The Gradual Art of School Improvement


Book Description

School improvement in recent years has largely focused on rapid improvement and quick fixes. Yet, genuine and sustainable school improvement is complex, gradual and incremental. It requires developing a culture and focusing relentlessly on teaching and learning. The Gradual Art of School Improvement is a comprehensive practical guide to school improvement, covering aspects such as improvement planning, staff development, the learning environment, dealing with outside pressures including inspection, curriculum design and the role of leaders at all levels. It includes: Detailed accounts of the steps that can be taken to create a positive learning culture over time Case studies and worked examples, concentrating on the practical aspects of school improvement from the perspective of an experienced and successful head teacher Ready-to-use practitioner resources that readers can adapt and use in their own settings Accessibly written and entertaining, this book is an invaluable resource for leaders at all levels and stages of their career.




School Improvement


Book Description

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.




Sustainable School Improvement


Book Description

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.




The TurnAround ToolKit


Book Description

"An absolute MUST-READ for school leaders who need to generate school improvement immediately! This book will help you make your school′s turnaround a success." —Bruce Haddix, Principal Center Grove Elementary School, Greenwood, IN "The authors go to the heart of school improvement by addressing the critical need to elevate learning for all students through the use of formative data and evaluation." —Jim Lentz, Superintendent USD 402 Augusta Public Schools, KS Transform your school with research-based tools! If you want to dramatically improve your school′s performance in a short time, this book is for you. Using formative evaluation, The TurnAround ToolKit offers educators a nine-step method based on data-driven continuous improvement processes. Experts and experienced practitioners Lynn Winters and Joan Herman frame these steps within three overarching "turnaround tasks" that begin with realigning systems, progress to integrating data to create the turnaround plan, and, finally, set the stage for ongoing plan revision. Collaboration and rigorous reflection are interwoven through all the steps. The authors clearly explain how to use data to strategically choose, implement, and monitor school interventions. Included are proven methods for: Improving school and student achievement Meeting accountability targets Increasing your school′s competitive edge and reputation Building a solid system for ongoing school improvement This comprehensive resource has it all—a clear step-by-step procedure, tools for implementing each step, pocket summaries for each chapter, and leadership guides to walk you through the process.




Distributed Leadership


Book Description

James Spillane, the leading expert in Distributed Leadership, shows how leadership happens in everyday practices in schools, through formal routines and informal interactions. He examines the distribution of leadership among administrators, specialists, and teachers in the school, and explains the ways in which leadership practice is stretched over leaders, followers, and aspects of the situation, including routines and tools of various sorts in the organization such as memos, scheduling procedures, and evaluation protocols. This book is a volume in the Jossey-Bass Leadership Library in Education—a series designed to meet the demand for new ideas and insights about leadership in schools.




Sustainable Improvement


Book Description

This book situates learning communities in living systems and ecological perspectives. The fundamental premise is that all of human life and human activity is part of a deep planetary ecology of which mutuality and interdependence are cornerstone properties, learning and renewal are key processes, and emergent networks are foundational structures.




The School Improvement Planning Handbook


Book Description

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.




Schools That Change


Book Description

Through specific examples, qualitative research, and portraiture, the author illustrates how and why some schools are able to achieve significant, sustainable change while others cannot.




Building Sustainable Leadership Capacity


Book Description

Bringing together a powerful group of leading educational thinkers, including Michael Fullan, Dennis Sparks, Linda Lambert, and Dean Fink, this volume examines how to sustain improvement through shared leadership.




Teaching and Learning Strategies for Sustainable Development


Book Description

This timely book explores the sustainable development goals, how well universities have been able to integrate them into their curriculum, and how universities can institutionalize the goals and sustainable development into their strategic plans and institutional culture