, and sustaining successful school renewal programs. Based on a six-year study of 74 schools, the book provides a model for generating the necessary district support, schoolwide leadership, teacher commitment, and performance outcomes to cultivate improvement that lasts. Applicable at all levels, this model helps readers: - Align reform efforts with educational standards and accountability guidelines - Create a research-based improvement plan - Support change by developing a shared vision - Promote distributed leadership - Celebrate gains to encourage cooperation The most beneficial school improvements are the ones that endure. With this exceptional resource, educational administrators and leaders can create a school environment that embraces meaningful change, sustains positive reform, and ensures successful learning outcomes.
Download or read book School Improvement for Real written by David Hopkins and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-09-02 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As societies continue to set educational goals that are, on current performance, beyond the capacity of the system to deliver, strategies for enhancing student learning through school and classroom intervention have become increasingly important. Yet, as David Hopkins argues in his book, many of the educational initiatives recently developed under the umbrella of school improvement are inadequate or unhelpful. Simply blaming teachers and delegating financial responsibility, he maintains, has little positive impact on classroom practice. This is the bleak context within which school improvement has to operate today. School Improvement for Real offers a genuine alternative: a strategy for educational change that focuses on student achievement by modifying classroom practice and adapting the management arrangements within the school to support teaching and learning. It outlines an approach to school improvement that has a medium term, systemic orientation, providing both principles and suggestions for better practice. The author's experience in the field of school improvement ensures that the text is informed by a practical wisdom that is so often lacking from the more typical managerial texts on improvement and effectiveness.
Download or read book Sustainable School Improvement written by Patricia Wright and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-08-09 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book challenges the current culture of constant change while providing a framework, the tools and the right conversations to support educators and school leaders in improving student outcomes.
Download or read book Sustaining the Efforts of School Improvement written by Grace Agyapoma Nkansa-Akukwe and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Leadership for School Improvement written by Cherie B. Gaines and published by IAP. This book was released on 2019-03-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the inaugural issue in the Leadership for School Improvement (LSI) Special Interest Group (SIG) Book Series, this volume serves as a reflection on the foundations of the field of school improvement. Contents include connections between school improvement and the agency of principals, districts, universities, and policy. This volume will be placed in the school improvement literature with examinations of evolution, trends, policies, and future foci in the field of school improvement. This book is rich in research and literature about school improvement, school effectiveness, and school reform policy and implementation and thus holds significance for educational practitioners, scholars, and policy makers at all levels.
Download or read book The Case for District based Reform written by Jonathan A. Supovitz and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1999, the Duval County (Fla.) school system set out to improve every school in the district.
Download or read book Trust in Schools written by Anthony Bryk and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2002-09-05 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most Americans agree on the necessity of education reform, but there is little consensus about how this goal might be achieved. The rhetoric of standards and vouchers has occupied center stage, polarizing public opinion and affording little room for reflection on the intangible conditions that make for good schools. Trust in Schools engages this debate with a compelling examination of the importance of social relationships in the successful implementation of school reform. Over the course of three years, Bryk and Schneider, together with a diverse team of other researchers and school practitioners, studied reform in twelve Chicago elementary schools. Each school was undergoing extensive reorganization in response to the Chicago School Reform Act of 1988, which called for greater involvement of parents and local community leaders in their neighborhood schools. Drawing on years longitudinal survey and achievement data, as well as in-depth interviews with principals, teachers, parents, and local community leaders, the authors develop a thorough account of how effective social relationships—which they term relational trust—can serve as a prime resource for school improvement. Using case studies of the network of relationships that make up the school community, Bryk and Schneider examine how the myriad social exchanges that make up daily life in a school community generate, or fail to generate, a successful educational environment. The personal dynamics among teachers, students, and their parents, for example, influence whether students regularly attend school and sustain their efforts in the difficult task of learning. In schools characterized by high relational trust, educators were more likely to experiment with new practices and work together with parents to advance improvements. As a result, these schools were also more likely to demonstrate marked gains in student learning. In contrast, schools with weak trust relations saw virtually no improvement in their reading or mathematics scores. Trust in Schools demonstrates convincingly that the quality of social relationships operating in and around schools is central to their functioning, and strongly predicts positive student outcomes. This book offer insights into how trust can be built and sustained in school communities, and identifies some features of public school systems that can impede such development. Bryk and Schneider show how a broad base of trust across a school community can provide a critical resource as education professional and parents embark on major school reforms. A Volume in the American Sociological Association's Rose Series in Sociology
Download or read book Moving Upward Together written by Francis Martin Duffy and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2004 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If school districts want to sustain improvements that have been achieved during this period of district transformation, district leaders need to align their district, both vertically and horizontally. Alignment assures that the work of individuals supports their team goals, the work of teams supports their school's goals, the work of schools supports their clusters, and the work of clusters supports the district's strategic direction. This groudbreaking work presents qualitative information about the nature of strategic alignment in school systems and how to create and sustain it.
Download or read book Bringing Your Learning Community to Life written by Stephen S. Kaagan and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010-02-09 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is structured for the busy educator! The authors invite readers to journey toward professionalizing learning places. From the beginning of the journey (where ever you are) to the high points, low points, midpoint, and endpoints, the reader is transformed to the PLC way. A must-read for staff developers, instructional coaches, school improvement coordinators, and human relations specialists." —Marian White-Hood, Director of Academics, SeeForever Foundation Maya Angelou Public Charter School, Washington, DC The do-it-yourself guide to creating and sustaining a professional learning community in your school or district! How can you take the concept of a learning community from theory to the school building? This how-to guide walks you through the process of establishing a PLC step by step over a flexible timeline of nine to twelve months. Leadership and organizational development specialists Stephen S. Kaagan and Linda Headley provide school and district leaders with a concrete road map and numerous tools for creating and sustaining a PLC focused on improving student learning. Readers will find everything they need to get a PLC up and running, including: Specific tasks that help educators "learn by doing" as they create a PLC Practice exercises for conducting productive meetings, building individual and group communication skills, and shaping the group′s identity Brief case studies of problems encountered by educators to spark discussion and support educators′ growth as learners and leaders Guidelines for appropriately pacing the chapters, tasks, and exercises with your faculty Bringing Your Learning Community to Life is an invaluable manual for building capacity and creating an effective, sustainable PLC focused on continuous improvement.
Download or read book School Improvement written by Alma Harris and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aims to demystify the principles and practice of school improvement by demonstrating how successful classroom and school improvement occurs. It outlines the conditions, strategies and approaches that promote sustainable improvement and provides an overview of the main theoretical perspectives in this area. This accessible text will be useful for practitioners working within schools and with schools, offering clear guidance for those keen to raise standards and improve achievement. The What's In It For Schools? series aims to make educational policy issues relevant to practitioners. Each book in the series focuses on a major educational issue. The author sets the issue in context, looks at how it impacts on the daily lives of schools and teachers, and raises key questions. The books are grounded in sound theory, recent research evidence and best practice, and will make an excellent addition to any staffroom bookshelf.
Download or read book Supporting and Sustaining Teachers Professional Development written by Marilyn Tallerico and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2005-03-10 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Tallerico empowers principals with her view that leaders matter and demonstrates how their influence is expanded when they focus their attention on high-quality professional learning that continuously improves teaching, student learning, and relationships within the school community."--Dennis Sparks, Executive DirectorNational Staff Development Council"Although there are many resources for building administrators to learn models and implementation issues for quality professional development, few I′ve seen have compiled as handy a resource as this one."--Karla Reiss, Founder, Consultant, and Coach The Change PlaceNurture teacher development through focused and realistic approaches! Although school administrators consider supporting and sustaining teachers′ professional development a priority, more pressing day-to-day imperatives often eclipse this goal. Supporting and Sustaining Teachers′ Professional Development specifically targets busy school principals who want practical suggestions for how to balance these everyday administrative tasks while encouraging teachers′ professional growth. Focusing on seven questions selected for their relevance to school administrators, this essential reference summarizes the practical implications of the latest research and theory on the topic of teacher development. Organized around three key elements of current NSDC national standards, this resource for new, veteran, and aspiring school leaders will illustrate how to: Emphasize research and practice Provide rationales that explain and justify the encouragement of professional development Link teachers′ professional development to student learning Interpret national standards for professional development and apply them practically Improve student achievement, retain highly qualified teachers, and ground school practices in sound research by learning how to encourage your teachers while remaining committed to your leadership responsibilities.
Download or read book EBOOK Building Leadership Capacity for School Improvement written by Alma Harris and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2003-05-16 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * What form of leadership promotes school improvement? * How do schools build leadership capacity? * How do schools sustain improvement in changing times? This book offers a new perspective on the relationship between leadership and school improvement. It emphasises the importance of maximising the leadership capabilities of all those within the organization and offers guidance about the way in which this is achieved. Whilst drawing upon the latest research evidence concerning schools improvement, it is intended to be a practical guide to building leadership capacity and is written primarily for those working in schools. Through case study illustrations Alma Harris and Linda Lambert demonstrate how leadership capacity can be built in schools in very different contexts. Practical material is provided to assist schools in generating the internal capacity for change and development. The central message of this book is one of investing in leadership at all levels within the organization to maintain and sustain school improvement.
Download or read book More Than Maintenance written by Craig Jerald and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the last in a series of four policy briefs to be published by The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement in 2005. The briefs are intended to provide fresh insights and useful advice to policymakers and school assistance providers. The first part of this policy brief breaks down the process of sustaining improvement and examines each of its key elements. The second part offers several important strategies for protecting and abetting that process over the long term. The stakes are huge. Too many school improvement efforts wither and die after a year or two of hard work, often just following the first flush of success. At the same time, research shows that sustaining reforms beyond a few years can create big payoffs for students. One large-scale study of student achievement in schools implementing comprehensive school reform (CSR) models found that "after the fifth year of implementation, CSR effects began to increase substantially." (Contains 32 endnotes.) [This document was produced by The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, administered by Learning Point Associates in partnership with the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) and WestEd, under contract with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education.].
Download or read book School Improvement written by Zijian Li and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2006 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School improvement is at the centre of educational reform and is perceived by many as a key to social and economic advance. It contributes to determining the personal fulfilment and career paths of individual students and consequently engages the interest of parents and community members. It is an ever-present commitment of teachers and managers in schools. Policy makers and politicians at international, national and local levels devote much time and effort to their search for better schools. School improvement has also attracted the attention of researchers and scholars in many countries. They have been drawn from various disciplines and fields within the educational studies community, including psychology, sociology, history, evaluation, and studies in curriculum and assessment. There is now an established body of findings from studies conducted in many contexts. This book brings together leading experts drawn from many countries and several continents, reflecting diverse approaches to educational policy and practice, evaluation and research. Variations between countries and between local communities within countries are highlighted. The possibilities and difficulties inherent in transferring evidence from one educational system, at a number of levels, to another are clearly discussed. What emerges from the cross-national and cross-cultural evidence are several significant threads, currently under active investigation, including: school structure and management, classroom organisation, school leadership, teacher training and staff development, curriculum and assessment, community involvement, lifelong learning and special provision for students with special educational needs. "School Improvement: International Perspectives" is written for national educational policy makers, teachers and student teachers, governing bodies and parents from various levels of schooling, and university researchers and scholars.
Download or read book The School Improvement Planning Handbook written by Daniel L. Duke and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2012-12-27 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Developing and updating school improvement plans is an annual ritual for virtually all school principals and their school improvement committees. Still, large numbers of schools continue to produce disappointing outcomes. The authors believe that part of the problem is the result of plans that focus on the wrong targets and that rely on ineffective strategies for improvement. To help principals and their school improvement committees develop and implement plans with a greater likelihood of success, the authors offer a step-by-step process for school improvement planning. They go on to pinpoint specific school improvement goals, including raising reading and mathematics achievement, building robust school cultures, addressing the needs of English language learners, improving instruction, and reducing absenteeism and dropouts. For each goal, a variety of objectives and proven strategies is presented along with sample school improvement plans. The book addresses the differences in planning to turn around a low-performing school, planning to sustain improvements over time, and planning to move a good school to a great school.
Download or read book The Role of Leadership in Sustaining School Reform written by Mary S. Leighton and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1998-05 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summarizes discussions by participants in a meeting convened to learn the views of outstanding school leaders -- principals, teachers, parents, and others -- whose diversity reflected that of the local education workforce. The discussions centered on three topics: the habits of mind and heart that enable leaders to guide successful school change over the long term; the dimensions of leadership as expressed in experiences in the participants' careers as school leaders; and strategies for using the dimensions of leadership for self-assessment, peer coaching, or other professional development activities. Resource list.
Download or read book Sustaining Change in Schools written by Daniel P. Johnson and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2005 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ensure the success of your school change efforts with a proven five-step process that will strengthen working relationships among teachers, parents, and administrators.
