A joint publication of Solution Tree and McREL Bridge the great divide between distanced administrative duties and daily classroom impact. This book introduces high-level leaders to a top-down power mechanism called "defined autonomy," a concept that focuses on district-defined, nonnegotiable, common goals and a system of accountability supported by assessment tools. Defined autonomy creates an effective balance of centralized direction and individualized empowerment that allows building leaders and classroom teachers to maintain stylistic freedom to respond quickly and effectively to student failure. District Leadership That Works offers research-based recommendations for setting and monitoring nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction at district and school levels. While district-defined goals are essential, effective leadership involves a collaborative effort among schools, teacher unions, students, and community members.

Bridge the great divide between distanced administrative duties and daily classroom impact. This book introduces a top-down power mechanism called defined autonomy, a concept that focuses on district-defined, nonnegotiable, common goals and a system of accountability supported by assessment tools. Defined autonomy creates an effective balance of centralized direction and individualized empowerment that allows building-level staff the stylistic freedom to respond quickly and effectively to student failure.

This study is the latest in a series of meta-analyses that Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) has conducted over the past several years to determine the characteristics of effective schools, leaders, and teachers. This most recent meta-analysis examines findings from 27 studies conducted since 1970 that used rigorous, quantitative methods to study the influence of school district leaders on student achievement. Altogether, these studies involved 2,817 districts and the achievement scores of 3.4 million students, resulting in what McREL researchers believe to be the largest-ever quantitative examination of research on superintendents. The following four major findings emerged from the study: (1) District-level leadership matters; (2) Effective superintendents focus their efforts on creating goal-oriented districts; (3) Superintendent tenure is positively correlated with student achievement; and (4) A surprising and perplexing finding of "Defined autonomy." A bibliography of reports used in the meta-analysis is included. (Contains 5 figures.).

This guide to the 21 leadership responsibilities that influence student achievement will help school leaders focus on changes that really make a difference.

What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works. Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn * the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities; * the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each; * how to work smart by choosing the right work to focus on to improve student achievement; * the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; * how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and * a five-step plan for effective school leadership. Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools.

School leadership is critical to the success for both teachers and students. Yet, the theory and practice the informs the current context of school leadership has been, for the most part, left to each nation and its educational authorities, institutions, and associations. Thus, over the last several decades, global collaboration has not occurred in a significant manner. The purpose of this book is to encourage such discussion, examination, debate, and collaboration of the issues, challenges, and successes found in school leadership from around the world. Specific topics found in the book include international professional learning for school leaders from Canada, China, Europe, and Turkey, offering both theory and practices from the field of school leadership.

We already know what works in schools; we just need to focus on getting it right. This is the premise of Simply Better: Doing What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success, which offers a practical, research-based framework for improving student achievement. According to author Bryan Goodwin, decades of research have shown time and again that focusing on the following five essential practices can vastly increase students' chances of doing well in school: * Guaranteeing that instruction is challenging, engaging, and intentional * Ensuring curricular pathways to success * Providing whole-child student supports * Creating high-performance school cultures * Developing data-driven, high-reliability district systems Whether at the district-, school-, or classroom-level, educators don't need to reinvent the wheel or pursue the latest trends to ensure that students succeed. This powerful book reveals what research clearly shows works best in schools, and provides a valuable blueprint for turning that knowledge into visible results.

The Journal of School Leadership is broadening the conversation about schools and leadership and is currently accepting manuscripts. We welcome manuscripts based on cutting-edge research from a wide variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological orientations. The editorial team is particularly interested in working with international authors, authors from traditionally marginalized populations, and in work that is relevant to practitioners around the world. Growing numbers of educators and professors look to the six bimonthly issues to: deal with problems directly related to contemporary school leadership practice teach courses on school leadership and policy use as a quality reference in writing articles about school leadership and improvement.

Transform your district with thriving professional learning communities. Implementing high-performing PLCs can enhance educators’ outlooks and dramatically improve learning for all students. With this user-friendly guide, your team will discover practical, research-based strategies for committing to districtwide PLC implementation, navigating challenges along the way, and ensuring sustainable practices are in place for far-reaching, lasting results.