Districts on the Move


Book Description

The How-To Resource for Developing Cultures, Building Capacity, and Creating Coherent Systems School districts destined for long-term success require an approach that is systemic in nature, and transformative and comprehensive in its scope. Improving clarity, commitment, collaboration, and accountability beginning with the heart of the district will propel student learning forward. The guiding principles outlined in this book, supported by the Benchmarks for Capacity for School District Coherence, and real case studies examine: • Clarity of district goals and school priorities for student learning • Culture of shared leadership and systemic collaboration • Coherent instructional framework for developing collective expertise • Evidence-based cycles of inquiry for continuous improvement




Districts on the Move


Book Description

Case Studies taken from the author's work with over 300 schools Leadership Competencies in Action Practical Tools to put plans into action district by district Reflection questions Implementation steps Foreword by Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn.




Schools on the Move


Book Description

"The greatest influence on school district improvement is the extent to which school leaders and teachers collectively transform climate, develop culture and build capacity for the purpose of creating coherence. Districts on the Move (DOTM) paved the way for system change by establishing coherent cultures of learning. Now that DOTM has been written and district leaders can establish the context for positive system change, this new book, Schools on the Move (SOTM), will delve into bringing that vision to life and realizing school improvement at the building level. At the heart of this matter is a foundational principle that schools are the unit of change for systemic improvement. It is imperative to reduce the variances in climate, culture, capacity and coherence that exist among and within school sites if school districts are to create a coherent system of continuous improvement. This book will provide practical tools and guidance to help schools create coherent systems (and thereby improve the whole district) in these four domains: 1. Shared Leadership: partnering with teachers and staff to develop a culture of co-learning 2. Clarity of Focus: creating a strategic focus on equitable student growth 3. Collective Expertise: developing instructional coherence through cycles of collaborative inquiry 4. Continuous Improvement: maintaining a focus on evidence and impact Collaborative inquiry is the vehicle through which this change is realized. Collaborative inquiry "shapes a common mindset" (Donohoo) and allows educators to develop collective efficacy through mastery of shared learning experiences"--




The Districts


Book Description

An unprecedented plunge into New York City's federal court system that gives us a revelatory picture of how our justice system, and the pursuit of justice, really works. A young Italian Mafioso helps get rid of a body in Queens. In Manhattan, a hedge fund portfolio manager misrepresents his company's assets to investors. At JFK International Airport, a college student returns from Jamaica with cocaine stuffed in the handle of her suitcase. These are just a few of the stories that come to life in this comprehensive look at the Southern District Court in Manhattan, and the Eastern District Court in Brooklyn--the two federal courts tasked with maintaining order in New York City. Johnny Dwyer takes us not just into the courtrooms but into the lives of those who enter through its doors: the judges and attorneys, prosecutors and defendants, winners and losers. He examines crimes we've read about in the papers or seen in movies and on television--organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption, and white-collar crime--and weaves in the nuances that rarely make it into headlines. Brimming with detail and drama, The Districts illuminates the meaning of intent, of reasonable doubt, of deception, and--perhaps most important of all--of justice.




Leading for Equity


Book Description

Leading for Equity tells the compelling story of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools and its transformation—in less than a decade—into a system committed to breaking the links between race and class and academic achievement. In chapters organized around six core themes, the authors lay out the essential elements of MCPS’s success. They identify key lessons other districts can draw from MCPS’s experience and offer a framework for applying them. A dramatic departure from “business as usual,” MCPS has won nationwide attention as a compelling model for tackling the achievement and opportunity issues that confront our nation as a whole.




Border Districts


Book Description

"[A] man moves from a capital city to a remote town in the border country, where he intends to spend the last years of his life. It is time, he thinks, to review the spoils of a lifetime of seeing, a lifetime of reading. Which sights, which people, which books, fictional characters, turns of phrase, and lines of verse will survive into the twilight? A dark-haired woman with a wistful expression? An ancestral house in the grasslands? The colors in translucent panes of glass, in marbles and goldfish and racing silks? Feeling an increasing urgency to put his mental landscape in order, the man sets to work cataloging this treasure, little knowing where his 'report' will lead and what secrets will be brought to light"--Amazon.com.




Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration


Book Description

Spirit is the essence of character—of what it means to be human. Finding hope in the power of collaboration underpinned by ‘spirit work’-- the care and love of students as learners-- Fullan & Edwards capture how some school districts are creating a deep learning environment for all. COVID-19, racial inequity, polarizing politics, mass misinformation, and myriad other challenges have made the future of education seem bleaker than ever. Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration speaks directly to leaders′ hearts and advocates for the development of two qualities that will bring back hope for the future of education: "spirit work" and the science of collaboration. Spirit work centers love and care for students, staff, and communities as the impetus for creating a positive culture, while collaboration is the vehicle for manifesting that spirit work. Through powerful case studies and vignettes, the authors show how spirit and collaboration represent revolutionary potential for education. Readers will find A lifeline amid overwhelming conditions. Hope for themselves and the future of education Practical ideas for building cohesion throughout school communities We cannot allow our best advocates for children to be consumed by today’s challenges. Spirit work and collaboration can pave the way to a brighter future.




The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education


Book Description

"Educational leaders are empowered by a 7-steps framework to move their schools and districts forward in a quest to create community consensus and build the professional capacity for preparing students for 21st century learning."--Book cover.




Dive Into Deep Learning


Book Description

The leading experts in system change and learning, with their school-based partners around the world, have created this essential companion to their runaway best-seller, Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World. This hands-on guide provides a roadmap for building capacity in teachers, schools, districts, and systems to design deep learning, measure progress, and assess conditions needed to activate and sustain innovation. Dive Into Deep Learning: Tools for Engagement is rich with resources educators need to construct and drive meaningful deep learning experiences in order to develop the kind of mindset and know-how that is crucial to becoming a problem-solving change agent in our global society. Designed in full color, this easy-to-use guide is loaded with tools, tips, protocols, and real-world examples. It includes: • A framework for deep learning that provides a pathway to develop the six global competencies needed to flourish in a complex world — character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. • Learning progressions to help educators analyze student work and measure progress. • Learning design rubrics, templates and examples for incorporating the four elements of learning design: learning partnerships, pedagogical practices, learning environments, and leveraging digital. • Conditions rubrics, teacher self-assessment tools, and planning guides to help educators build, mobilize, and sustain deep learning in schools and districts. Learn about, improve, and expand your world of learning. Put the joy back into learning for students and adults alike. Dive into deep learning to create learning experiences that give purpose, unleash student potential, and transform not only learning, but life itself.




Irrigation Districts


Book Description