Author: Sharon Kaye Tucker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Curriculum change
Languages : en
Pages : 538

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Book Description

Author: Paul Hill
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226336530
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
A heated debate is raging over our nation’s public schools and how they should be reformed, with proposals ranging from imposing national standards to replacing public education altogether with a voucher system for private schools. Combining decades of experience in education, the authors propose an innovative approach to solving the problems of our school system and find a middle ground between these extremes. Reinventing Public Education shows how contracting would radically change the way we operate our schools, while keeping them public and accessible to all, and making them better able to meet standards of achievement and equity. Using public funds, local school boards would select private providers to operate individual schools under formal contracts specifying the type and quality of instruction. In a hands-on, concrete fashion, the authors provide a thorough explanation of the pros and cons of school contracting and how it would work in practice. They show how contracting would free local school boards from operating schools so they can focus on improving educational policy; how it would allow parents to choose the best school for their children; and, finally, how it would ensure that schools are held accountable and academic standards are met. While retaining a strong public role in education, contracting enables schools to be more imaginative, adaptable, and suited to the needs of children and families. In presenting an alternative vision for America’s schools, Reinventing Public Education is too important to be ignored.

Author: Robert J. Marzano
Publisher: Solution Tree Press
ISBN: 1935542362
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
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.

Author: Chad William Sayre
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Curriculum planning
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The primary objective of this investigation is an increased knowledge of the dynamics of these interactive relationships and the influence of the district superintendent on school improvement centered on instruction and student learning. Using the conceptual lenses of superintendent instructional leadership and instructional capacity, this investigation explored the attitudes, opinions and teachers' views of their superintendent's ability to influence classroom instruction. Specifically, we wanted to know the ability of the superintendent to teachers' ability to produce worthwhile and substantial student learning. In this mixed method analysis, data were drawn from seven medium sized school districts in Missouri. In-depth and triangulation interviews with forty-seven classroom teachers were conducted. Teachers completed a questionnaire designed to examine factors related to teacher's perceptions of the district superintendent's instructional leadership, the superintendent's role in fostering an organizational environment that supported instructional capacity. Results of the correlational and regression analysis indicate a significant predictable relationship (R2 = .878; F (2, 877) = .618, p =. 000) between the two independent variables (superintendent's instructional leadership and teacher's professional development and instructional practices) the dependent variable (instructional capacity).

Author: Kenneth Leithwood
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 143841045X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
School districts in both Canada and the United States provide the sites for this research. Many of these districts were in the midst of reform or restructuring initiatives and these initiatives became an important context within which to understand the work of district leaders. The authors describe how effective superintendents work with their immediate staffs, elected trustees, and school-based administrators. Each chapter examines the meaning of effective district leadership from different perspectives. Common to almost all of the chapters is an appreciation of the exquisitely "political" nature of the superintendent's work. Contributors to the volume include Edward A. Holdaway and Anthony Genge; Derek J. Allison, Patricia A. Allison, and Helen A. McHenry; Kenneth Leithwood and Roseanne Steinbach; Frances Wills and Kent Peterson; Joseph Murphy; Richard G. Townsend; Donald Musella; Mark Holmes; Stephen B. Lawton, Joyce Scane, and Shihui Wang; and Kenneth Leithwood.

Author: Linda K. Wagner
Publisher: R&L Education
ISBN: 1607097222
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
The Savvy Superintendent examines the art of district leadership from the perspective of top practitioners in the field of education. Insights and comments from in-depth interviews with over fifty current and former successful superintendents_including American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Superintendents of the Year and runners up for the award_are woven throughout the narrative to exemplify best-in-class, real-world applications of the behaviors, attitudes, and attributes that great instructional leaders employ as they carry out their most important work: instructional leadership. This book provides practical, hands-on advice for school district superintendents. It is designed to provide needed but rarely taught ideas, insights, and information that superintendents can use to incorporate effective practices into their own school districts.

Author: Cherie B. Gaines
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1641136049
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
As the inaugural issue in the Leadership for School Improvement (LSI) Special Interest Group (SIG) Book Series, this volume serves as a reflection on the foundations of the field of school improvement. Contents include connections between school improvement and the agency of principals, districts, universities, and policy. This volume will be placed in the school improvement literature with examinations of evolution, trends, policies, and future foci in the field of school improvement. This book is rich in research and literature about school improvement, school effectiveness, and school reform policy and implementation and thus holds significance for educational practitioners, scholars, and policy makers at all levels.

Author: Lars G. Bjork
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1483361357
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
The role, practice, and preparation of today and tomorrow′s superintendent! A strong superintendent is critical to the success of an entire school district. So why is it one of the most deregulated positions? Over the past several decades, many states have either rescinded licensing requirements for school district superintendents or abandoned regulations altogether. The Contemporary Superintendent offers a scholarly and objective analysis of the issues surrounding the state policies that appoint superintendents. Lars G. Björk and Theodore Kowalski have developed a coherent guide to critical professional aspects such as superintendent licensures, professional preparation, and staff development. Featuring the research of educational leadership specialists, this resource is not to be missed! The Contemporary Superintendent includes: Quality strategies by the field′s top scholars to implement decisive practices for superintendents Detailed analysis of the concerns over superintendent qualifications and preparations An examination of past, present, and future practices of superintendents A distinct look at the evolution of the role of the superintendent Developed over a three-year period, the authors have compiled a collection of useful, hands-on strategies for aspiring and existing superintendents, as well as ideas for adoption in the educational administration, leadership professional development, and educational policy areas.

Author: Meredith Mountford
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1641135263
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
What is (R)Evolutionary Leadership? Why Does it Matter? How can contemporary school district administrators, specifically superintendents, contend with so many difficult, and almost impossible competing commitments? Building on the definitions of revolution, revolutionary, evolution, and evolutionary, the notion of (R)Evolutionary Leadership emerged while discussing the need for school district leaders to push back against the status quo while improving teacher and leadership practices, improving student learning outcomes, engaging with the community, and ensuring decision making processes that include check and balance systems that are just, fair, and equitable for all. The chapters in this book introduce superintendents or research on superintendents in which these tenants were practiced; both in their ability to enact radical change by “overthrowing” the status quo – as well as evolutionary in their deliberate approach to viewing change as a process they can control over time. These leaders were willing to confront and defy practices and policies that were counter to student well-being and achievement while concurrently knowing how to reach their desired results. The chapters chosen for inclusion in this volume are those that offered a glimpse of these revolutionary tenants in practice. We ask that you consider this emerging concept as you explore the chapters of our book. You will find the (R)evolutionary Leaders you meet in the chapters know how to evolve, not just to stay alive, but to ensure the organization (school) remains relevant and vital to society. These leaders use their positional power, social capital, and expertise to advocate for policies and practices that are in the best interest of the school community and they innovate in ways that challenge the status quo. You will also find practices that are (R)Evolutionary and provide ways for leaders to innovate, collaborate, and simply take care of themselves and those around them. Our description does not seek to support or define or delineate the characteristics of a (R)Evolutionary Leader or how one might enact (R)Evolutionary Leadership–but serves as a way to (re)think the way we view the vastly complex work of school district administrators, specifically the superintendent. (R)Evolutionary leadership may change our ways of thinking about the significant advocacy role a superintendent can play in influencing both practice and policy to enact the change necessary to move forward issues of justice, equity, and quality in PK-12 schools and further to improve educational and social outcomes for those served.

Author: Elaine L. Wilmore
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1452295298
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
"Targeted to meet the needs of superintendents or those aspiring to the position. The stories, vignettes, and reflective exercises for the reader are major strengths." —Dan Lawson, Superintendent Tullahoma City Schools, TN "This is the first professional book that I have found exciting to read in a long time—I really couldn′t put it down! It made me immediately want to gather my leadership team together to devise our own plan. A terrific discussion starter, as well as a step-by-step plan for implementing and assessing new programs." —Marie Blum, Superintendent Canaseraga Central School District, NY Maximize districtwide performance through realistic, standards-based practice! Written by the past president of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, this valuable resource examines the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that superintendents must develop to effectively manage change in today′s schools. Elaine L. Wilmore examines the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards—the new benchmarks established by NCATE and ISLLC for a highly effective superintendency—and shows how administrators can incorporate each standard into their global vision and everyday practice. Through case studies, problem-based learning, an assessment model, and reflective questions and activities, this reader-friendly handbook discusses ways for superintendents to: Attain proficiency in each ELCC standard Develop a positive district culture Manage operations, resources, and community involvement Superintendent Leadership is ideal for the development of future superintendents and the continuous professional learning of current administrators as leaders of the learning community.