"This is a book for activists and educators who not only think schools need to be improved but are also fiercely committed to their reinvention and hopeful that it can be achieved"--

This book is for educators who believe that schools need to be improved and are hopeful that real change can be achieved. The authors argue that if educators want to create more equitable, socially just, and learner-focused schools, then they need a more robust, transformational theory of school change—an UnCommon Theory. After describing the limits of current school improvement initiatives, the authors explain what is needed to actually engage in deeper school reinvention work. They take a deep dive into the most difficult work that school leaders do: questioning, rethinking, and reinventing the fundamental assumptions upon which our schools are built. The result is a practical book that provides readers with the knowledge and tools needed to do more than just tinker at the edges of school improvement. “This book will serve as a trusty coaching guide. The writing is clear and powerful.” —From the Foreword by Joseph P. McDonald, New York University “Educators contemplating or already on the journey of re-imagining their schools will find comfort and guidance to forge ahead.” —Carl Glickman, The University of Georgia “Can help each of us become the advocates for change that results in a better future for every student in every school.” —Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University “Will support educators to think differently about what it means to not only improve schools, but to move toward sustainable change.” —Kari Thierer, School Reform Initiative

Now with SAGE Publishing! The bestselling Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices has been considered the standard for all educational administration textbooks for three decades. A thorough and comprehensive revision, the Seventh Edition continues to balance theory and research with practical application for prospective and practicing school administrators. While maintaining the book’s hallmark features—a friendly and approachable writing style, cutting-edge content, and compelling pedagogy—authors Frederick C. Lunenburg and Allan Ornstein present research-based practices while discussing topical issues facing school administrators today. Included with this title: The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.

This book presents insights into the experiences and perspectives of educators in formal positions of leadership involved in decision-making processes in an education system. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in the New Brunswick education system, the author identifies factors in the decision-making process which influence whether or not a decision is implemented. Probing what is required for effective decision-making, defined as decision-making that results in implementation, the book examines not only the role of formal educational leaders of schools (administrators) but also the roles played by district and department of education formal leaders. It uses five central themes that surfaced from research to develop a novel leadership model for ensuring implantation of decisions. These include knowledge and skill; collaboration and communication; balance of autonomy, accountability, and direction; political and bureaucratic considerations; and strong moral imperative. The newfound model is presented in the form of antecedent steps to the decision-making process. Extending the literature by offering new, empirically grounded insights for influencing the likelihood of implementation following a decision-making process, it will appeal to leaders, scholars, and students of educational leadership and reform.

From nationally known experts, this book provides guidance for leveraging the power of instructional coaching and helping coaching programs succeed. It addresses the crucial importance of developing practices that align instructional goals (content) with school, district, and community factors that influence the work of K–12 teachers and coaches (context). The authors present a framework and practical tools for embedding coaching into the fabric of school life, in service of creating equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students. Instructive features throughout the chapters include Framing Questions, Voices from the Field vignettes, Stop and Reflect opportunities, and Reflection Activities and Questions. Reproducible planning forms can be copied from the book or downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Academic scholars in the field of education face a pressing dilemma – the need for meaningful, transformative adult learning that can lead to equitable access and outcomes for all learners in P-20 classrooms. Despite over two decades of experience, the educational community still grapples with the challenge of creating an environment that fosters professional development with a lasting impact. This issue undermines the very foundation of our educational system, hindering both educators and students from reaching their full potential. Exploring Meaningful and Sustainable Intentional Learning Communities for P-20 Educators is a groundbreaking edited book that provides answers to this critical problem by offering an innovative approach to learning from more than 20 years of wisdom from P-20 educators. It presents a comprehensive exploration of intentional learning communities, demonstrating their historical significance, defining their principles, and outlining the incredible benefits they bring to the world of education.

A revised and expanded edition that promotes inquiry and teaching practices to help students gain the discipline-specific literacy skills they need to succeed in college, the workplace, and the society of tomorrow

This book traces the origins and activities of the longest-standing collaborative teacher group in education, the Portfolio Group. Each chapter documents, historically and conceptually, the main intellectual moments in the evolution of the idea of knowledge communities. Authors illuminate the expansive work, research, and the leading/learning influence that the Portfolio Group has had in the local education community as well as on the international education landscape. In doing so, they illustrate the journey of a school-based, cross-institutional knowledge community and provide the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for so many novice and newly formed groups seeking sustainability. The book demonstrates through the shared experiences of five teachers/teacher educators the ways in which varied collaborations aimed at professional development lead to teacher growth in practice, leadership, and career.

This book showcases hot topics in literacy, providing teachers with practices for literacy improvement. The international scholars which comprise the author line-up for this edited collection describe the evidence-based research findings from their research in K-12 schools to demonstrate how literacy success is fostered across the globe.

This book is about curriculum change in secondary schools and shows how the quality of education has been affected by increasing intervention from central government. Following the story of one secondary school between 1957 and 2004, Norman Evans looks at: * the school before and after the introduction of the National Curriculum * the changing role of LEAs and governors * the characteristics since 1992 of school inspections responsible for policing the operation of the national tests * predictions of results and examination results * nationally set targets * compliance with detailed prescription of school curricula. This is the back-story of today's educational climate, as seen through the eyes of seven successive head teachers and long-serving assistant staff who worked at the school during this momentous forty-year period. How did the changes affect what they sought to do as professionals? Where have these changes taken us, in terms of what happens in classrooms and what happens in the school as a whole? And what can be learned from the development of the curriculum over this time to inform future practice?