Five Practices for Improving the Success of Latino Students


Book Description

Based on the work of real leaders and educators in high-performing, urban schools across the country, this book unpacks five key practices that are integral to improving achievement and postsecondary outcomes for Latino students. These inspiring stories affirm that excellence and equity are possible when educators come together around an important purpose and focus on the needs, strengths, and interests of all their students. Full of specific examples and guidance, each chapter also includes an assessment tool designed to help school leaders reflect upon their current practices, affirm school strengths that resemble the exemplary practices described in the chapters, and help educators pinpoint opportunities to strengthen practices in ways that can improve the postsecondary readiness of their students. This important book will help leaders create a positive school culture, coherent school design, and develop the practices and policies that support Latino students in their performance and help students realize their potential.




Teaching Practices from America's Best Urban Schools


Book Description

Discover the teaching practices that make the biggest difference in student performance! The new edition of this practical, research-based book gives leaders and teachers an even closer look at instructional practices from top award-winning urban schools. With refreshed examples from high-performing teachers and detailed analyses of these practices, the authors demystify the achievement of these schools while offering a practical guide to help educators apply these practices in their contexts. Teaching Practices from America's Best Urban Schools is a valuable tool for any educator in both urban and non urban schools that serve diverse student populations, including English language learners and children from low-income families. What’s New: Additional "What It Is/What It Isn’t" boxes help educators distinguish the subtle differences in the implementation of practices that lead to impressive learning results "Practice Guides" and "Practical Next Steps" for each of the 8 Success Factors encourage self-assessment and collaboration Expansion of topics address current developments in education and additional examples from award-winning elementary, middle, and high schools provide new insights.




High-Achieving Latino Students


Book Description

High-Achieving Latino Students: Successful Pathways Toward College and Beyond addresses a long-standing need for a book that focuses on the success, not failure, of Latino students. While much of the existing research works from a deficit lens, this book uses a strength-based approach to support Latino achievement. Bringing together researchers and practitioners, this unique book provides research-based recommendations from early to later school years on “what works” for supporting high achievement. Praise for High-Achieving Latino Students "This book focuses on an important issue about which we know little. There are many lessons here for both scholars and educators who believe that Latino students can succeed. I congratulate the authors for taking on this timely and significant topic." ~ Guadalupe Valdés, Ph.D., Bonnie Katz Tenenbaum Professor in Education, Stanford University. Author of Con Respeto: Bridging the Distances Between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools "This is a must-read book for leaders in institutions of both K-12 and higher education who want to better understand success factors of Latino students in the US. Using a strength-based framework to understand and support Latino achievement is a new paradigm that must be considered by all." ~ Loui Olivas, Ed.D., President, American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education "In addition to being the right book at the right time, these editors should be congratulated for giving us a stellar example of how a research-practice collaboration comes together to produce such a valuable and lasting contribution to the field of school reform and improvement. Those who work in schools, universities, think tanks and policymaking centers have been waiting anxiously for this kind of book, and it’s now here." ~ Carl A. Cohn, Ed.D., Former Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, CA State Board of Education member, and Superintendent "There may not be a silver bullet for solving the so-called problem of Latino underachievement, but well-conceived solutions do exist. This powerful book offers strength- and asset-based frameworks that demonstrate Latino achievement is possible. Read this text to not only get informed, but to also get nurtured and inspired!" ~ Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., Professor in Education, University of Texas at Austin. Author of Subtractive Schooling: US-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring




Bringing Innovative Practices to Your School


Book Description

Exploring issues of student agency, equity, assessment, teaching, management, teacher leadership, and use of technology, this book provides strategies, tips, and guidance for enacting innovative change in today‘s schools. Drawing from unique and creative approaches at international schools, real practitioners share their stories and best-practices. Chapters contain engaging snapshots of the innovative practices currently happening in international schools, translate those practices into leadership actions, and show how those innovations are played out in localized contexts. This exciting book is for every school and district leader keen to think outside the box, reassess their schools’ strengths, and improve the purposes and means by which they educate students.




Hispanics and the Future of America


Book Description

Hispanics and the Future of America presents details of the complex story of a population that varies in many dimensions, including national origin, immigration status, and generation. The papers in this volume draw on a wide variety of data sources to describe the contours of this population, from the perspectives of history, demography, geography, education, family, employment, economic well-being, health, and political engagement. They provide a rich source of information for researchers, policy makers, and others who want to better understand the fast-growing and diverse population that we call "Hispanic." The current period is a critical one for getting a better understanding of how Hispanics are being shaped by the U.S. experience. This will, in turn, affect the United States and the contours of the Hispanic future remain uncertain. The uncertainties include such issues as whether Hispanics, especially immigrants, improve their educational attainment and fluency in English and thereby improve their economic position; whether growing numbers of foreign-born Hispanics become citizens and achieve empowerment at the ballot box and through elected office; whether impending health problems are successfully averted; and whether Hispanics' geographic dispersal accelerates their spatial and social integration. The papers in this volume provide invaluable information to explore these issues.




Teachers Speak Up!


Book Description

In the past several years, we have witnessed unprecedented political, racial, economic, and health-related ruptures in society. The resulting turmoil has had an inevitable and negative impact on students, teachers, the profession of education, and especially marginalized and vulnerable populations. Academics and policymakers have had their say in how to address today’s volatile issues, but teachers and other practitioners closest to students have not had the same visibility or access. This volume is an attempt to remedy that absence resulting in a compelling picture of education today. Chapters highlight essays written by a diverse group of K–12 classroom teachers who share their vision for education and describe their empowering classroom practices. At times hopeful and full of joy, at other times angry and full of frustration, these essays speak to what classrooms and schools based on social justice might mean for our nation. Teachers Speak Up! presents a bold vision of what education could be if teachers were to have a more direct influence on the purpose and aims of learning and teaching. Book Features: Offers grounded accounts about creating classrooms filled with hope and promise amid the many challenges to everyday practice. Addresses the harm done by universal school closures due to the pandemic, growing political divisions, the ugly specter of racism, book bans, and more. Gives voice to classroom teachers who describe their vision for education, as well as their successful practice teaching diverse students. Includes chapter authors who are diverse in their identities, the subject matter they teach, and their time in the profession.




When Black Students Excel


Book Description

This book draws from the successes of award-winning schools, teachers, students, and parents to help leaders understand how they can positively change the educational experience of Black students. When Black Students Excel offers real-life examples of outstanding elementary, middle, and high schools where teachers and school leaders have rejected policies and practices built upon deficit perceptions about the capacity of Black students. Chapters highlight leadership implications and offer specific suggestions for educators who are seeking to transform their schools in ways that advance the success of Black students. This practical guide includes questions to ask students and their parents, self-assessment tools, and an array of leadership and teaching practices that are effective to empower Black students, elevate school attendance and academic engagement, and improve other important outcomes. Unpacking important themes that influence the success of Black students, this book is a useful tool for educators who are seeking to understand how they can change programs, procedures, and practices in ways that engage and empower Black students.




Teaching Practices from America's Best Urban Schools


Book Description

Discover the teaching practices that make the biggest difference in student performance! This practical, research-based book gives principals, teachers, and school administrators a direct, inside look at instructional practices from top award-winning urban schools. The authors provide detailed examples and analyses of these practices, and successfully demystify the achievement of these schools. They offer practical guides to help educators apply these successful practices in their own schools. Teaching Practices from America's Best Urban Schools will be a valuable tool for any educator in both urban and non-urban schools-schools that serve diverse student populations, including English language learners and children from low-income families.




Becoming a Transformative Leader


Book Description

This exciting book explores the concept of transformative leadership and how leaders can create learning environments that are academically excellent, equitable, inclusive, and socially just. Grounded in research and real examples, Dr. Carolyn Shields presents an approach to leadership that is engaged, authentic, courageous, and effective in addressing the needs of today’s diverse student bodies. Featuring examples from schools and leaders, questions for reflection, downloadable eResources, and links to useful websites, Becoming a Transformative Leader is an invaluable and practical guide for school administrators, teacher leaders, and district leaders concerned about the uneven educational playing field for students in our schools.




Strategic Talent Leadership for Educators


Book Description

This book is designed to support the transformation of educators into strategic talent leaders. The author’s research-based "Strategic Talent Leadership Framework" gives leaders the tools for acquiring, accelerating, advancing and assessing educator talent. Each chapter features an illustrative case, best practices, a ready-to-use tool for advancing those practices, a set of "talent analytics" and an action step planner. This guidebook is for education leaders who seek to assess current performance, adopt research-based strategies for engaging in strategic human capital practices, set goals around the use of those practices and measure the impact of their work on student outcomes. Accessible and actionable, Strategic Talent Leadership for Educators is not only a guide, but a toolkit for putting research into practice.