School Improvement

This book develops an approach to school development which is contextual in that it considers both the larger social structure of which the school is a part and those special features of schools themselves which impact upon the possibilities for their improvement. The book derives from a eight year longitudinal study of school evaluation at St Mary's College, a Catholic girls school in Tasmania. It builds upon, and provides a practical exploration of, such recent developments as Straratt and Caldwell's work on educational vision, the role of evaluation in measuring the extent to which a school's vision has become reality; the effective implementation and management of change, and Coleman and Hoffer's notion of social capital and the importance of school community networks in effective education.

Curriculum and subject leadership in schools has recently gained substantial attention from both researchers and policy-makers. The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) has reinforced the importance of subject leadership in school improvement, proposing a new measure of such leadership competence through the creation of national subject leader standards (NPQSL). Subject Leadership and School Improvement reflects critically on the work of subject and curriculum leaders especially in schools in England and Wales, that is, those within the policy framework of The National Curriculum and the Teacher Training Agency. The book debates the functions of subject leaders in primary and secondary schools, using current researc

Martin Thrupp argues that there has to be a much bigger educational and social justice agenda to school improvement than the managerial approaches typically taken by government policy. He critiques those school improvement texts, courses and consultancies which mostly frame their analyses within the terms of current policy and therefore act to apologise for it. An alternative, more critical approach to school improvement is developed in the book and the author also provides examples of practical strategies to be employed within this approach. >

This book explores the principal’s role in meeting high expectations for student achievement. It provides detailed tips and strategies to show you what principals need to do to: assess and promote a culture and climate for school improvement, build teams and support the work their work, create the conditions so that teacher leaders can emerge, and monitor school improvement efforts

Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement provides a new definition of school improvement, away from a singular focus on compliance, toward a true commitment to excellence. This book is a call to action. It is about inspiring schools and school districts to commit to continuous school improvement by providing a framework that will result in improving teaching for every teacher and learning for every student through the comprehensive use of data. A culmination of over 30 years of doing the hard work in schools and districts both nationally and internationally, Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement shares new, evidence-based learnings about how to analyze, report, communicate, and use multiple measures of data. The updated edition provides a wealth of tools, protocols, timelines, examples, and strategies that will help schools and districts become genuine learning organizations.

How can districts bring instructional improvement to scale within and across schools? The authors of Collaborative School Improvement argue that districts can play a powerful part in helping schools build the capacity to engage in inquiry-based reform—but that this effort requires a shift in districts’ traditional role as a professional development provider. Drawing on case studies from three districts, the authors identify eight key practices for effective school-district collaboration. By helping districts teach—and model—an inquiry-based process, Collaborative School Improvement promises to offer powerful new support for scaling up data-driven instructional reform."

In a complex and multi-layered world, the conventional idea of great leadership being the result of the efforts of a single individual is rapidly becoming redundant. This book takes up the challenge of finding an alternative method of leadership in educational contexts, and looks at how this can help achieve sustained improvement in schools. The authors acknowledge that there are no simple solutions to school improvement. They argue that the effective leaders of the future will be those who are able to share responsibility, build positive relationships and offer stakeholders - teachers, parents and students - an opportunity to work together to improve their schools. The book is based around four key areas of concern: the changing context of leadership, leadership and school improvement, building leadership capacity, and future direction and implications. In each section, the authors discuss current theories and issues, and put forward alternative ideas and perspectives. This important book will make valuable reading for headteachers, principles, deputies and other senior teachers, particularly those undertaking leadership qualifications and training. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students and school governors.

This book investigates the localised effects of reform by exploring the impact of a school improvement policy agenda on the work of three experienced principals. It presents three longitudinal case studies within a shared specific leadership context in Queensland, Australia. The case studies enable an exploration of the way the principalship in this context has evolved over time, providing deep insights into the practices and beliefs of three experienced school leaders working in a period of rapid and urgent systemic reform. The nature of global reform policy borrowing means that the research and the findings within this monograph are relevant for international audiences. The book describes a new way to understand and theorise the effects of reform policies and associated pressures on school leaders. Using post-structural theory, it provides a better understanding of the specific effects of reform policy ensembles, particularly when combined with an analysis of the ways policy and discourse work together at a wider level to create an environment that disciplines the principalship. Further, it sheds lights on the means of complying with or contesting policy influences and how the work of leaders has changed over time.

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.

`The language of the book is accessible to those who are not involved in education. The 14 chapters describe and evaluate the impact of OfSTED inspection, presenting the cases for external and self-assessment′ - Mentoring & Training School inspection under OfSTED continues to generate discussion and controversy.This book contributes to the wider debate about the role and function of OfSTED inspection, particularly as it relates to school improvement and raising standards. What do we know about the impact OfSTED is having on schools, particularly in terms of their development? Is inspection leading to school improvement? What is the impact of inspection on the average school? This book focuses on the impact of OfSTED inspection, and what happens to schools after their inspection. Does inspection help raise standards? What are the consequences of inspection for successful schools?

A guide to teaching drama effectively at KS1-3, along with advice for how it can be used for teaching and learning across the entire curriculum.

Offers a perspective on the relationship between leadership and school improvement. This book emphasises the importance of maximising the leadership capabilities of all those within the organization, and provides guidance about the way in which this is achieved. It contains case study illustrations.

First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

With clear and concrete examples from elementary and high schools, this book helps you effectively gather, analyze, and use data to improve student learning. It demonstrates how to make better decisions, identify root causes of problems, and communicate and report results.

This open access book discusses challenges in school improvement research and different methodological approaches that have the potential to foster school improvement research. Research on school improvement and accountability analysis places high demands on a study's design and method. The potential of combining the depth of case studies with the breath of quantitative measures and analyses in a mixed-methods design seems very promising. Consequently, the focus of the book lies on innovative methodological approaches. The book chapters address design, measurement, and analysis developments as well as theoretical and conceptual developments. The relevance of the research presented in the chapters for educational accountability is discussed in the book's discussion chapter. More specifically, authors present one specific innovative methodological approach and clarify that approach with a concrete example in the context of school improvement, based on empirical data when possible. In this way, this book helps researchers designing complex useful studies.

In this practical resource, The authors maintain that to effect real reform today's educators must understand how leading and managing for instructional improvement gets done in their school and in turn use their diagnoses as the basis for mindful design and redesign.